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In 2021, 100 farmers in cities within Polk County received a total of $609,996 in 140 farm subsidies, a 45.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.1 million in 201 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSB Logging | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| J. E. Taylor Enterprises, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Joseph C Brown | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Doyle Hodge | $0 | $42,507 | -- |
| Matthew N. Murphy Jr. | $124,495 | $29,596 | -76.2% |
| Ora L. Wills | $0 | $29,441 | -- |
| A. L. Clamon | $81,305 | $25,444 | -68.7% |
| Hamilton Family Farms, LLC | $16,488 | $20,712 | 25.6% |
| Wayne R. Baker Jr. | $88,106 | $18,922 | -78.5% |
| Donna Gabica Living Trust | $28,997 | $15,884 | -45.2% |
| John Cleveland | $0 | $15,209 | -- |
| J & J Cattle Company | $39,713 | $12,580 | -68.3% |
| Toby D. Hicks | $0 | $11,885 | -- |
| Tommy Murphy | $49,760 | $11,716 | -76.5% |
| Mclendon, LLC | $0 | $11,628 | -- |
| Justin Lee Vincent | $0 | $10,884 | -- |
| GC & DM Collard, LLC | $23,407 | $9,528 | -59.3% |
| Judy Brock Gray | $7,791 | $8,707 | 11.8% |
| Bar M Ranch LP | $23,786 | $8,568 | -64% |
| HFP Ranch, L. P. | $17,519 | $7,860 | -55.1% |
| Jesse Cole Clamon | $0 | $7,700 | -- |
| Mark Alan Moore | $29,763 | $6,060 | -79.6% |
| B-7, Inc. | $37,465 | $5,635 | -85% |
| Joy Wendt-Baumer | $5,480 | $5,480 | 0% |
| Garet Lowe | $4,022 | $5,406 | 34.4% |
| Jason Q. Pierce | $24,825 | $4,737 | -80.9% |
| Truman Wayne Peters | $0 | $4,581 | -- |
| Ellen Johnston | $6,587 | $4,192 | -36.4% |
| Terry Windham | $0 | $4,189 | -- |
| Eddie Sheek | $4,156 | $4,156 | 0% |
| Mr Eric Morgan - Eric D and Janice L Morgan Familytrust | $4,906 | $3,930 | -19.9% |
| Johnny Ray Eaton | $0 | $3,795 | -- |
| Dwight Haley | $7,403 | $3,597 | -51.4% |
| Michael Nicholson | $3,067 | $3,572 | 16.5% |
| Darran Hopson | $0 | $3,431 | -- |
| Bruce L. Hess | $3,419 | $3,419 | 0% |
| Clarke Evans | $3,135 | $3,339 | 6.5% |
| Kyle Parrish | $3,333 | $3,264 | -2.1% |
| Brian C. Ridley | $8,647 | $3,226 | -62.7% |
| Kenneth Ballenger | $0 | $3,165 | -- |
| Gary D. Murphy | $9,955 | $3,060 | -69.3% |
| Abshier Apiares | $7,425 | $3,013 | -59.4% |
| Woods Creek Ranch | $2,178 | $2,788 | 28% |
| Jonathan M. Alexander Jr. | $0 | $2,738 | -- |
| John M Paschetag | $1,985 | $2,649 | 33.5% |
| Cade Sutherland | $17,208 | $2,545 | -85.2% |
| Don W. Totton II | $4,923 | $2,514 | -48.9% |
| Wright B. Baker | $2,541 | $2,492 | -1.9% |
| Cody Baker | $11,090 | $2,484 | -77.6% |
| Frank Dittfurth | $3,063 | $2,483 | -18.9% |
| Doris M. Johnson | $4,176 | $2,448 | -41.4% |
| Borth Sisters, LLC | $2,438 | $2,438 | 0% |
| Russell T Kosmicke-Russell T & Linda L Kosmicke Rev TST | $0 | $2,300 | -- |
| Owen Keith Taylor | $1,155 | $2,199 | 90.4% |
| Craig Jones | $2,463 | $2,102 | -14.7% |
| James R. Youngblood | $7,885 | $1,779 | -77.4% |
| Mary Lou Vance | $2,813 | $1,738 | -38.2% |
| Dennis F. Rowe | $6,047 | $1,546 | -74.4% |
| Milton D Thiel, DVM | $5,453 | $1,535 | -71.9% |
| James Edward Mallory | $1,408 | $1,408 | 0% |
| Pixley Cattle Company | $5,946 | $1,242 | -79.1% |
| Rex L. Clamon | $5,346 | $1,238 | -76.8% |
| Robert L. Hubert | $0 | $1,155 | -- |
| Jamie Le'von Brooks | $0 | $1,125 | -- |
| Isaac Ray Freeman | $0 | $1,120 | -- |
| Joe Don Kirkland | $2,598 | $1,053 | -59.5% |
| Jolene B. Unland | $1,211 | $1,037 | -14.4% |
| Darren R. Unland | $1,211 | $1,037 | -14.4% |
| Joe Keith Puckett | $2,805 | $1,036 | -63.1% |
| Roger W Wiegreffe | $3,157 | $1,018 | -67.8% |
| John P. Casey | $3,454 | $1,000 | -71% |
| Verna Stanley | $1,056 | $955 | -9.6% |
| Eugene Ray Bohac | $2,052 | $949 | -53.8% |
| Kimberly A. Pierce | $0 | $928 | -- |
| Mark Douglas Thornton | $5,209 | $916 | -82.4% |
| Tom J. Hoffman Jr. | $1,698 | $913 | -46.2% |
| Lana Hoffman | $1,698 | $913 | -46.2% |
| Patrick E. Loughlin | $219 | $879 | 301.4% |
| Richard D. Brashear | $2,893 | $771 | -73.3% |
| Travis Hurn | $4,827 | $766 | -84.1% |
| Dayna Page | $736 | $736 | 0% |
| Shannon Smith | $0 | $715 | -- |
| Gary B. Randolph | $2,937 | $706 | -76% |
| Ray McKnight | $3,553 | $669 | -81.2% |
| Cathie Smith | $3,595 | $615 | -82.9% |
| Stephen A. Boone III | $2,038 | $608 | -70.2% |
| Shawn L. Orn | $2,310 | $450 | -80.5% |
| Joel D. Fowler | $1,175 | $375 | -68.1% |
| Wayne Yankie | $1,335 | $370 | -72.3% |
| Matthew Anderson | $1,649 | $356 | -78.4% |
| Dirk Smith | $348 | $348 | 0% |
| Jerry Dahlsten | $682 | $276 | -59.5% |
| Hannah L. Williams | $1,165 | $249 | -78.6% |
| Heather G. Blalock | $506 | $201 | -60.3% |
| Richard Henley | $258 | $151 | -41.5% |
| Michael Covington | $44 | $97 | 120.5% |
| James L. Boren | $134 | $69 | -48.5% |
| Camilla Crill Heasty | $125 | $52 | -58.4% |
| Susan Simmons | $125 | $52 | -58.4% |
| Edward Meyer | $0 | $21 | -- |
| Clamon Cattle Company | $10,022 | $0 | -100% |
| Daryl Lea Price Exempt Trust | $2,642 | $0 | -100% |
| Daryl Lea Price Tr | $2,972 | $0 | -100% |
| Elaine M. McDonough | $1,385 | $0 | -100% |
| Ginny Sanders | $214 | $0 | -100% |
| Jacob Daniel Rudebusch | $61,121 | $0 | -100% |
| Louise W. Baucom | $1,688 | $0 | -100% |
| Marjorie A. Asper | $231 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Lynn Rudebusch | $67,653 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Walker Crouch | $2,011 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Albert Rovinelli | $221 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronnie Hornbeck | $9,176 | $0 | -100% |
| Rudy's Honey, LLC | $110,893 | $0 | -100% |
| Russell T Kosmicke-Russell T & Li | $1,550 | $0 | -100% |
| T G & Mary Margaret Webb Endowmen | $2,876 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne T. Peters | $17,721 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephanie Elizabeth Walker | $14,980 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,117,232 | $609,996 | -45.4% |
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