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In 2021, 136 farmers in cities within Lebanon County received a total of $3.6 million in 204 farm subsidies, a 35.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.7 million in 426 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.
Farmers and Their Subsidies in Cities Associated with Lebanon County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Race EGGS, LLC | $0 | $179,296 | -- |
| Hollowacres Farm, LLC | $280,325 | $144,086 | -48.6% |
| Kane Family Limited Partnership | $185,093 | $122,059 | -34.1% |
| Silo View Farm, LLC | $0 | $114,203 | -- |
| Dale E. Brubaker | $153,242 | $107,748 | -29.7% |
| Brian H. Martin | $142,192 | $107,546 | -24.4% |
| Jerry L. Musser | $178,213 | $104,892 | -41.1% |
| Luke Z. Brubaker | $135,896 | $91,245 | -32.9% |
| Lynford H Martin | $140,021 | $88,025 | -37.1% |
| Brandt-View Farms | $109,088 | $87,023 | -20.2% |
| Dale H. Zimmerman | $137,998 | $84,564 | -38.7% |
| Jay L. Weaver | $97,991 | $79,791 | -18.6% |
| Earl Z. Zimmerman | $0 | $79,244 | -- |
| Burnell H. Martin | $162,821 | $75,439 | -53.7% |
| Curtis Lee Zimmerman | $95,742 | $73,542 | -23.2% |
| Carroll County EGGS, LLC | $0 | $70,000 | -- |
| Prolay EGG Producers JV79 | $0 | $68,815 | -- |
| Darren Roy Wise | $84,059 | $68,348 | -18.7% |
| Joel L. Wise | $81,722 | $67,306 | -17.6% |
| Prolay EGG Producers JV81 | $0 | $64,462 | -- |
| Prolay EGG Producers JV85 | $0 | $63,735 | -- |
| Douglas R. Martin | $73,223 | $59,667 | -18.5% |
| Leon E. Ziegler | $34,346 | $58,423 | 70.1% |
| Ivan H. Hoover | $72,842 | $57,233 | -21.4% |
| Matthew J. Bomgardner | $53,734 | $54,885 | 2.1% |
| Alan D. Hostetter | $70,444 | $52,216 | -25.9% |
| Lynn D. Schwenk | $73,250 | $50,988 | -30.4% |
| David E. Ziegler | $126,288 | $50,666 | -59.9% |
| Jay W. Good | $103,257 | $48,465 | -53.1% |
| Klinedell Farms, LLC | $143,770 | $48,253 | -66.4% |
| Weiler Farms, LLC | $6,999 | $48,197 | 588.6% |
| Breckbill Acres, LLC | $57,184 | $47,301 | -17.3% |
| Levalle EGG Farms, LLC | $88,165 | $44,076 | -50% |
| Christian Loy Gingrich | $0 | $43,990 | -- |
| David N. Bomgardner | $51,511 | $42,674 | -17.2% |
| Prolay EGG Producers JV86 | $0 | $40,943 | -- |
| Robert L. Bashore | $115,027 | $37,415 | -67.5% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV569 | $0 | $36,802 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV541 | $0 | $36,713 | -- |
| Marlin G. Getz | $36,001 | $36,416 | 1.2% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV561 | $0 | $35,721 | -- |
| Jacob B. Stoltzfus | $64,541 | $34,209 | -47% |
| Quentin S. Horst | $0 | $31,755 | -- |
| Kirby L. Horst | $36,411 | $28,092 | -22.8% |
| Merlin D. Good | $20,328 | $26,463 | 30.2% |
| Carl Z. Good | $20,496 | $26,332 | 28.5% |
| Jared A. Zimmerman | $21,216 | $22,910 | 8% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV557 | $0 | $22,307 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV37 | $0 | $21,325 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV560 | $0 | $20,452 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV537 | $0 | $20,399 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV544 | $0 | $20,004 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV555 | $0 | $19,925 | -- |
| Corinne Yvonne Summers | $19,484 | $19,484 | 0% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV568 | $0 | $19,256 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV35 | $0 | $17,617 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV542 | $0 | $16,716 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV510 | $0 | $15,013 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV528 | $0 | $13,729 | -- |
| John R. Bicksler | $38,481 | $13,222 | -65.6% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV558 | $0 | $13,093 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV566 | $0 | $12,780 | -- |
| County Line Farms, LLC | $21,241 | $12,107 | -43% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV530 | $0 | $11,977 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV556 | $0 | $11,477 | -- |
| Zachary R. Alger | $58,675 | $11,440 | -80.5% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV41 | $0 | $11,227 | -- |
| Meyer Farms | $25,524 | $11,022 | -56.8% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV549 | $0 | $10,536 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV562 | $0 | $10,426 | -- |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV550 | $0 | $10,152 | -- |
| Michael B. Long Sr. | $24,790 | $9,826 | -60.4% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV565 | $0 | $9,529 | -- |
| Izaak Walton League | $7,014 | $9,465 | 34.9% |
| MDR Farms, LLC | $100,816 | $9,377 | -90.7% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV508 | $0 | $9,192 | -- |
| Lee R. Hitz | $18,893 | $8,928 | -52.7% |
| Ernest E. Hostetter | $14,274 | $8,775 | -38.5% |
| Lloyd M. Oberholtzer | $87,562 | $8,177 | -90.7% |
| Brent M. Hostetter | $83,937 | $7,913 | -90.6% |
| Edwin N. Hostetter | $15,624 | $7,321 | -53.1% |
| John D. Donmoyer | $15,025 | $7,290 | -51.5% |
| Carl Detwiler | $12,436 | $7,022 | -43.5% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV509 | $0 | $6,941 | -- |
| Adam R. Light | $132,377 | $6,822 | -94.8% |
| Dennis L. Grumbine | $11,513 | $5,730 | -50.2% |
| Weiler Farms | $4,976 | $4,976 | 0% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV564 | $0 | $4,782 | -- |
| Curvin Z. Good | $90,891 | $4,581 | -95% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV563 | $0 | $4,387 | -- |
| Bruce L. Brightbill Jr. | $12,586 | $4,348 | -65.5% |
| Donald D. Baer II | $8,980 | $4,121 | -54.1% |
| Jeffrey D. Bomgardner | $8,900 | $4,051 | -54.5% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV551 | $0 | $4,035 | -- |
| Susan Eberly | $7,077 | $3,580 | -49.4% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV527 | $17,282 | $3,411 | -80.3% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV545 | $17,002 | $3,356 | -80.3% |
| Glen S. Zimmerman | $68,383 | $3,256 | -95.2% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV47 | $28,382 | $3,153 | -88.9% |
| Donald R. Blauch | $8,105 | $3,104 | -61.7% |
| Michael Hartman | $787 | $2,986 | 279.4% |
| Joel A. Heisey | $46,217 | $2,893 | -93.7% |
| Marvin Diem | $11,172 | $2,625 | -76.5% |
| Dennis S. Bross | $8,320 | $2,564 | -69.2% |
| William M. Bennetch | $5,251 | $2,479 | -52.8% |
| Richard L. Brubaker | $2,413 | $2,413 | 0% |
| Eugene L. Weiler | $2,352 | $2,352 | 0% |
| Charles V. Bomgardner | $4,148 | $2,351 | -43.3% |
| OWL Creek Agent, Inc. | $6,483 | $2,276 | -64.9% |
| Galen R. Zimmerman | $53,854 | $2,250 | -95.8% |
| Eugene O. Yenser | $6,692 | $2,199 | -67.1% |
| Kyle W. Smith | $681 | $2,135 | 213.5% |
| Steven A. Walmer | $2,119 | $2,119 | 0% |
| Lynn Jay Struphar | $3,661 | $2,107 | -42.4% |
| Gregory A. Bomgardner | $5,728 | $1,919 | -66.5% |
| Glenn L. Eberly | $2,402 | $1,856 | -22.7% |
| Paul R. Bahner | $1,791 | $1,791 | 0% |
| David Z. Good | $5,653 | $1,778 | -68.5% |
| Garden Meadow Farm, Inc. | $8,988 | $1,623 | -81.9% |
| Michael B. Reedy | $2,407 | $1,494 | -37.9% |
| Natural Lay EGGS JV36 | $7,057 | $1,411 | -80% |
| John F. Brommer | $1,315 | $1,315 | 0% |
| Thistle Creek Farm, LLC | $3,574 | $874 | -75.5% |
| Shuey Farms | $1,612 | $868 | -46.2% |
| Susan Vachino | $864 | $864 | 0% |
| Crouse Legacy Acres, LLC | $2,108 | $809 | -61.6% |
| Elvin L. Martin | $4,076 | $767 | -81.2% |
| Douglas S. Scipioni | $1,602 | $675 | -57.9% |
| Bradley Hartman | $1,056 | $652 | -38.3% |
| The Lebanon County Beagle Club | $0 | $600 | -- |
| Walter M. Martin | $0 | $500 | -- |
| Larry G. Shuey | $1,507 | $480 | -68.1% |
| James A. Speck | $1,118 | $224 | -80% |
| Jeffrey B. Biondi | $108 | $108 | 0% |
| Elam Lantz | $42,749 | $87 | -99.8% |
| Justin C. Troutman | $64,462 | $65 | -99.9% |
| Christian L. Gingrich | $49,409 | $0 | -100% |
| Dennis L. Grubb | $356 | $0 | -100% |
| Gerald M. Long | $381 | $0 | -100% |
| Gerald M. Musser | $256,432 | $0 | -100% |
| Harry Buck | $5,158 | $0 | -100% |
| Jacob J. Brandt | $549 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeffrey P. Reigel | $516 | $0 | -100% |
| Rodney T. Eckenrode | $2,048 | $0 | -100% |
| Steve A. Reigel | $516 | $0 | -100% |
| John Barton | $917 | $0 | -100% |
| Amos S. Esh | $18,946 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles R. Zimmerman | $92,345 | $0 | -100% |
| Clair W. Nolt | $47,197 | $0 | -100% |
| Cleason Earl Martin | $40,253 | $0 | -100% |
| Earl G. Lehman | $13,435 | $0 | -100% |
| Evan L. Stump | $83,332 | $0 | -100% |
| Henry L. Eberly | $1,938 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeese R Ruppert | $145,100 | $0 | -100% |
| Leon E. Martin | $48,874 | $0 | -100% |
| Lloyd M. Kurtz | $1,089 | $0 | -100% |
| Mathew M. MacHmer | $5,994 | $0 | -100% |
| Nevin R. Brubaker | $93,423 | $0 | -100% |
| Ralph E. Moyer | $53,616 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy B. Crouse | $438 | $0 | -100% |
| Andrew J. Kline | $20,199 | $0 | -100% |
| Dale M. Good | $933 | $0 | -100% |
| Estate of Tillie Barry | $4,886 | $0 | -100% |
| Jonathan M. Kurtz | $695 | $0 | -100% |
| Mervin R. Horning | $116,370 | $0 | -100% |
| Mervin R. Horst | $44,764 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,678,102 | $3,639,818 | -35.9% |
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