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In 2021, 57 farmers in cities within Lamar County received a total of $449,958 in 71 farm subsidies, a 47.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $855,260 in 161 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| R & D Dairy, LLC | $220,525 | $127,689 | -42.1% |
| Thomas A. Haddock | $0 | $121,816 | -- |
| Andy B. Bush | $0 | $42,941 | -- |
| Michael B. Smith Sr. | $51,030 | $42,371 | -17% |
| Sung Bok Seo | $0 | $39,338 | -- |
| The Bunn Family, LLC | $72,302 | $10,863 | -85% |
| Walters Farms, LLP | $98,417 | $7,423 | -92.5% |
| Elizabeth Franklin | $0 | $6,371 | -- |
| Timberlane Farms, LLC | $34,538 | $4,977 | -85.6% |
| Steve Kendrick | $2,505 | $4,916 | 96.2% |
| Kevin Ray Bowlden | $3,283 | $3,283 | 0% |
| Bush Farms, LLC | $14,150 | $3,119 | -78% |
| Hubert J. Adams Jr. | $22,601 | $2,558 | -88.7% |
| Anthony W. Bush Jr. | $9,806 | $2,518 | -74.3% |
| Muddy Pond Poultry & Catttle Company, Inc. | $9,886 | $2,269 | -77% |
| Scott B. Knight | $17,242 | $1,944 | -88.7% |
| Miller-Pye Farm | $5,990 | $1,605 | -73.2% |
| Oak Haven Farms, LLC | $5,599 | $1,604 | -71.4% |
| Frank Abbott | $5,520 | $1,306 | -76.3% |
| Hope Pippin Andrews | $8,428 | $1,257 | -85.1% |
| Hiram E. Henderson | $6,544 | $1,256 | -80.8% |
| James R. Fair | $7,741 | $1,239 | -84% |
| Charles S. Keadle | $4,641 | $1,128 | -75.7% |
| Melaine S. Hardwick | $5,017 | $1,093 | -78.2% |
| Peggy A. Griner | $1,029 | $1,029 | 0% |
| Sean P. Parker | $4,873 | $987 | -79.7% |
| Kendra Read | $4,279 | $978 | -77.1% |
| Charles R. Cochran | $4,425 | $874 | -80.2% |
| Fairview Farm | $3,409 | $834 | -75.5% |
| Mary Joy Kingsley | $3,831 | $779 | -79.7% |
| Douglas McEvers | $2,849 | $656 | -77% |
| Albert Ralph Adamson Jr. | $2,200 | $629 | -71.4% |
| Thousand Hills Cattle Ranch, LLC | $8,851 | $586 | -93.4% |
| The Sell Farm, LLC | $554 | $554 | 0% |
| Deborah Ruffin | $2,867 | $551 | -80.8% |
| Cary E. Bankston | $1,123 | $545 | -51.5% |
| Childs Timber Farm, LLC | $1,126 | $514 | -54.4% |
| Thomas Sizemore | $2,407 | $514 | -78.6% |
| Earl D. Fortson Sr. | $2,599 | $512 | -80.3% |
| Jill Rene Knight | $982 | $481 | -51% |
| Donald Yoder | $7,856 | $468 | -94% |
| Raymond M. Hice | $1,848 | $462 | -75% |
| Kimberly Marie Pohle | $6,518 | $443 | -93.2% |
| Paul E. Frady | $8,325 | $411 | -95.1% |
| Randy J. Williams | $1,430 | $345 | -75.9% |
| James Goodwin Jr. | $730 | $321 | -56% |
| Five Oaks Farm of Georgia, LLC | $1,089 | $258 | -76.3% |
| Reta Sullivan | $1,232 | $256 | -79.2% |
| Bonnie Starr | $1,980 | $236 | -88.1% |
| Oak Haven 2 Farms, LLC | $880 | $224 | -74.5% |
| Timothy McBroom | $571 | $164 | -71.3% |
| Laurette Adamson | $605 | $150 | -75.2% |
| Gretchen Ellerby | $649 | $116 | -82.1% |
| Jack Walters | $289 | $86 | -70.2% |
| Josephine E. Johnston | $41 | $41 | 0% |
| Clayton Molyneux | $56 | $35 | -37.5% |
| Gary D. Molyneux | $56 | $35 | -37.5% |
| Brian C. Peurifoy | $252 | $0 | -100% |
| Bruce L. Akins | $2,475 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel Owens | $605 | $0 | -100% |
| Davis Milam Dunbar | $31,054 | $0 | -100% |
| Edwin R. Vaughn | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Maureen F. Orr | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Chappell Mill Trees, LLC | $122,348 | $0 | -100% |
| Jacob Wade Dunn | $1,093 | $0 | -100% |
| Livefromthetree Holdings, LLC | $8,404 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $855,260 | $449,958 | -47.4% |
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