Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 134 farmers in cities within Staunton city received a total of $846,431 in 199 farm subsidies, a 55.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.9 million in 382 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 Staunton city, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miracle Hill Farm | $13,650 | $99,093 | 626% |
| Elbert L. Miller Jr. | $40,719 | $94,247 | 131.5% |
| Garold Wayne Senger III | $0 | $80,811 | -- |
| Jesse D. Hershberger | $93,866 | $65,415 | -30.3% |
| Charles C. Schooley | $166,550 | $63,953 | -61.6% |
| Breezewood Hills Farm, LLC | $0 | $41,751 | -- |
| Steven Kirk Fitzgerald | $138,491 | $39,261 | -71.7% |
| Burke D. Simmons | $8,598 | $36,530 | 324.9% |
| Jaylin Farms, Inc. | $60,236 | $20,604 | -65.8% |
| Thomas Ryan Herndon | $1,650 | $18,907 | 1,045.9% |
| James Joseph Wright Jr. | $0 | $13,594 | -- |
| Gregory Dean Buchanan | $53,641 | $13,093 | -75.6% |
| Robert M. Schooley | $60,630 | $12,529 | -79.3% |
| Messer Farms, LLC | $80,954 | $9,779 | -87.9% |
| North Mountain Cattle Company, LLC | $0 | $8,858 | -- |
| Cros-B-Crest Farm, LLC | $148,560 | $8,611 | -94.2% |
| Brian L. Harris | $16,243 | $8,484 | -47.8% |
| Wayne E. Troyer | $49,700 | $8,401 | -83.1% |
| Ronald D. Hearn | $13,388 | $7,441 | -44.4% |
| Merrifield Farm | $18,104 | $7,313 | -59.6% |
| Shomo Agent, LLC | $38,132 | $7,024 | -81.6% |
| Christians Creek Holsteins, Inc. | $19,808 | $6,964 | -64.8% |
| Bell's Lane Farm, LC | $23,599 | $6,841 | -71% |
| Darryl W. Bosserman | $23,936 | $6,823 | -71.5% |
| Bar Rock Farm, LLC | $0 | $6,704 | -- |
| Rocking R Farms LC | $29,686 | $6,676 | -77.5% |
| Robert G. Heizer Jr. | $33,479 | $6,621 | -80.2% |
| Neil C. Hanger | $21,621 | $6,601 | -69.5% |
| Douglas C. Rexrode | $30,286 | $5,900 | -80.5% |
| Christopher James Glover | $22,675 | $5,732 | -74.7% |
| Ronald S. Buchanan | $28,629 | $5,534 | -80.7% |
| Moore Farm | $35,569 | $5,421 | -84.8% |
| Travis Clinton Kincaid | $19,122 | $5,239 | -72.6% |
| Keith P. Heizer | $13,469 | $4,819 | -64.2% |
| William J. Farley Jr. | $19,080 | $4,480 | -76.5% |
| Ryan Anthony Miller | $29,505 | $3,431 | -88.4% |
| Cardinal Investment Group, LLC | $8,352 | $3,000 | -64.1% |
| Oak Springs Farm, LLC | $10,611 | $2,341 | -77.9% |
| Phillip R. Hanger | $2,269 | $2,269 | 0% |
| Keni Skillman | $2,260 | $2,260 | 0% |
| Faye C. Bartley | $2,186 | $2,186 | 0% |
| Carolyn Moore Ford | $2,166 | $2,166 | 0% |
| Drifting Lane/ Peggy Jennings | $2,117 | $2,117 | 0% |
| Joseph L. Moore | $4,936 | $2,112 | -57.2% |
| Richard K. Hughes | $11,797 | $2,046 | -82.7% |
| Roger Y. Young | $6,919 | $1,986 | -71.3% |
| Ben Green | $2,171 | $1,932 | -11% |
| Scott A. Miller | $8,379 | $1,908 | -77.2% |
| Folmar Land and Cattle, LLC | $6,457 | $1,853 | -71.3% |
| Shenandoah Valley Cattle, LLC | $8,123 | $1,844 | -77.3% |
| Douglas W. Grimm | $18,941 | $1,824 | -90.4% |
| Larry Allen Lotts | $8,837 | $1,797 | -79.7% |
| Millard Driver | $5,042 | $1,791 | -64.5% |
| Sawyer Michael Messer | $4,390 | $1,783 | -59.4% |
| Forrest Turner Ashby | $9,311 | $1,772 | -81% |
| William E. Halterman | $1,659 | $1,659 | 0% |
| Lee Ann Heizer | $5,740 | $1,536 | -73.2% |
| Meadow Knolls Corporation | $9,826 | $1,504 | -84.7% |
| Ronald Dearing | $0 | $1,488 | -- |
| Center Hill Farm, LLC | $7,748 | $1,334 | -82.8% |
| Walkup Holsteins, LLC | $0 | $1,324 | -- |
| Elizabeth M. Schreiber | $1,163 | $1,312 | 12.8% |
| Joe P. Wenger | $5,189 | $1,275 | -75.4% |
| Teresa B. Truxell | $3,546 | $1,232 | -65.3% |
| Nathan Young | $1,228 | $1,228 | 0% |
| Harold W. Aylor III | $5,778 | $1,189 | -79.4% |
| Richard A. Landes | $3,030 | $1,147 | -62.1% |
| Ronald D. Young | $3,843 | $1,132 | -70.5% |
| Samuel R. Croft | $5,808 | $1,125 | -80.6% |
| Susan E. Croft | $5,137 | $1,125 | -78.1% |
| Marc Russell Clayton | $4,974 | $1,103 | -77.8% |
| Blue SKY Valley, LLC | $1,071 | $1,071 | 0% |
| Kenneth A. Roadcap | $4,015 | $1,041 | -74.1% |
| Raymond L. McCray | $4,891 | $1,033 | -78.9% |
| Eddie Bottenfield | $7,247 | $1,028 | -85.8% |
| Carey B. Arehart | $3,200 | $1,002 | -68.7% |
| Trent Michael Showalter | $4,368 | $1,000 | -77.1% |
| Walter E. Hylton | $12,015 | $999 | -91.7% |
| Mocomp, Inc. | $967 | $967 | 0% |
| David Howland | $953 | $953 | 0% |
| Robert L. Morris | $4,542 | $910 | -80% |
| Jason William Hulvey | $5,093 | $879 | -82.7% |
| Ronald R. Buchanan | $6,621 | $866 | -86.9% |
| Lynn H. Moore | $3,179 | $826 | -74% |
| Matthew Aaron McCray | $0 | $825 | -- |
| Meadowhaven Farm | $0 | $825 | -- |
| William C. Heizer | $4,136 | $779 | -81.2% |
| D & M Hilltop Farms, LLC | $716 | $716 | 0% |
| Lewis Moore | $695 | $695 | 0% |
| Jason M. Carty | $675 | $675 | 0% |
| Walter E. Brown | $2,871 | $668 | -76.7% |
| Annette S. Hanna | $640 | $640 | 0% |
| Claude Smith | $3,277 | $640 | -80.5% |
| Mark B. Hanger | $3,499 | $612 | -82.5% |
| Glenn F. Campbell | $595 | $595 | 0% |
| Michael L. Armstrong | $3,498 | $592 | -83.1% |
| Spring Hill Dairy, LLC | $8,117 | $579 | -92.9% |
| Bonnie C. Craun | $4,362 | $560 | -87.2% |
| Brian D. Jamison | $2,341 | $554 | -76.3% |
| William Lee Bowman | $6,512 | $518 | -92% |
| Larry H. Crabill | $2,442 | $511 | -79.1% |
| Saidee R Gibson | $2,492 | $508 | -79.6% |
| Ronny P. Bigham | $502 | $502 | 0% |
| Donald L. Shoemaker Jr. | $2,909 | $474 | -83.7% |
| Corey Stogdale | $2,134 | $446 | -79.1% |
| Gerard R. Jones | $437 | $437 | 0% |
| John E. Milstead | $1,165 | $435 | -62.7% |
| Larry W. Layman | $0 | $427 | -- |
| Robert Vincent | $1,881 | $421 | -77.6% |
| Steven Tuennermann | $1,056 | $408 | -61.4% |
| Jonathan Coleman | $2,382 | $404 | -83% |
| Walter Heeb | $363 | $363 | 0% |
| Westley R Begoon | $1,793 | $362 | -79.8% |
| Douglas F. Cochran | $344 | $344 | 0% |
| Kathleen A. Schneiderman | $422 | $336 | -20.4% |
| Glenn Sensabaugh | $1,606 | $332 | -79.3% |
| Beverley Manor Orchard, LLC | $326 | $326 | 0% |
| Deborah Healy | $295 | $295 | 0% |
| Michael David Humphries | $3,153 | $295 | -90.6% |
| Keith R. Wenger | $1,661 | $280 | -83.1% |
| Charles H. Shomo | $0 | $228 | -- |
| David L. Shifflett | $880 | $224 | -74.5% |
| Harry A. Hulvey Jr. | $223 | $223 | 0% |
| Jonathan Byron Riley | $2,022 | $216 | -89.3% |
| Meredith C. Ashby Jr. | $1,620 | $207 | -87.2% |
| Red Pump Pasture, LLC | $205 | $205 | 0% |
| Mountain Development, Inc. | $200 | $200 | 0% |
| Scott J. Weller | $158 | $158 | 0% |
| Charles Lewis Simmons | $1,512 | $146 | -90.3% |
| Alfred F. Maddox | $264 | $138 | -47.7% |
| Kenneth W. Lawhorne Jr. | $133 | $133 | 0% |
| Stephen A. Robertson | $605 | $121 | -80% |
| Vickie S. Burton | $165 | $64 | -61.2% |
| John Boles | $29 | $29 | 0% |
| Barbara L. Dearing | $1,488 | $0 | -100% |
| Bobby Perkins | $9,677 | $0 | -100% |
| Brandon Maddox | $2,200 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles H. Varner Jr. | $144 | $0 | -100% |
| David W. Walton Sr. | $444 | $0 | -100% |
| Dominion Livestock Company, LLC | $8,451 | $0 | -100% |
| Driver Brothers, Inc. | $90,227 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas E. Jennings Jr. | $67 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth Moore Young Family Trus | $2,869 | $0 | -100% |
| First Bank & Trust Company | $18,232 | $0 | -100% |
| Franklin Kenton Dull | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Gregory G. Ondich | $180 | $0 | -100% |
| Hubert F. Grim III | $3,025 | $0 | -100% |
| James D. Adams | $605 | $0 | -100% |
| Jason Shultz | $2,420 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeremy Maddox | $3,642 | $0 | -100% |
| John M. Knott | $1,002 | $0 | -100% |
| John M. Morrison | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| Katherine C. Spurlock | $140 | $0 | -100% |
| Keyser Kirtley | $1,485 | $0 | -100% |
| L. L. Dull | $3,465 | $0 | -100% |
| Luke H. Jennings | $994 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew A. Manbeck | $5,640 | $0 | -100% |
| Norman K. Shafer | $5,320 | $0 | -100% |
| North Mountain Cattle Company, LL | $42,660 | $0 | -100% |
| Phillip Neil Maddox | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Project Grows, Inc. | $2,299 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond D. Morris | $1,100 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert S. Peeler | $316 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger Burns | $165 | $0 | -100% |
| Sawyer Messer | $3,300 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott Daniel Morton | $5,258 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen W. Shull | $605 | $0 | -100% |
| Trevor Ross | $2,200 | $0 | -100% |
| William Daniel Malcolm | $9,755 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,911,219 | $846,431 | -55.7% |
Alerts Sign-up