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In 2021, 63 farmers in cities within Franklin County received a total of $791,423 in 96 farm subsidies, a 78.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.7 million in 233 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bree-Z-Knoll Farm, LLC | $230,738 | $192,920 | -16.4% |
| Brian M. Peila | $70,842 | $128,864 | 81.9% |
| J M Pasiecnik Farms, LLC | $263,313 | $70,111 | -73.4% |
| Allard's Farms, Inc. | $112,104 | $68,714 | -38.7% |
| Kenneth Herzig | $56,783 | $41,701 | -26.6% |
| Long Plain Farm | $0 | $39,279 | -- |
| Hugh Manheim | $210,896 | $35,417 | -83.2% |
| Allard Brothers Logging, LLP | $0 | $35,178 | -- |
| Eric Herzig | $36,053 | $25,021 | -30.6% |
| Woodslawn Farm, LLC | $33,352 | $25,007 | -25% |
| James A. Crowley | $9,840 | $22,846 | 132.2% |
| Melissa M. Griffin | $0 | $22,830 | -- |
| Deane Roberts | $30,748 | $22,791 | -25.9% |
| Brian Belder | $0 | $12,369 | -- |
| Paul Willis | $46,692 | $8,069 | -82.7% |
| Benjamin Hay | $61,215 | $3,598 | -94.1% |
| Joshua H Mason | $0 | $3,356 | -- |
| Wheel-View Farm | $13,633 | $2,932 | -78.5% |
| Richard Wysk | $0 | $2,465 | -- |
| Graves Glen Farm, LLC | $6,224 | $2,100 | -66.3% |
| Gould Maple Farm, Inc. | $19,232 | $2,002 | -89.6% |
| Stephen E. Smith | $0 | $2,000 | -- |
| David R. Shearer | $50,398 | $1,738 | -96.6% |
| Hager Bros Farm, LLC | $19,945 | $1,581 | -92.1% |
| Roger Augustine | $6,266 | $1,368 | -78.2% |
| Gary Kolakoski | $3,728 | $1,275 | -65.8% |
| Karl Friedrick Immanuel Prahl | $0 | $1,136 | -- |
| Benjamin D Wells-Tolley | $6,856 | $1,091 | -84.1% |
| Lori Hicks | $3,576 | $1,068 | -70.1% |
| Julia Rolin Coffey | $60,497 | $938 | -98.4% |
| Adam R Martin | $1,925 | $900 | -53.2% |
| Ronald Noyes | $13,090 | $821 | -93.7% |
| Belder & Belder | $22,354 | $720 | -96.8% |
| William M Coli - Blue Heron Farm | $800 | $650 | -18.8% |
| Craig Avery | $4,322 | $612 | -85.8% |
| Scott Roberts | $9,561 | $602 | -93.7% |
| Joan Crowley | $2,911 | $586 | -79.9% |
| Joseph C. Tatro | $895 | $566 | -36.8% |
| Sunrise Farms | $0 | $500 | -- |
| Real Pickles Cooperative, Inc. | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, LLC | $500 | $500 | 0% |
| Full Bloom Market Garden, LLC | $426,228 | $500 | -99.9% |
| Maryanne Gallagher | $444 | $444 | 0% |
| Apex Orchards, Inc. | $65,478 | $438 | -99.3% |
| Bascom Hollow Farm, LLC | $2,221 | $412 | -81.4% |
| Bernard D Den Ouden | $316 | $316 | 0% |
| Rockwell Lively | $4,206 | $305 | -92.7% |
| DR. Chang Naturals, LLC | $800 | $300 | -62.5% |
| Jennifer Core | $6,061 | $272 | -95.5% |
| Franklin County Community Development Corporation - Western | $200 | $250 | 25% |
| John M Zilch Trust-John M Zilch | $235 | $235 | 0% |
| Kyle A. Bostrom | $2,923 | $230 | -92.1% |
| Davenport Maple Farm | $2,385 | $181 | -92.4% |
| Bryan Kolakoski | $309 | $138 | -55.3% |
| Gary F. Shaw | $2,668 | $126 | -95.3% |
| Charles C Tenanes | $53,091 | $126 | -99.8% |
| Charles York | $2,411 | $106 | -95.6% |
| Carrie Chickering-Sears | $1,548 | $103 | -93.3% |
| Susanne Hale | $328 | $68 | -79.3% |
| Katherine Scranton | $16,576 | $51 | -99.7% |
| Samuel Lane | $2,663 | $51 | -98.1% |
| Susanne Hale | $164 | $34 | -79.3% |
| Jeffery Glabach | $303 | $15 | -95% |
| Colin Scott | $11,122 | $0 | -100% |
| Brooks L. McCutchen | $7,436 | $0 | -100% |
| Lyonsville Farm, LLC | $7,043 | $0 | -100% |
| Brett Roberts | $505 | $0 | -100% |
| Colrain Dairy Farm | $400 | $0 | -100% |
| Helen Call | $481 | $0 | -100% |
| Jill Horton-Lyons | $1,152 | $0 | -100% |
| Jonathan Bunker | $5,217 | $0 | -100% |
| Karen Herzig | $930 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan Brothers | $2,540 | $0 | -100% |
| Alan D. Wallace | $153 | $0 | -100% |
| Clifford C Hatch | $8,184 | $0 | -100% |
| Hannah R. Sol | $644 | $0 | -100% |
| David Paysnick | $6,485 | $0 | -100% |
| Just Roots, Inc. | $12,775 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew Richard Guertin | $87 | $0 | -100% |
| Reed Farm, LLC | $2,651 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Duprey | $7,515 | $0 | -100% |
| Rebecca Peterson | $2,438 | $0 | -100% |
| Sidney Herron | $2,264 | $0 | -100% |
| Sweet Morning Farm, LLC | $4,091 | $0 | -100% |
| Warren Facey | $1,234 | $0 | -100% |
| Diemand EGG Farm, Inc. | $30,507 | $0 | -100% |
| Chang & Sons Enterprises, Inc. | $570,196 | $0 | -100% |
| David Wojciechowski | $36,654 | $0 | -100% |
| Nourse Farms, Inc. | $250,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Amy Tuominen, DVM | $459 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald C. Call | $3,356 | $0 | -100% |
| Cranstons Tree Farm | $14,237 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel Greene | $4,919 | $0 | -100% |
| Ed Kearney | $2,874 | $0 | -100% |
| Hagers Farm Market, LLC | $16,398 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert J. Spencer | $3,999 | $0 | -100% |
| Forest City Farms, LLC | $6,991 | $0 | -100% |
| Justin E. Galenski | $183,340 | $0 | -100% |
| Roaming Farm, LLC | $1,870 | $0 | -100% |
| Walter J. Kownacki | $126 | $0 | -100% |
| Warger Farm | $902 | $0 | -100% |
| Great Falls Aquaculture, LLC | $212,936 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan Richards | $216 | $0 | -100% |
| Timberhaven Farm | $1,565 | $0 | -100% |
| Fairview Farms, Inc. | $130,021 | $0 | -100% |
| Harvest Farm Produce, LLC | $90,017 | $0 | -100% |
| Joan Sharp Long | $1,537 | $0 | -100% |
| Keith Bardwell | $1,077 | $0 | -100% |
| Lasalle Florists, Inc. | $11,765 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,662,656 | $791,423 | -78.4% |
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