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In 2021, 44 farmers in cities within Baker County received a total of $72,473 in 45 farm subsidies, an 81.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $384,072 in 119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shady Creek Farm, Inc. | $0 | $29,078 | -- |
| Wyman Griffis | $31,020 | $7,384 | -76.2% |
| Bar JR Farm, LLC | $13,833 | $3,154 | -77.2% |
| Derek T. Harvey | $13,030 | $2,882 | -77.9% |
| Walter F. Rozier | $12,842 | $2,732 | -78.7% |
| Double Blake Farms, LLC | $161,191 | $2,284 | -98.6% |
| Lyons and Lyons Show Pigs, LLC | $10,277 | $1,894 | -81.6% |
| Auzzie Johns | $12,090 | $1,775 | -85.3% |
| R3 Cattle, LLC | $6,204 | $1,722 | -72.2% |
| Glenda Register | $8,701 | $1,553 | -82.2% |
| Ray's Land, LLC | $7,712 | $1,434 | -81.4% |
| Jonathan Will Elledge | $9,494 | $1,376 | -85.5% |
| Rodney D. Page | $6,086 | $1,308 | -78.5% |
| Casey Griffis | $4,972 | $1,197 | -75.9% |
| Thrifty Farms, Inc. | $4,914 | $1,110 | -77.4% |
| Justin Carter | $1,980 | $1,001 | -49.4% |
| Benny F. Richardson | $5,120 | $992 | -80.6% |
| Richard W. Fish | $4,700 | $955 | -79.7% |
| David J. Thrift | $2,706 | $767 | -71.7% |
| John A. Shadd Jr. | $2,156 | $520 | -75.9% |
| Paul Raulerson | $3,931 | $508 | -87.1% |
| Eugene W. Richardson | $2,420 | $495 | -79.5% |
| Wassie Aaron Fish | $1,716 | $490 | -71.4% |
| Wendell Owen Crews | $3,114 | $464 | -85.1% |
| Riley G. Yarborough | $1,694 | $456 | -73.1% |
| Joseph Phillip Shivers | $924 | $391 | -57.7% |
| Larry Hutchins | $2,163 | $384 | -82.2% |
| Jordan Kenneth Center | $1,650 | $335 | -79.7% |
| Richard Dean Griffis | $2,140 | $332 | -84.5% |
| Clinton Freeman | $1,540 | $329 | -78.6% |
| Andrew a Staier JR | $1,475 | $322 | -78.2% |
| Wesley J. Mobley | $1,694 | $304 | -82.1% |
| Alief V Bryant | $1,474 | $294 | -80.1% |
| Curtis W. Fletcher | $1,202 | $294 | -75.5% |
| James Richard Hodges | $1,169 | $283 | -75.8% |
| Trilby Crews | $979 | $280 | -71.4% |
| Curtis M. Miller | $1,872 | $232 | -87.6% |
| Raymond Loadholtz | $990 | $218 | -78% |
| Angela L. Lauramore | $1,188 | $214 | -82% |
| Guy W. Taylor Jr. | $1,139 | $187 | -83.6% |
| Michael W. Fiser | $495 | $187 | -62.2% |
| David Poston | $924 | $163 | -82.4% |
| Robert C. Brannan III | $638 | $138 | -78.4% |
| Calvin Hawkins | $14,245 | $55 | -99.6% |
| Clyde W. Crews | $295 | $0 | -100% |
| Lamell Harvey | $786 | $0 | -100% |
| Rhonda Fletcher | $343 | $0 | -100% |
| Johnny L. Moore | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| Bernice Canaday | $112 | $0 | -100% |
| CK2 Showpigs, LLC | $8,197 | $0 | -100% |
| Edgar E. Davis | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Garlon M Webb | $300 | $0 | -100% |
| Jimmy E. Peele Jr. | $2,310 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $384,072 | $72,473 | -81.1% |
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