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In 2021, 74 farmers in cities within Franklin County received a total of $1.5 million in 134 farm subsidies, a 53.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.1 million in 316 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dans Dairy, LLC | $165,526 | $149,681 | -9.6% |
| Trainer Farm, LLC | $691,978 | $144,632 | -79.1% |
| Mr. Randall Ooms | $446,799 | $141,527 | -68.3% |
| Donald Ellsworth | $208,645 | $136,002 | -34.8% |
| Brockway Hilltop Farms, LLC | $228,342 | $131,818 | -42.3% |
| Harrigan Brothers Dairy Farm | $105,446 | $67,668 | -35.8% |
| Dennis Reardon | $25,975 | $59,673 | 129.7% |
| Gerald Magnan | $31,227 | $49,838 | 59.6% |
| Donald Boadway | $55,758 | $47,380 | -15% |
| Thomas Armstrong | $49,180 | $39,410 | -19.9% |
| Gerald T. Oakes Jr. | $130,017 | $36,537 | -71.9% |
| Korin J. Oakes | $129,994 | $36,537 | -71.9% |
| Al Miller | $26,165 | $34,751 | 32.8% |
| Mr. Francis Lee Helm | $38,558 | $31,098 | -19.3% |
| Georgie-Ann's Dairy | $0 | $30,887 | -- |
| Woodworth Farms, LLC | $29,366 | $28,680 | -2.3% |
| Metcalf Farms, LLC | $206,734 | $27,430 | -86.7% |
| Cindy Otis | $20,561 | $25,609 | 24.6% |
| Donald H. Fowler | $35,970 | $24,512 | -31.9% |
| Michel R. Godin II | $36,463 | $23,050 | -36.8% |
| William Harrigan | $8,054 | $20,793 | 158.2% |
| Roger Trumble | $21,551 | $20,404 | -5.3% |
| Patrick W. Harvey | $28,569 | $19,585 | -31.4% |
| Donald C. Dana | $2,447 | $16,469 | 573% |
| William L. Ribble | $15,773 | $12,374 | -21.5% |
| Poppydale Dairy, LLC | $27,213 | $11,924 | -56.2% |
| Paul Howard | $17,117 | $10,640 | -37.8% |
| Brian J. Hazen | $3,498 | $10,011 | 186.2% |
| Mr. Michael O'Connor | $27,260 | $7,723 | -71.7% |
| Paul Masuk | $26,614 | $7,482 | -71.9% |
| Craig Tucker | $18,067 | $6,552 | -63.7% |
| Jones Potato Farm | $0 | $5,892 | -- |
| Justin D. Stickney | $0 | $4,060 | -- |
| Hy-View Acres | $5,486 | $3,858 | -29.7% |
| Peter Warner Jr. | $0 | $3,300 | -- |
| Michael R. Charlebois | $0 | $2,970 | -- |
| Kenneth Vanwinden | $4,502 | $2,886 | -35.9% |
| Richard Vanwinden | $4,949 | $2,886 | -41.7% |
| Robert John McCarthy | $2,800 | $2,800 | 0% |
| Owen Vaughan | $14,898 | $1,886 | -87.3% |
| James F. Durant | $4,524 | $1,717 | -62% |
| Marvin Titus | $5,027 | $1,352 | -73.1% |
| Gary M. Tannahill | $692 | $1,294 | 87% |
| Virginia Campbell | $0 | $1,265 | -- |
| Gerard Spinner | $5,828 | $1,234 | -78.8% |
| Reevie Rockhill | $5,327 | $1,086 | -79.6% |
| Robert J. O'Connor | $6,778 | $1,069 | -84.2% |
| Martin D. Miller | $0 | $848 | -- |
| Robert L. Oliver | $11,719 | $804 | -93.1% |
| Robert R. Hooker | $1,727 | $722 | -58.2% |
| Jeffery J. French | $865 | $670 | -22.5% |
| Wallace Jock | $2,267 | $634 | -72% |
| George A. Hayes | $1,229 | $621 | -49.5% |
| Judith E. Lavack | $1,229 | $621 | -49.5% |
| Scott Davis | $4,052 | $580 | -85.7% |
| Harley Titus | $2,361 | $512 | -78.3% |
| van Patterson | $2,225 | $470 | -78.9% |
| Keith Paquin | $5,829 | $398 | -93.2% |
| Darwin Laclair | $0 | $394 | -- |
| Tony Leroux | $1,298 | $380 | -70.7% |
| Craig Tatro | $0 | $367 | -- |
| Corey Lepage | $1,465 | $301 | -79.5% |
| Warren Kingsley | $9,994 | $300 | -97% |
| Wood Dairy Farm | $4,675 | $272 | -94.2% |
| David Westurn | $572 | $214 | -62.6% |
| Chad Carter | $6,265 | $212 | -96.6% |
| John G. Swanston | $0 | $209 | -- |
| Jack W. Malark | $9,527 | $142 | -98.5% |
| Kenneth R. Rousell | $20,922 | $88 | -99.6% |
| Melanie Joyce Clookey | $168 | $51 | -69.6% |
| Harlan Zimmerman | $47,654 | $44 | -99.9% |
| Harold L. Clark | $158 | $7 | -95.6% |
| Jason Trombley | $16,402 | $7 | -100% |
| Thomas Jones | $21,304 | $7 | -100% |
| Bruce Stevens | $7,511 | $0 | -100% |
| James Reardon | $238 | $0 | -100% |
| Walter C. Hapeman | $76 | $0 | -100% |
| Jill F. Vaughan | $1,910 | $0 | -100% |
| Karen A. Hazen | $1,705 | $0 | -100% |
| Laura A. Rizzo | $3,527 | $0 | -100% |
| Wesley Vaughan | $1,910 | $0 | -100% |
| Dale Wills | $136 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew J. Backus | $241 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael H. Kim | $69 | $0 | -100% |
| Patrick C. Oconnor | $116 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard L. King | $1,267 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Bracy | $74 | $0 | -100% |
| Walter Wilson III | $669 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel J. Meier | $1,739 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel St. Onge | $430 | $0 | -100% |
| Rachel R. Meier | $1,739 | $0 | -100% |
| Ralph Otis | $559 | $0 | -100% |
| Alan R. Smith | $21 | $0 | -100% |
| Darryl Moore | $17 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald W. Campbell | $105 | $0 | -100% |
| Jack Moore | $17 | $0 | -100% |
| Marlin W. Martin | $26,591 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Chapman | $635 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger Howard | $60 | $0 | -100% |
| Stewart Sturgen | $146 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas M. Debeer | $872 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,145,965 | $1,460,107 | -53.6% |
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