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In 2021, 244 farmers in cities within Shenandoah County received a total of $2.5 million in 385 farm subsidies, a 50.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.1 million in 793 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 Shenandoah County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homer Long, Inc. | $169,271 | $150,337 | -11.2% |
| French Brothers Dairy, LLC | $196,003 | $121,042 | -38.2% |
| Larry F Long, Inc. | $12,932 | $105,322 | 714.4% |
| Harry B. Polk Jr. | $173,499 | $96,602 | -44.3% |
| Christopher Michael Wilkins | $16,598 | $93,393 | 462.7% |
| Patricia L. Brumback | $13,825 | $93,155 | 573.8% |
| MT. Airy Dairy Farm, LLC | $163,470 | $92,882 | -43.2% |
| Kibler Farms, LLC | $282,827 | $83,755 | -70.4% |
| Susan D. Shiley | $12,531 | $79,234 | 532.3% |
| Denise Zirkle Y. Turner | $847 | $69,265 | 8,077.7% |
| Manor Ridge Dairy | $111,539 | $66,861 | -40.1% |
| Michele Elaine Shiley | $7,164 | $57,122 | 697.3% |
| Carlton R. Orndorff | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Em Business Services, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| ATL Farms, LLC | $88,120 | $52,787 | -40.1% |
| Philip L. Bowman | $0 | $51,641 | -- |
| Eugene B. Dellinger | $0 | $48,655 | -- |
| Charles M. Kibler | $0 | $43,466 | -- |
| Barbara S. Zirkle | $44,027 | $37,144 | -15.6% |
| Avondale Farm, Inc. | $77,276 | $35,789 | -53.7% |
| Gary W. Gosney | $4,956 | $35,314 | 612.6% |
| Mathias Bros, Inc. | $103,074 | $33,830 | -67.2% |
| Arthur D. Martin | $57,813 | $33,444 | -42.2% |
| Guy Milton Gochenour | $150,764 | $30,615 | -79.7% |
| D & M Farms, LLC | $81,382 | $29,184 | -64.1% |
| D a L Farms, Inc. | $140,407 | $28,505 | -79.7% |
| Tabatha Raye Baker | $68,710 | $28,159 | -59% |
| Hideaway Farms, LLC | $35,216 | $26,206 | -25.6% |
| Brush Busters Tree Service, LLC | $0 | $26,043 | -- |
| Nelson O. Sine | $45,259 | $24,382 | -46.1% |
| Jacob Daniel Bowman | $0 | $23,728 | -- |
| Vann Enterprises, LLC | $35,782 | $23,018 | -35.7% |
| E-Z Farm | $0 | $22,962 | -- |
| Brian Allen McDonald | $0 | $22,960 | -- |
| Clifford L. Stiles | $36,289 | $22,482 | -38% |
| Commodity Credit Corporation | $61,687 | $21,717 | -64.8% |
| Daryl M. Bowman | $147,859 | $19,077 | -87.1% |
| Hockman Farms, LLC | $65,435 | $18,975 | -71% |
| Jadwyn Acres Farms, Inc. | $51,432 | $15,890 | -69.1% |
| Dean A. Shillingburg | $59,323 | $15,490 | -73.9% |
| Michael Alan Jordan | $0 | $14,541 | -- |
| Gregory A. Bowman | $101,977 | $13,949 | -86.3% |
| Francis Douglas French Jr. | $45,969 | $13,840 | -69.9% |
| Charles Edward Custer | $0 | $13,096 | -- |
| MFH Rolling Acres Farm, LLC | $46,906 | $12,370 | -73.6% |
| Todd W. Hensley | $23,020 | $11,864 | -48.5% |
| Glen W. Turner | $46,823 | $11,691 | -75% |
| S & K Poultry, LLC | $0 | $11,135 | -- |
| VA 7, LLC | $27,264 | $11,035 | -59.5% |
| Mitchell Lee Lutz | $2,145 | $10,439 | 386.7% |
| Foltz Farms, LLC | $47,700 | $10,277 | -78.5% |
| H H H, Inc. | $0 | $10,093 | -- |
| Lawrence H. Derrow | $0 | $8,745 | -- |
| Meadowview Dairy Farms, Inc. | $24,814 | $8,493 | -65.8% |
| Franwood Farms, Inc. | $406,800 | $8,296 | -98% |
| John William Whetzel II | $27,152 | $8,169 | -69.9% |
| Shane F. Richman | $22,432 | $8,096 | -63.9% |
| Claudia H. Methvin | $8,072 | $8,072 | 0% |
| Brian Allen Turner | $30,912 | $7,717 | -75% |
| High Hope Dairy, Inc. | $21,319 | $7,540 | -64.6% |
| Wilkins Brothers Dairy, LLC | $22,540 | $7,269 | -67.8% |
| Brian S. Orndorff | $0 | $6,908 | -- |
| Green Spring Farms, LLC | $0 | $6,765 | -- |
| Lee Charles Ryan | $14,139 | $6,692 | -52.7% |
| Brett Barrick Wightman | $23,519 | $6,640 | -71.8% |
| Pine Haven Farms, Inc. | $10,375 | $6,354 | -38.8% |
| George Wade Hawkins III | $20,870 | $6,135 | -70.6% |
| James A. Rhodes | $42,895 | $5,656 | -86.8% |
| Gary A. Lantz | $16,300 | $5,386 | -67% |
| Donnie Earl Estep | $11,565 | $5,282 | -54.3% |
| Denny W. Shirley | $14,442 | $5,235 | -63.8% |
| Terry L. Foltz | $19,265 | $5,182 | -73.1% |
| Walnut Lane Dairy, Inc. | $26,852 | $5,082 | -81.1% |
| Randall M. Kennedy Sr. | $21,533 | $4,800 | -77.7% |
| Galestone Farm, LLC | $22,171 | $4,615 | -79.2% |
| Shane Allen Steed | $17,085 | $4,127 | -75.8% |
| James M. Mohr | $13,093 | $3,981 | -69.6% |
| Steven R. Clem | $0 | $3,821 | -- |
| Larry G. Barrick | $0 | $3,766 | -- |
| Teddie N. Mongold | $17,401 | $3,760 | -78.4% |
| Steven B. Copp | $14,857 | $3,703 | -75.1% |
| Stephens Custom Farming | $12,712 | $3,672 | -71.1% |
| Roger L. Cook | $11,660 | $3,634 | -68.8% |
| Glenn E. Keller | $19,623 | $3,633 | -81.5% |
| Anna J. Morris | $14,185 | $3,609 | -74.6% |
| Golden Eagle Farm | $8,119 | $3,594 | -55.7% |
| Daniel L. Rosenberger | $22,973 | $3,498 | -84.8% |
| Scott Douglas Stickley | $13,765 | $3,430 | -75.1% |
| Janet Eastep George | $18,213 | $3,356 | -81.6% |
| Robert Showman | $12,150 | $3,317 | -72.7% |
| MRS Julia Annette Ryan | $5,382 | $3,254 | -39.5% |
| Ronald F. Wakeman | $7,170 | $3,210 | -55.2% |
| Gary L. Vance | $55,863 | $3,188 | -94.3% |
| Dennis D. Baker | $9,573 | $3,163 | -67% |
| Frank Hoover Jr. | $17,679 | $3,128 | -82.3% |
| William H. H. King | $3,126 | $3,126 | 0% |
| Randy L. Fadely | $14,376 | $3,120 | -78.3% |
| Koontz Family Farms, LLC | $21,249 | $3,078 | -85.5% |
| Wilson Dysart | $13,674 | $3,016 | -77.9% |
| Matthew Lee Polk | $23,973 | $3,010 | -87.4% |
| Bradley Farms, Inc. | $2,753 | $2,842 | 3.2% |
| Katharine C. Buckner | $12,884 | $2,837 | -78% |
| James Cory Wetzel | $5,024 | $2,758 | -45.1% |
| William C. Wetzel | $5,015 | $2,758 | -45% |
| Tusing Brothers PTR | $17,180 | $2,691 | -84.3% |
| Allen D. Heishman | $13,227 | $2,687 | -79.7% |
| Rosenberger Farm, LLC | $20,894 | $2,602 | -87.5% |
| Terry L. Martin | $12,386 | $2,599 | -79% |
| Patrick Harold Bradley JR Freedom Farms, LLC | $0 | $2,577 | -- |
| Cecil W. Miller | $28,860 | $2,465 | -91.5% |
| Dean Eugene Jones | $6,092 | $2,391 | -60.8% |
| William H. Beatty Jr. | $0 | $2,379 | -- |
| Wilson G. Eastep | $11,075 | $2,366 | -78.6% |
| Eric S Pool | $5,064 | $2,359 | -53.4% |
| Massanutten View Farm, LLC | $14,560 | $2,337 | -83.9% |
| Sycamore Banks Farm, LLC | $9,541 | $2,328 | -75.6% |
| Brent W. Miller | $10,208 | $2,286 | -77.6% |
| Daniel R. Showman | $12,118 | $2,125 | -82.5% |
| Springdale Poultry, LLC | $6,131 | $2,087 | -66% |
| Ken Tiemeyer | $532 | $1,981 | 272.4% |
| Frenchfield, Inc. | $7,747 | $1,972 | -74.5% |
| William C. Hamilton | $3,621 | $1,971 | -45.6% |
| Marca C. Shirkey | $6,326 | $1,970 | -68.9% |
| Gene S. McDonald | $10,514 | $1,904 | -81.9% |
| Gardner's Farm Shenandoah, LLC | $7,190 | $1,904 | -73.5% |
| Gregory A. Hamman | $9,436 | $1,886 | -80% |
| Barry A. Foltz | $6,154 | $1,848 | -70% |
| Bowman Century Farm, LLC | $0 | $1,811 | -- |
| William Green | $8,370 | $1,804 | -78.4% |
| Thomas S. Rea | $4,008 | $1,767 | -55.9% |
| Allen Dean Heishman II | $20,919 | $1,764 | -91.6% |
| Larry L. Ambrose | $3,988 | $1,724 | -56.8% |
| Edward A. Garber | $8,470 | $1,652 | -80.5% |
| Brent A. Riggleman | $9,335 | $1,631 | -82.5% |
| Sharon L. Weatherholtz | $3,246 | $1,623 | -50% |
| Steven Allen Baker | $25,309 | $1,618 | -93.6% |
| Steven Sager | $5,742 | $1,580 | -72.5% |
| Bowman Livestock, Inc. | $171,475 | $1,575 | -99.1% |
| Clyde L. Bucher | $7,648 | $1,560 | -79.6% |
| Jason A. Bushong | $14,743 | $1,517 | -89.7% |
| Jeremy Viar | $8,797 | $1,511 | -82.8% |
| Charles M. Dellinger | $5,670 | $1,485 | -73.8% |
| Steven Carl Wetzel | $6,603 | $1,434 | -78.3% |
| Frederick Lee Hepner | $2,805 | $1,407 | -49.8% |
| Joseph W Beckenstrater III | $5,409 | $1,298 | -76% |
| Dennis H. Wakeman | $4,681 | $1,292 | -72.4% |
| Robert L. Spiker | $9,203 | $1,229 | -86.6% |
| Timothy J. Peters | $1,939 | $1,217 | -37.2% |
| Fred C. Garber | $1,207 | $1,207 | 0% |
| James F. Eastep | $6,426 | $1,207 | -81.2% |
| John M. Good | $6,097 | $1,195 | -80.4% |
| Tyler Pangle Gnegy | $10,292 | $1,175 | -88.6% |
| Kevin L. Polk | $0 | $1,155 | -- |
| William L. Bushong | $2,823 | $1,129 | -60% |
| Triple B Farms, Inc. | $5,844 | $1,114 | -80.9% |
| Sonny A. Hawkins | $5,621 | $1,107 | -80.3% |
| Dewey Jordan | $5,137 | $1,097 | -78.6% |
| Bertell D Richman | $8,789 | $1,096 | -87.5% |
| Nathan Lee Jenkins | $5,238 | $1,086 | -79.3% |
| Robert E. Hosaflook | $1,872 | $1,060 | -43.4% |
| Daron Jack Dodson | $2,596 | $1,046 | -59.7% |
| Titus L. Cooper | $7,568 | $1,034 | -86.3% |
| Jason W. Strosnider | $3,137 | $1,020 | -67.5% |
| Stony Creek Farm, LLC | $5,283 | $1,017 | -80.7% |
| Jaclyn Danielle Cleaver | $5,116 | $1,017 | -80.1% |
| Bernie C. Frye | $1,542 | $1,001 | -35.1% |
| Karla Funkhouser | $7,396 | $966 | -86.9% |
| Dale Stephen Flugel | $3,553 | $965 | -72.8% |
| John Richman Jr. | $6,678 | $944 | -85.9% |
| Harold D. Davison | $5,340 | $935 | -82.5% |
| Tammy Ayr | $3,784 | $907 | -76% |
| James L. Ryan | $5,653 | $880 | -84.4% |
| Harry D. Pence Jr. | $3,322 | $870 | -73.8% |
| Jeffrey F. Bushong | $5,253 | $817 | -84.4% |
| Blake C. Myers | $4,892 | $808 | -83.5% |
| Donald E. Sager | $3,932 | $797 | -79.7% |
| Nathaniel L. Dirting | $3,001 | $788 | -73.7% |
| Sean M. McDonald | $6,157 | $786 | -87.2% |
| Wesley M. Dellinger | $8,927 | $775 | -91.3% |
| Jeffrey J. Eckersley | $8,542 | $761 | -91.1% |
| Warren A. Dellinger | $1,178 | $755 | -35.9% |
| Kathie W. Dellinger | $5,837 | $752 | -87.1% |
| Riverfields, LLC | $2,453 | $734 | -70.1% |
| Tommy S. Nichols | $3,101 | $717 | -76.9% |
| Jeffrey S. Carithers | $694 | $694 | 0% |
| Lorrie D. Crabill | $6,532 | $692 | -89.4% |
| Bruce M. Wallinger | $684 | $684 | 0% |
| F & J Farm, Inc. | $2,993 | $668 | -77.7% |
| Mildred R. Baum | $0 | $646 | -- |
| Charles D. Duncan | $2,013 | $640 | -68.2% |
| David Gochenour | $2,134 | $629 | -70.5% |
| Justin L. Pence | $2,827 | $620 | -78.1% |
| Timothy L. Cooper | $4,543 | $590 | -87% |
| Lonnie F Eaton & Sons, Inc. | $54,275 | $561 | -99% |
| Robert W. Gnegy | $2,459 | $559 | -77.3% |
| Darin Dysart | $2,395 | $554 | -76.9% |
| Jeromes Beans Hollow Farm, Inc. | $3,359 | $542 | -83.9% |
| James W. Clem Jr. | $2,640 | $516 | -80.5% |
| Ardith Kay Wykoff | $148 | $508 | 243.2% |
| Jeffrey H. Mitchell | $1,404 | $501 | -64.3% |
| Gale T. Baker | $2,936 | $464 | -84.2% |
| James David Whitacre | $2,784 | $423 | -84.8% |
| John F. Pence | $599 | $420 | -29.9% |
| Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation | $0 | $410 | -- |
| George A. Riggleman | $2,390 | $391 | -83.6% |
| Earl L. Bowman | $390 | $390 | 0% |
| Hailey D. Shoemaker | $2,177 | $380 | -82.5% |
| Aaron L. Bushong | $1,804 | $378 | -79% |
| Vicky B. Riggleman | $1,917 | $374 | -80.5% |
| Christina K. Whitacre | $1,364 | $372 | -72.7% |
| William Wheatley Beckenstrater | $3,059 | $363 | -88.1% |
| Benjamin U. Sine | $1,221 | $359 | -70.6% |
| Irving Getz | $1,372 | $350 | -74.5% |
| Micah Wolters | $2,224 | $328 | -85.3% |
| Orville L. Smoot | $624 | $320 | -48.7% |
| Michael D. Hamrick | $1,433 | $308 | -78.5% |
| John F. Hafner | $295 | $295 | 0% |
| Rocky S Farm | $1,716 | $287 | -83.3% |
| Randall M. Kennedy Jr. | $627 | $287 | -54.2% |
| Douglas O. Estep | $1,628 | $280 | -82.8% |
| Gregory S. McDonald | $1,590 | $277 | -82.6% |
| James Robert Trail | $1,386 | $277 | -80% |
| Kenneth D. Coffey | $1,331 | $277 | -79.2% |
| Dennis M. Morris | $0 | $270 | -- |
| George W. Jones Jr. | $3,355 | $245 | -92.7% |
| Barbara Shoemaker | $4,277 | $242 | -94.3% |
| Joseph Carl Nicely | $3,890 | $241 | -93.8% |
| Logan Dane Tusing | $963 | $239 | -75.2% |
| Mechanical Animals, LLC | $1,309 | $214 | -83.7% |
| Benjamin C. Myers | $0 | $181 | -- |
| F Robert Parks | $972 | $181 | -81.4% |
| Christopher Carroll Estep | $443 | $173 | -60.9% |
| Richard E. Nicely | $693 | $146 | -78.9% |
| Jason Allen Sine | $2,462 | $133 | -94.6% |
| Ronald Lee Jenkins | $850 | $124 | -85.4% |
| Pleasantdale Farm, LLC | $862 | $93 | -89.2% |
| Villacaro Farms, LLC | $0 | $92 | -- |
| Alpha Omega Farms, LLC | $5,682 | $80 | -98.6% |
| Arvin B. Shipe | $3,175 | $35 | -98.9% |
| Stephen D. Stultz | $223 | $35 | -84.3% |
| Thomas A. Gibson Sr. | $228 | $28 | -87.7% |
| Luke B. Whitacre | $2,453 | $24 | -99% |
| Brett Barrick Wightman | $0 | $11 | -- |
| Richard Sollenberger | $789 | $4 | -99.5% |
| Ben C. Myers | $3,564 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank E. Hoover III | $7,071 | $0 | -100% |
| Freedom Farms | $2,337 | $0 | -100% |
| Golden Eagle Farm | $657 | $0 | -100% |
| J & L Green Farm, LLC | $22,914 | $0 | -100% |
| Jason Bowman | $19,312 | $0 | -100% |
| Jason W. Strosnider | $5,011 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry Barrick | $13,560 | $0 | -100% |
| Nathan O West | $31 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary R. Gochenour | $1,815 | $0 | -100% |
| Clark P. Evy | $131 | $0 | -100% |
| Diamond Bead Cattle Company, LLC | $8,959 | $0 | -100% |
| Eugene P. Sager | $2,585 | $0 | -100% |
| Lee Charles Ryan | $2,641 | $0 | -100% |
| MRS Julia Annette Heatwole | $3,871 | $0 | -100% |
| Robin Zirkle | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Champion Ventures, LLC | $1,826 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Lynn Strickler Sr. | $2,905 | $0 | -100% |
| Millie Baum | $2,508 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert E. Good | $1,038 | $0 | -100% |
| Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Fo | $410 | $0 | -100% |
| Arthur T. Grimes | $1,760 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian E. Whitacre | $309 | $0 | -100% |
| Carolyn L. Hitt | $660 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles W. Fadeley Jr. | $1,320 | $0 | -100% |
| Delbert G. Pangle | $605 | $0 | -100% |
| Douglas Sims | $4,565 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $8,396 | $0 | -100% |
| James R. Pangle | $2,090 | $0 | -100% |
| Little North Farm | $6,455 | $0 | -100% |
| Monroe E. Williams | $1,395 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard W. Pangle | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Terry Baker | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Wind Song Farm | $1,749 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Howard | $115 | $0 | -100% |
| Karen V. Staudinger | $255 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott D. Stickley | $6,003 | $0 | -100% |
| Dale E. Hoff | $853 | $0 | -100% |
| Dana N. Gochenour | $1,600 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel W. Heishman | $2,255 | $0 | -100% |
| Indian Springs Farm & Vineyard Lieutenant | $344 | $0 | -100% |
| James E. Shiley | $715 | $0 | -100% |
| Louella Kibler | $1,485 | $0 | -100% |
| M & R Vineyard, LLC | $2,684 | $0 | -100% |
| Muse Vineyards, LLC | $12,869 | $0 | -100% |
| Ray Kibler | $1,760 | $0 | -100% |
| Sally M. Dunlap | $1,038 | $0 | -100% |
| Tammie R. Stiles | $12,804 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,116,811 | $2,520,370 | -50.7% |
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