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In 2021, 134 farmers in cities within Lawrence County received a total of $845,149 in 214 farm subsidies, a 60.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $2.1 million in 474 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tammy L Parks | $267,180 | $80,936 | -69.7% |
| Mill Creek Grain Farms, LLC | $84,618 | $57,280 | -32.3% |
| Spreen Farms, LLC | $189,491 | $50,149 | -73.5% |
| Phyllis Jean Waldbieser | $34,380 | $37,234 | 8.3% |
| Andrea D Waldbieser | $31,413 | $31,413 | 0% |
| CKC Farms, LLC | $56,763 | $28,497 | -49.8% |
| Brian Allen Waldbieser | $37,510 | $27,664 | -26.2% |
| Stewart Farms | $60,129 | $27,643 | -54% |
| Charles R Parks II | $193,238 | $26,820 | -86.1% |
| Rock Lick Farms, LLC | $61,176 | $23,969 | -60.8% |
| Michael W. Smith | $121,753 | $22,314 | -81.7% |
| Priscilla Cessna | $24,359 | $21,929 | -10% |
| Sandy Acres Farms Partnership | $38,099 | $21,467 | -43.7% |
| Keith D. Dillman | $26,149 | $19,884 | -24% |
| Ronald L. Stevens | $19,048 | $18,787 | -1.4% |
| Jeff Williams | $15,107 | $17,054 | 12.9% |
| Joey Younger | $13,614 | $13,614 | 0% |
| William E. Spreen | $44,929 | $13,424 | -70.1% |
| Street Family Rev Living Trust | $13,527 | $13,349 | -1.3% |
| Brack D. Briscoe | $69,185 | $12,335 | -82.2% |
| Howard Burris - Burris Trust | $14,848 | $12,089 | -18.6% |
| Ann Mary Ryan | $11,774 | $11,774 | 0% |
| Isom Bros Farms, LLC | $24,005 | $10,695 | -55.4% |
| Williams Family White River Farms, LLC | $6,418 | $10,585 | 64.9% |
| Wesley Andrew McKnight | $31,074 | $9,351 | -69.9% |
| Mcknights Angus Farms | $20,611 | $9,035 | -56.2% |
| Martha J. Weir | $8,929 | $8,929 | 0% |
| Janice K. Johnson | $8,030 | $8,030 | 0% |
| Michael E. Spreen | $16,408 | $7,616 | -53.6% |
| Thomas Spreen | $15,229 | $7,509 | -50.7% |
| Wendy Houk | $7,223 | $7,030 | -2.7% |
| James L Walton & Martha L Walton Livingtrust-James L Walton | $6,810 | $6,810 | 0% |
| Jon J. Malott | $6,791 | $6,791 | 0% |
| James A. Stiles | $6,361 | $6,361 | 0% |
| Kevin M. Hawkins | $31,065 | $5,861 | -81.1% |
| Howard L. Younger | $6,117 | $5,759 | -5.9% |
| Don Cox | $26,835 | $5,755 | -78.6% |
| Joan S. Buher | $7,739 | $5,399 | -30.2% |
| Dennis Cornett | $15,742 | $5,200 | -67% |
| Marcy Brooks | $4,960 | $4,960 | 0% |
| James R. Plano | $56,104 | $4,903 | -91.3% |
| Joyce Ann Hawkins | $4,231 | $4,484 | 6% |
| Levi M. Smith | $14,777 | $4,412 | -70.1% |
| Miller Landing, LLC | $7,278 | $3,970 | -45.5% |
| Stephen L. Gerkin | $3,900 | $3,900 | 0% |
| Adam R. Norman | $5,324 | $3,867 | -27.4% |
| Matthew A. Norman | $5,375 | $3,866 | -28.1% |
| Gary L. Wade | $10,030 | $3,674 | -63.4% |
| Albert C & Patsy J Craig Company-Trustees of Their Revocable Livi | $8,635 | $3,512 | -59.3% |
| The Edwin D Sowders & Janet K Sowders Joint & Mutual Rev Trustee | $3,176 | $3,176 | 0% |
| Dean Stewart | $3,141 | $3,141 | 0% |
| Nick Divine | $7,191 | $2,857 | -60.3% |
| D & D Redman Farm, LLC | $16,548 | $2,848 | -82.8% |
| Darrell Doane | $6,622 | $2,783 | -58% |
| William L. Jones | $24,996 | $2,770 | -88.9% |
| Barry L. Mundy | $8,233 | $2,762 | -66.5% |
| Kevin Beaty | $0 | $2,735 | -- |
| Scott Doane | $7,413 | $2,699 | -63.6% |
| Earl W. Lucas Jr. | $2,639 | $2,639 | 0% |
| Kyle D. Mundy | $8,098 | $2,627 | -67.6% |
| Walter E. Miles Jr. | $13,838 | $2,475 | -82.1% |
| Gary M. Smith | $7,847 | $2,376 | -69.7% |
| Kris Lynn Sergio | $2,373 | $2,373 | 0% |
| Jodi a Parks | $3,184 | $2,161 | -32.1% |
| Robert Tim Briscoe | $9,526 | $2,112 | -77.8% |
| Jason M. Newlin | $4,377 | $1,939 | -55.7% |
| Ronald A. Norman | $14,284 | $1,923 | -86.5% |
| Hunter Von Leer | $12,724 | $1,880 | -85.2% |
| Thomas England | $1,676 | $1,676 | 0% |
| Voils Family Farm Cattle, LLC | $7,680 | $1,585 | -79.4% |
| Michelle Cornett | $1,466 | $1,358 | -7.4% |
| Warren T Hobson Living Trust | $5,591 | $1,353 | -75.8% |
| Geneva Morris | $3,938 | $1,328 | -66.3% |
| Carolyn Schmaltz | $3,156 | $1,283 | -59.3% |
| Angela M. Stambaugh | $1,272 | $1,272 | 0% |
| Philip W. Buher | $4,169 | $1,258 | -69.8% |
| Trevor S. Peters | $1,420 | $1,245 | -12.3% |
| David Kissel | $1,942 | $1,221 | -37.1% |
| James L. Karr | $3,355 | $1,102 | -67.2% |
| Kenneth W. Kimble | $3,278 | $975 | -70.3% |
| Scott Smith | $9,218 | $972 | -89.5% |
| Dennis A. Gerkin | $3,740 | $953 | -74.5% |
| Dustin W Street | $4,455 | $921 | -79.3% |
| Tim Jean | $2,184 | $909 | -58.4% |
| Carolyn R. Perry | $4,434 | $880 | -80.2% |
| Josh Chastain | $7,404 | $861 | -88.4% |
| L & E Owens Farms, Inc. | $9,236 | $854 | -90.8% |
| William Paul Brown | $5,397 | $838 | -84.5% |
| Justin M. Leach | $4,533 | $762 | -83.2% |
| Mark D. Embree | $3,512 | $734 | -79.1% |
| David B. Mundy | $1,386 | $672 | -51.5% |
| Joan Terrell | $662 | $662 | 0% |
| Maurice Buechler | $0 | $660 | -- |
| Greg Shaw | $1,767 | $658 | -62.8% |
| John-Paul H Isom | $3,310 | $653 | -80.3% |
| Duane E. Chapman | $1,823 | $644 | -64.7% |
| Donald W. Miller | $2,541 | $624 | -75.4% |
| Gary Mesarosh | $2,255 | $584 | -74.1% |
| Randy L. Jones | $2,266 | $526 | -76.8% |
| James C. Floerke | $1,320 | $506 | -61.7% |
| Frank Hillenburg | $4,487 | $500 | -88.9% |
| Jamie L. Kimble | $2,404 | $490 | -79.6% |
| Anthony W. Lynch | $2,039 | $482 | -76.4% |
| Cynthia L. Williams | $480 | $480 | 0% |
| Dennis Watterson | $2,695 | $429 | -84.1% |
| Michael K. Mundy | $958 | $428 | -55.3% |
| Larry R. Southern | $1,419 | $428 | -69.8% |
| Randolph L. Dumond | $1,815 | $405 | -77.7% |
| William A. Clines | $1,771 | $398 | -77.5% |
| Helen E. Brown | $1,934 | $381 | -80.3% |
| Douglas Farler | $1,566 | $333 | -78.7% |
| Jamie J. Kirk | $1,818 | $329 | -81.9% |
| Christopher J. Tolbert | $1,199 | $310 | -74.1% |
| Philip M. Smith | $1,067 | $310 | -70.9% |
| Arthur N. Sanders | $395 | $248 | -37.2% |
| Frank Hodges | $957 | $236 | -75.3% |
| Amel K. Kern | $565 | $226 | -60% |
| Ethan Gassman | $1,287 | $190 | -85.2% |
| Wm David Russell Jr. | $1,220 | $186 | -84.8% |
| Karen S. Dodson | $794 | $180 | -77.3% |
| Rodney Curren | $1,599 | $173 | -89.2% |
| Connie Sue Tolbert | $370 | $158 | -57.3% |
| George W. Sorrells II | $1,705 | $148 | -91.3% |
| Randy Beeler | $5,233 | $142 | -97.3% |
| Kyle M. Cessna | $605 | $132 | -78.2% |
| Shane Collingsworth | $0 | $110 | -- |
| Roger D. Dotts | $363 | $104 | -71.3% |
| David Grace | $363 | $104 | -71.3% |
| Kevin Robertson | $484 | $97 | -80% |
| Jason R. Beeler | $3,536 | $93 | -97.4% |
| Jessamyn Rose Hayre | $738 | $86 | -88.3% |
| Jacie Wilkinson | $275 | $66 | -76% |
| Sharon A. Terrell | $417 | $47 | -88.7% |
| James Bullock | $1,844 | $26 | -98.6% |
| Brian J. Pugh | $431 | $0 | -100% |
| Cessna Corporation | $2,001 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald W. Kerber | $118 | $0 | -100% |
| Emma B Mikels Trust | $472 | $0 | -100% |
| Freeda Martin | $472 | $0 | -100% |
| George T Wilcox and L Jane Wilcox Revocable Living Trust-Geo | $1,831 | $0 | -100% |
| Georgia Ann Dumond | $544 | $0 | -100% |
| Hugh Jean | $563 | $0 | -100% |
| Jennifer Sowder | $1,044 | $0 | -100% |
| Joe D. Kern | $5,406 | $0 | -100% |
| John Michael Baker Jr. | $1,485 | $0 | -100% |
| John R. Lynch | $868 | $0 | -100% |
| Joy Hodges | $44 | $0 | -100% |
| Laurin R. Perry | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| Patricia C. Kerber | $118 | $0 | -100% |
| Phillip Easterday & Majel K Easterday Living Trust | $1,664 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Miller | $70 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger Dotts Jr. | $126 | $0 | -100% |
| Rosehill Farms, Inc. | $2,145 | $0 | -100% |
| Testamentary Trust of Donald H Cessna | $188 | $0 | -100% |
| Vickie L. Lee | $8,704 | $0 | -100% |
| Willard Hodges | $393 | $0 | -100% |
| Ella J. Inman | $1,848 | $0 | -100% |
| Ellen J. Jones | $2,242 | $0 | -100% |
| John Dillman | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Joshua J. Davis | $578 | $0 | -100% |
| Lennie Dumond | $1,184 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $2,144,543 | $845,149 | -60.6% |
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