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In 2021, 76 farmers in cities within Newton County received a total of $255,289 in 102 farm subsidies, a 72.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $930,132 in 257 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meriwether Dairy | $60,800 | $44,944 | -26.1% |
| Bryans Dairy, LLC | $80,896 | $40,682 | -49.7% |
| Lewis Banks | $45,679 | $24,849 | -45.6% |
| Bryans Cattle Company, LLC | $64,296 | $18,960 | -70.5% |
| Lee Banks | $11,246 | $10,776 | -4.2% |
| Danny Dennis Pair | $20,325 | $10,734 | -47.2% |
| James A. Ruark | $97,241 | $8,580 | -91.2% |
| Wayne Blackwell | $68,526 | $6,775 | -90.1% |
| LBK Farms, LLC | $5,506 | $6,276 | 14% |
| Sandra J. Hodges | $34,603 | $5,773 | -83.3% |
| John Howard Dunn | $7,125 | $5,247 | -26.4% |
| Jason Howard | $33,872 | $4,660 | -86.2% |
| Cecil Wilson Broach | $19,259 | $3,573 | -81.4% |
| Forresters, LLC | $5,427 | $3,452 | -36.4% |
| Tommy E. Robinson | $3,314 | $3,314 | 0% |
| Hayston Farms, LLLP | $16,704 | $3,076 | -81.6% |
| Warren Howard | $14,136 | $2,990 | -78.8% |
| Bryan L. Irwin | $6,925 | $2,550 | -63.2% |
| Jean J. Fortune | $3,504 | $2,058 | -41.3% |
| Ronald J. Elliott Sr. | $10,634 | $1,932 | -81.8% |
| Arthur Floyd Ellis Jr. | $3,432 | $1,794 | -47.7% |
| Wayne Digby | $9,854 | $1,725 | -82.5% |
| Joe B. Ellington | $12,572 | $1,622 | -87.1% |
| Jared Carithers | $7,771 | $1,619 | -79.2% |
| Kevin L. Holmes | $7,234 | $1,604 | -77.8% |
| Johnston Farms, Inc. | $13,734 | $1,595 | -88.4% |
| Alan D. Barton | $10,058 | $1,552 | -84.6% |
| Randy Carithers | $7,846 | $1,380 | -82.4% |
| Glenn Hayes | $15,889 | $1,346 | -91.5% |
| Crystal Organic Farm, Inc. | $24,878 | $1,250 | -95% |
| Mike Hodges | $6,381 | $1,217 | -80.9% |
| Bobby A. Thompson | $1,092 | $1,214 | 11.2% |
| Donald J. Thompson | $8,804 | $1,208 | -86.3% |
| Julius Hays | $8,181 | $1,146 | -86% |
| Wendell B. Crowe | $6,531 | $1,127 | -82.7% |
| Larry King | $9,426 | $1,092 | -88.4% |
| Jolley Dairy Farm, Inc. | $6,051 | $1,074 | -82.3% |
| Charles Woodward | $4,690 | $1,064 | -77.3% |
| Michael Logan | $244 | $978 | 300.8% |
| Billie Jo Faulkner | $5,759 | $920 | -84% |
| Garrett J. Parker | $3,091 | $912 | -70.5% |
| Luther S. Polk III | $3,146 | $885 | -71.9% |
| William J. Smith Jr. | $3,656 | $811 | -77.8% |
| Larry W. Cason | $4,994 | $777 | -84.4% |
| Quinton Boyd | $713 | $716 | 0.4% |
| Charles E. Johnston | $1,874 | $716 | -61.8% |
| John M. Carlisle | $1,562 | $690 | -55.8% |
| Jaye Henderson | $2,715 | $682 | -74.9% |
| Timothy Scott Robison | $3,160 | $653 | -79.3% |
| Caleb Hipps | $3,810 | $648 | -83% |
| Eddie Johnson | $2,057 | $638 | -69% |
| Brandon W. Gallups | $4,941 | $616 | -87.5% |
| Merlon B Harper | $0 | $611 | -- |
| Brenton Joshua Brown | $3,844 | $591 | -84.6% |
| Wayne B. Farmer | $8,127 | $574 | -92.9% |
| Elizabeth Berg | $4,834 | $565 | -88.3% |
| Barry Cowan | $2,617 | $552 | -78.9% |
| David Henderson | $3,374 | $533 | -84.2% |
| Dale Dylong | $2,402 | $524 | -78.2% |
| Katherine M. Stotz | $1,094 | $511 | -53.3% |
| Johnny Lee Barron | $0 | $498 | -- |
| Julie Keepers | $486 | $486 | 0% |
| T. M. Billings | $1,444 | $466 | -67.7% |
| Hulon Clemons Jr. | $1,712 | $339 | -80.2% |
| Jeff Eubanks | $329 | $329 | 0% |
| Russell Rouse | $427 | $318 | -25.5% |
| John Fussell | $443 | $311 | -29.8% |
| David Monroe Gilbert | $4,722 | $305 | -93.5% |
| Russell Nelms | $1,698 | $276 | -83.7% |
| Iris Grety Angel | $606 | $247 | -59.2% |
| John K. Allen | $2,663 | $240 | -91% |
| James R. Clarke | $1,208 | $224 | -81.5% |
| Ozella Farms | $231 | $146 | -36.8% |
| Gary L. Thomas Sr. | $198 | $104 | -47.5% |
| Fran L. Surrette | $2,296 | $52 | -97.7% |
| Marilyn A. Beard | $37 | $15 | -59.5% |
| Berrys Tree Farm, LLC | $16,405 | $0 | -100% |
| Bradford H. Marks Jr. | $3,080 | $0 | -100% |
| Carol A. Brown | $5,742 | $0 | -100% |
| D. L. Knox | $4,174 | $0 | -100% |
| Garry C. Bopp | $1,545 | $0 | -100% |
| Lanier H. Knight | $132 | $0 | -100% |
| Hamthropology, LLC | $6,291 | $0 | -100% |
| Harold Harper | $1,261 | $0 | -100% |
| James Roger Cato | $1,152 | $0 | -100% |
| Roy A. Varner | $1,417 | $0 | -100% |
| Royce Eberhart | $460 | $0 | -100% |
| Ted R. Cummings | $8,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas Russell | $418 | $0 | -100% |
| William R. Hurt Jr. | $913 | $0 | -100% |
| A. G. Morehouse | $5,135 | $0 | -100% |
| Grateful Pastures Farm, LLC | $3,920 | $0 | -100% |
| Luther D. Wilkins | $2,782 | $0 | -100% |
| Marvin P. Whitaker | $1,323 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary J. Hays | $842 | $0 | -100% |
| Arthur Jeffery Gabriel | $596 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Jeffrey Mckenzey | $1,184 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary Clark | $381 | $0 | -100% |
| Christie Ozburn | $933 | $0 | -100% |
| Melissa E. Tice | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| Stuart Ozburn | $220 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $930,132 | $255,289 | -72.6% |
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