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In 2021, 70 farmers in cities within Hunterdon County received a total of $811,201 in 104 farm subsidies, a 65.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.4 million in 238 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillips Farms, LLC | $386,065 | $337,746 | -12.5% |
| Fulper Farms, LLC | $137,234 | $98,238 | -28.4% |
| Clucas Farms, LLC | $191,672 | $66,691 | -65.2% |
| Bee Flower and Sun Honey, LLC | $73,390 | $42,158 | -42.6% |
| Bryan Sutton | $3,512 | $26,995 | 668.7% |
| John A. Vinciguerra | $20,248 | $20,248 | 0% |
| William S. Martin | $20,115 | $20,075 | -0.2% |
| Sugar Maple Jerseys, LLC | $10,598 | $18,691 | 76.4% |
| David S. Slack | $39,024 | $15,081 | -61.4% |
| Holland Valley Farm, LLC | $16,883 | $14,496 | -14.1% |
| William D. Wagner | $50,771 | $13,149 | -74.1% |
| Scott Hender | $28,521 | $12,449 | -56.4% |
| John Digeronimo | $20,963 | $10,206 | -51.3% |
| Delaware Valley Farms, LLC | $21,983 | $9,783 | -55.5% |
| Thomas J. Zeng | $16,996 | $8,729 | -48.6% |
| Thomas D Grochowicz | $31,195 | $6,853 | -78% |
| Jeffrey B. Bowlby | $13,143 | $6,424 | -51.1% |
| Paul R. Dippery | $0 | $5,945 | -- |
| Lauber Brothers, LLC | $18,503 | $5,285 | -71.4% |
| William A. Bowlby | $10,688 | $5,018 | -53.1% |
| Pamela G Nannas | $4,250 | $4,250 | 0% |
| Richard Denbigh | $6,533 | $3,990 | -38.9% |
| Deer Run Farm, Inc. | $2,693 | $3,654 | 35.7% |
| Agri Management | $13,269 | $3,582 | -73% |
| Zeng Bros, LLC | $0 | $3,305 | -- |
| Fred C. van Doren | $10,743 | $3,209 | -70.1% |
| Refuge at Buzzard Creek, LLC | $3,180 | $3,180 | 0% |
| Gregory Altvater | $5,560 | $2,818 | -49.3% |
| George Perehinys | $2,891 | $2,797 | -3.3% |
| Melanie E. Gray | $4,016 | $2,566 | -36.1% |
| Peterson Farm | $7,965 | $2,360 | -70.4% |
| Robert G Michisk | $16,580 | $2,348 | -85.8% |
| Scott T. Gordley | $7,577 | $2,213 | -70.8% |
| END of the Lane Farm, LLC | $0 | $2,087 | -- |
| Justin Wilk | $2,062 | $2,062 | 0% |
| Vernon Johnson | $0 | $1,723 | -- |
| Hoffman Farm, LLC | $5,348 | $1,496 | -72% |
| Kachine Dixon | $5,848 | $1,306 | -77.7% |
| Jamie M. Morgan | $1,235 | $1,235 | 0% |
| Barbara Rattigan | $1,205 | $1,205 | 0% |
| Frederick A. Hegarty | $5,830 | $1,195 | -79.5% |
| Ronald Bumb | $1,965 | $1,169 | -40.5% |
| Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree Farm, LLC | $0 | $1,167 | -- |
| Julia C. Allen | $1,144 | $1,144 | 0% |
| Ronald Kappus | $3,089 | $918 | -70.3% |
| Dale Walker Jr. | $3,326 | $898 | -73% |
| Duane Butherus | $1,983 | $877 | -55.8% |
| Cervenka Farm, LLC | $5,771 | $857 | -85.1% |
| Brian Smith | $0 | $798 | -- |
| Anthony V. Szumski | $790 | $790 | 0% |
| Katherine L. Stone | $867 | $713 | -17.8% |
| B & B Livestock Farm, LLC | $0 | $559 | -- |
| Francis J. Daley Jr. | $3,018 | $541 | -82.1% |
| Stanley Gilliland | $961 | $521 | -45.8% |
| Elmer a Gombosi Farm | $702 | $493 | -29.8% |
| John M. Bonham Jr. | $1,955 | $453 | -76.8% |
| Michael C. Allen | $400 | $400 | 0% |
| Hemlock Crest Farms, LLC | $906 | $326 | -64% |
| Lindaberry Farms, LLC | $773 | $298 | -61.4% |
| Franklin R. Dippery | $255 | $255 | 0% |
| Cynthia A. Cullinane | $250 | $250 | 0% |
| Andrea L. Smith | $0 | $221 | -- |
| Clifford Family Farm, LLC | $3,786 | $205 | -94.6% |
| Thomas Michalenko | $1,008 | $105 | -89.6% |
| Eric G. Turnquist | $347 | $98 | -71.8% |
| William M. Kiriluk | $241 | $97 | -59.8% |
| William Trarbach | $163 | $74 | -54.6% |
| Raymond L. Fisher | $263 | $69 | -73.8% |
| Joseph A. Ruggieri | $235 | $44 | -81.3% |
| Jon Kowal | $575 | $20 | -96.5% |
| Dianne Parisi | $491 | $0 | -100% |
| John H. Slack | $2,028 | $0 | -100% |
| Stan Parman | $27,007 | $0 | -100% |
| Vernon Johnson | $4,906 | $0 | -100% |
| Ace Greenhouses II, LLC | $66,128 | $0 | -100% |
| Beekman Nursery, LLC | $6,431 | $0 | -100% |
| John J. Micek | $4,640 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Digeronimo Jr. | $257 | $0 | -100% |
| Susan B. Miller | $567 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $5,263 | $0 | -100% |
| Jonathan H. Pinkerton | $464 | $0 | -100% |
| Lucas M. Haring | $3,504 | $0 | -100% |
| Perpetual Harvest Farms, LLC | $1,299 | $0 | -100% |
| A. S. Milkowski & Sons, LLC | $1,375 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian Grochowicz | $5,064 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert P. Burd | $3,300 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond B. Runkle | $60 | $0 | -100% |
| Rolling Hills Farm | $21,884 | $0 | -100% |
| Joy-AL Enterprises, LLC | $3,482 | $0 | -100% |
| Chelsea Forge Vintners, LLC | $25,166 | $0 | -100% |
| Ecowalls, LLC | $4,681 | $0 | -100% |
| Old Village Farm, LLC | $12,489 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Cain | $170 | $0 | -100% |
| Swift Farms, LLC | $2,832 | $0 | -100% |
| Andrew Alpaugh | $1,740 | $0 | -100% |
| Evergreen Valley Christmas Tree F | $15,792 | $0 | -100% |
| Hionis Greenhouses, Inc. | $898,852 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,372,934 | $811,201 | -65.8% |
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