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In 2021, 71 farmers in cities within Luzerne County received a total of $358,536 in 105 farm subsidies, a 56% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $814,320 in 184 farm subsidies.
Though farm subsidies support agriculture in the U.S., pumping $7 trillion into the economy, they are not without controversy.
The American Action Forum discovered that the most highly subsidized crops - corn, soy, wheat, and rice - are often consumed in highly processed ways, which leads to unhealthy eating habits and obesity, while the fruits and vegetables needed for a healthy diet are rarely subsidized.
"We are consuming more calories, fats, sodium, and sugars, and not enough beneficial nutrients and vitamins," Tara O'Neill Hayes wrote. "It is critical that both policymakers and the American public understand the influence that federal agricultural subsidies have on our food supply and diet and, in turn, our nutrition and health."
Farm subsidies have also been criticized for assisting the highest-earning agricultural businesses, not local farmers on their family farms who are barely getting by.
Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance said farmer subsidies "help high-income corporations, not poor rural farmers. Most of the money goes toward large agribusinesses."
The U.S. has provided farm subsidies since the Great Depression to assist farmers who weather price fluctuations and disasters, to help maintain consistent farming across the country.
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drue Chapin & Sons, LLC | $129,292 | $38,222 | -70.4% |
| Lupini Farms | $148,361 | $34,203 | -76.9% |
| Eric A. Stevens | $39,503 | $30,610 | -22.5% |
| Joseph Lombardo | $22,331 | $22,331 | 0% |
| Gerald J. Harrison | $16,185 | $16,783 | 3.7% |
| Donald S. Karchner | $18,307 | $16,037 | -12.4% |
| Donald L. Chapin | $40,276 | $15,590 | -61.3% |
| Jon Lucas | $56,221 | $14,263 | -74.6% |
| Brian Kocher | $28,415 | $12,526 | -55.9% |
| Kevin C. Drasher | $24,571 | $10,264 | -58.2% |
| Kent A. Robbins | $9,687 | $9,687 | 0% |
| Raymond E Kabata | $15,882 | $6,999 | -55.9% |
| Hazlak Trust C/O Attorney Gene M Molino Trustee | $0 | $6,864 | -- |
| Carol Ryman | $9,821 | $6,691 | -31.9% |
| Aten Farm, LLC | $6,335 | $6,335 | 0% |
| Donna C. McNally | $5,225 | $6,190 | 18.5% |
| Roger C. Mowery Jr. | $10,374 | $5,649 | -45.5% |
| Arlen Payne | $3,311 | $5,389 | 62.8% |
| Thomas H. Jackson | $0 | $5,306 | -- |
| Cindy Forsythe | $4,957 | $4,957 | 0% |
| Lorraine Hill | $4,520 | $4,520 | 0% |
| Joseph A. Hardisky Jr. | $4,490 | $4,490 | 0% |
| Eugene C. Turner | $4,253 | $4,253 | 0% |
| Philip Wall | $19,864 | $4,191 | -78.9% |
| Stella Kollar | $4,167 | $4,167 | 0% |
| Harold A. Shoemaker | $3,453 | $3,453 | 0% |
| Lucille D. Metcalf | $3,376 | $3,376 | 0% |
| Duane D. Karchner | $2,984 | $2,984 | 0% |
| William R. Ferrey Jr. | $2,897 | $2,897 | 0% |
| Richard L. Yoder | $8,403 | $2,716 | -67.7% |
| Debra L. Garren | $2,606 | $2,606 | 0% |
| Harold L. Smith | $29,476 | $2,500 | -91.5% |
| Greentree Enterprises, L L C | $2,500 | $2,500 | 0% |
| Anthony Gavel | $2,451 | $2,451 | 0% |
| Cathy A. Yeager | $2,369 | $2,369 | 0% |
| Edward Grasavage | $0 | $2,362 | -- |
| Eugene D. Chapin | $2,214 | $2,214 | 0% |
| Carole F. Helton | $2,093 | $2,093 | 0% |
| Florence Brozoski | $2,075 | $2,075 | 0% |
| William J. Maneval | $1,911 | $1,911 | 0% |
| Ray A. Karchner | $1,824 | $1,824 | 0% |
| Francis J. Broyan | $19,528 | $1,747 | -91.1% |
| Allen R. Karchner | $1,701 | $1,701 | 0% |
| Jean Haydt | $1,560 | $1,560 | 0% |
| Gary Decowski | $5,709 | $1,511 | -73.5% |
| Jane E. Baron | $4,050 | $1,278 | -68.4% |
| Gary A. Moyer | $2,625 | $1,149 | -56.2% |
| Charleen Helen Zimmer | $0 | $1,105 | -- |
| Melinda L. McGuire | $5,863 | $1,042 | -82.2% |
| Laurette Green-Roberts | $0 | $1,031 | -- |
| Allan Franklin | $1,481 | $910 | -38.6% |
| David Dudzinski | $861 | $861 | 0% |
| Mabel L. Welsh | $2,954 | $769 | -74% |
| James A. Charney | $716 | $716 | 0% |
| Gary L. Rinehimer | $689 | $689 | 0% |
| J P Sitko Farm | $6,358 | $600 | -90.6% |
| Paul D. Zagata | $2,126 | $580 | -72.7% |
| William J. Biggers | $1,264 | $569 | -55% |
| Janetta Arford | $525 | $525 | 0% |
| Rhonda Seward-Keller | $471 | $471 | 0% |
| John M Stibrik | $783 | $469 | -40.1% |
| George C Hasay | $1,282 | $457 | -64.4% |
| John C. Prestia | $375 | $375 | 0% |
| Francis J. Konsavage and Elizabeth C. Konsavage Ir | $0 | $319 | -- |
| Anthony Zanoline | $1,534 | $277 | -81.9% |
| Blake O. Brown | $2,348 | $268 | -88.6% |
| Yvonne Enterprise | $1,090 | $219 | -79.9% |
| Nicholas Pavlichko | $193 | $193 | 0% |
| James a Martinchek | $271 | $119 | -56.1% |
| Ronald Taylor | $2,135 | $102 | -95.2% |
| Fred Johnson | $76 | $76 | 0% |
| Lick Run Lodge, Inc. | $662 | $0 | -100% |
| Brandon T. Kemp | $4,074 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Fischer | $1,754 | $0 | -100% |
| Francis J. Konsavage and Elizabet | $319 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth W. Ryman Jr. | $9,297 | $0 | -100% |
| Randall T. Johnson | $864 | $0 | -100% |
| Rinehimer Farms, LLC | $1,140 | $0 | -100% |
| Sharon M. Paden | $1,773 | $0 | -100% |
| Anthony Capitano | $1,723 | $0 | -100% |
| Hazlak Trust C/O Attorney Gene M | $6,864 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael F. Wojciechowski | $6,331 | $0 | -100% |
| Pauline Ridall | $6,691 | $0 | -100% |
| Silver Lake Farms, Inc. | $2,837 | $0 | -100% |
| Susan Weber | $196 | $0 | -100% |
| William E. Babcock | $8 | $0 | -100% |
| Clover Re Limited Partnership | $4,239 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $814,320 | $358,536 | -56% |
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