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In 2021, 62 farmers in cities within Rensselaer County received a total of $1.9 million in 100 farm subsidies, a 33.3% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.8 million in 223 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elhannon Wholesale Nursery, Inc. | $0 | $375,000 | -- |
| Copses Farms, LLC | $787,474 | $269,660 | -65.8% |
| Hooskip Farms | $92,642 | $149,854 | 61.8% |
| Jeremy Wolff | $278,413 | $146,138 | -47.5% |
| Herrington Farms, Inc. | $630,394 | $139,089 | -77.9% |
| High Meadows of Hoosick, LLC | $77,801 | $95,511 | 22.8% |
| Sheffer's Grassland Dairy, LLC | $65,017 | $61,564 | -5.3% |
| Lewcliff Farms, LLC | $84,215 | $60,582 | -28.1% |
| Tarbox Farms, LLC | $69,856 | $59,367 | -15% |
| Henry Ruebel | $0 | $54,875 | -- |
| Sweeney's Tree and Land Managment, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Lukeland Farms | $37,471 | $46,335 | 23.7% |
| Millbrook Dairy Farms, LLC | $16,438 | $38,091 | 131.7% |
| Gold Krest Enterprises | $0 | $35,643 | -- |
| Burton C. van Buren | $17,900 | $29,765 | 66.3% |
| Hewitt Farms, Inc. | $78,315 | $29,398 | -62.5% |
| Boilingbrook Farm, LLC | $25,310 | $25,885 | 2.3% |
| Zema's Nursery, Inc. | $0 | $25,133 | -- |
| Lucas Han-Yoon Baker | $4,353 | $18,896 | 334.1% |
| Dawn Stannard | $17,989 | $17,387 | -3.3% |
| Mr. Alfred Allen Stannard | $18,182 | $17,387 | -4.4% |
| Patricia Meddis | $0 | $16,258 | -- |
| Kinderhook Creek Farm Enterprises, LLC | $0 | $13,874 | -- |
| Grandview Fence & Farm, LLC | $22,861 | $11,193 | -51% |
| Michael P. Collins | $9,131 | $9,131 | 0% |
| Gerald - Bornt Farms Bornt, LLC | $0 | $5,451 | -- |
| William J. Fogarty | $12,848 | $5,155 | -59.9% |
| Soul Fire Farm Instutute, Inc. | $0 | $4,911 | -- |
| Edible Uprising Farm, LLC | $0 | $4,493 | -- |
| Trzcinski Farm Properties, LLC | $10,710 | $4,433 | -58.6% |
| Paul Dzembo | $10,930 | $3,706 | -66.1% |
| St. Croix Farm, Inc. | $12,472 | $3,451 | -72.3% |
| Gibson Family Farms, LLC | $31,510 | $3,423 | -89.1% |
| The Gifford Homestead, LLC | $9,131 | $2,956 | -67.6% |
| Harold Durfee | $5,393 | $2,566 | -52.4% |
| Norsemen Farms, LLC | $11,019 | $2,565 | -76.7% |
| George A. Stannard | $7,600 | $2,350 | -69.1% |
| Anthony Grab | $0 | $2,318 | -- |
| Carl W. Cipperly | $5,195 | $2,253 | -56.6% |
| Mapledale Farm Partners, LLC | $2,111 | $2,236 | 5.9% |
| Vicki W. Fowler | $4,240 | $2,202 | -48.1% |
| Earl Brock | $0 | $2,035 | -- |
| Edward J. Powers | $12,032 | $2,026 | -83.2% |
| Dany S. Tilley | $14,382 | $1,972 | -86.3% |
| Daniel Calhoun | $19,957 | $1,904 | -90.5% |
| II Broke Moore Brothers, LLC | $0 | $1,716 | -- |
| Allen Cornell | $5,547 | $1,255 | -77.4% |
| Brian Binck | $4,657 | $1,248 | -73.2% |
| Richard Hudson Jr. | $5,017 | $1,042 | -79.2% |
| Robert P Church | $5,415 | $875 | -83.8% |
| James Winn | $4,240 | $872 | -79.4% |
| Myron C. Filkins Jr. | $2,184 | $812 | -62.8% |
| Frederick M. Howard | $5,531 | $796 | -85.6% |
| Land Trust 01-90-D39 | $4,281 | $773 | -81.9% |
| Ben Gaines | $10,351 | $763 | -92.6% |
| Cedar Point Farms Development, LLC | $3,690 | $728 | -80.3% |
| Berle Farm, LLC | $8,099 | $529 | -93.5% |
| Benjamin Gross | $509 | $509 | 0% |
| Windflower Farms, LLC | $78,490 | $500 | -99.4% |
| Marjorie Tate Rev Trust | $417 | $240 | -42.4% |
| Nicholas Halford | $3,974 | $145 | -96.4% |
| Melissa M. Charest | $2,381 | $90 | -96.2% |
| Sollohub Family Farm, LLC | $4,239 | $0 | -100% |
| Beverly Lohnes | $121 | $0 | -100% |
| Cornells Farm Stand, LLC | $16,216 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric M. Ziehm | $126 | $0 | -100% |
| Jose a Bascaran | $13,587 | $0 | -100% |
| Lucas H. Y. Baker | $8,613 | $0 | -100% |
| Douglas a Goodermote | $447 | $0 | -100% |
| Kinderhook Creek Farm Enterprises | $88,704 | $0 | -100% |
| Stone Wall Hill Farm, LLC | $12,178 | $0 | -100% |
| Capital District Farms, Inc. | $17 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $2,495 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew Grab | $1,689 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark D. Moody | $73 | $0 | -100% |
| Elihu Farm | $6,012 | $0 | -100% |
| II Broke Moore Brothers, LLC | $2,651 | $0 | -100% |
| Mr. Blaine E. Shaver | $3,897 | $0 | -100% |
| Harry Bockleslaugh | $63 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,809,203 | $1,874,190 | -33.3% |
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