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In 2021, 41 farmers in cities within Geauga County received a total of $364,435 in 63 farm subsidies, a 71.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.3 million in 123 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk Maid, LLC | $407,440 | $113,008 | -72.3% |
| Rzesz Farms, Ltd. | $50,946 | $50,256 | -1.4% |
| Byler-Weedon | $45,291 | $37,493 | -17.2% |
| James R. Timmons | $57,174 | $21,103 | -63.1% |
| Joseph J. Shrock | $28,977 | $20,865 | -28% |
| John E. Shrock Jr. | $24,296 | $18,496 | -23.9% |
| Little Ireland Farms, LLC | $28,779 | $17,424 | -39.5% |
| Eddy Fruit Farm, Inc. | $0 | $13,498 | -- |
| Robert T & Arden P Keller Trust | $0 | $13,354 | -- |
| Karey Farms, LLC | $18,320 | $9,500 | -48.1% |
| Hastings Dairy, LLC | $7,653 | $5,546 | -27.5% |
| Carolyn Sue Clouser | $23,577 | $5,418 | -77% |
| Allen S. Daffron | $0 | $5,197 | -- |
| John Ferguson | $19,034 | $4,368 | -77.1% |
| Carl Matthews | $6,154 | $3,358 | -45.4% |
| John R. Fuller | $4,040 | $2,962 | -26.7% |
| Gis Unlimited, LLC | $8,744 | $2,821 | -67.7% |
| James R. Timmons Jr. | $4,718 | $2,220 | -52.9% |
| Burton E. Armstrong Jr. | $6,229 | $2,209 | -64.5% |
| Robert Antalik | $0 | $1,791 | -- |
| Soltis Bros | $3,956 | $1,715 | -56.6% |
| James Soltis III | $530 | $1,279 | 141.3% |
| Donald Howells | $3,129 | $1,009 | -67.8% |
| Gordon B. Keller | $0 | $808 | -- |
| Richard J. Keller | $0 | $808 | -- |
| Robert T. Keller Jr. | $0 | $808 | -- |
| Paul Molan | $972 | $705 | -27.5% |
| Raymond R. Miller Jr. | $0 | $684 | -- |
| Aden R. Miller | $0 | $684 | -- |
| Roy A. Mast | $4,450 | $674 | -84.9% |
| Clouser Farms, Inc. | $668 | $668 | 0% |
| William Beucler | $1,307 | $628 | -52% |
| Glenford Palmer | $1,054 | $623 | -40.9% |
| Daniel W. Lilly | $0 | $555 | -- |
| Christina Priem | $2,669 | $536 | -79.9% |
| Robert J Koritansky | $889 | $416 | -53.2% |
| Stephen Grover Jr. | $5,973 | $325 | -94.6% |
| Jennifer Freeman | $1,780 | $225 | -87.4% |
| Allen D. Kruger | $586 | $169 | -71.2% |
| Mary J Liebenauer | $357 | $160 | -55.2% |
| James A. Teichman | $2,323 | $69 | -97% |
| Great Lakes Growers, LLC | $330,161 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert L. Miller | $340 | $0 | -100% |
| Urban Growers, LLC | $107,497 | $0 | -100% |
| Christopher Grossman | $20,250 | $0 | -100% |
| Conifer Creek, LLC | $27,691 | $0 | -100% |
| Sidney J. Clouser | $30 | $0 | -100% |
| Fred Deming | $395 | $0 | -100% |
| Ogden Maple Farm, LLC | $198 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy Lee Schaefer | $17,256 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,275,833 | $364,435 | -71.4% |
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