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In 2021, 45 farmers in cities within Owsley County received a total of $226,883 in 52 farm subsidies, a 38% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $365,792 in 149 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William T. Gabbard | $35,150 | $56,251 | 60% |
| Wallace Thomas | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| David Smith | $0 | $38,206 | -- |
| Jesse Bishop Jr. | $0 | $27,019 | -- |
| Arch Johnson Jr. | $23,455 | $10,316 | -56% |
| Virginia Callahan | $59,160 | $9,272 | -84.3% |
| Bernard Wilson | $20,963 | $4,716 | -77.5% |
| Phillip B. Smith | $0 | $4,096 | -- |
| Timmy Gabbard | $0 | $2,702 | -- |
| Teddy Ray Johnson | $77,768 | $2,482 | -96.8% |
| Eugene Reed Jr. | $30,633 | $2,375 | -92.2% |
| Larry Pierson | $11,550 | $2,349 | -79.7% |
| Jeff L. Dooley | $10,209 | $1,091 | -89.3% |
| Richard McWhorter | $7,117 | $1,090 | -84.7% |
| Mikie Gumm | $8,642 | $859 | -90.1% |
| Dustin Gumm | $6,190 | $828 | -86.6% |
| Larry J. Campbell | $4,634 | $746 | -83.9% |
| Darrell Barrett | $3,934 | $707 | -82% |
| James D. Ward | $3,245 | $692 | -78.7% |
| Wiley Turner | $3,668 | $604 | -83.5% |
| Kevin Shon Gray | $6,734 | $576 | -91.4% |
| James G. Cornett | $3,652 | $525 | -85.6% |
| Gary McIntosh | $1,868 | $503 | -73.1% |
| Fairly Napier | $1,877 | $466 | -75.2% |
| Larry Newman | $3,614 | $436 | -87.9% |
| Duane Cornett | $3,205 | $414 | -87.1% |
| David Combs | $946 | $364 | -61.5% |
| Kenny Shouse | $1,859 | $350 | -81.2% |
| Tim Bobrowski | $4,081 | $345 | -91.5% |
| James W. Price | $1,914 | $344 | -82% |
| Gregory D. Chapman | $997 | $328 | -67.1% |
| Reuben Turner Jr. | $1,435 | $327 | -77.2% |
| Lyndon T. Wilson | $2,104 | $290 | -86.2% |
| Randy Osborne | $2,521 | $278 | -89% |
| Scotty Combs | $528 | $276 | -47.7% |
| Raleigh Osborne | $2,276 | $260 | -88.6% |
| Gary Smith | $1,775 | $259 | -85.4% |
| Melissa Bowling | $1,550 | $239 | -84.6% |
| Dylan Barrett | $1,272 | $233 | -81.7% |
| Tommy Burns | $1,611 | $224 | -86.1% |
| Mark Timothy Becknell | $1,359 | $190 | -86% |
| Howard D. Price | $985 | $142 | -85.6% |
| Harlan Day | $649 | $138 | -78.7% |
| Ted Hundley | $2,046 | $86 | -95.8% |
| John N. Riley | $270 | $14 | -94.8% |
| Anna Gabbard | $101 | $0 | -100% |
| Brent D. Lynch | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Charlie Combs Jr. | $3,190 | $0 | -100% |
| China Wilson | $194 | $0 | -100% |
| Cleda F Turner | $67 | $0 | -100% |
| Darrell Becknell | $514 | $0 | -100% |
| Dicey E. Combs | $42 | $0 | -100% |
| Ellis Terry | $29 | $0 | -100% |
| Eugene D. Moore | $54 | $0 | -100% |
| John L. Turner | $126 | $0 | -100% |
| Joyce Osborne | $9 | $0 | -100% |
| Kate Stone | $3,006 | $0 | -100% |
| Leona Turner | $15 | $0 | -100% |
| Lindsey Stevens | $416 | $0 | -100% |
| Nada Stewart | $26 | $0 | -100% |
| Pamela Chandler | $2 | $0 | -100% |
| Rachel B. Turner | $107 | $0 | -100% |
| Rhonda Becknell | $71 | $0 | -100% |
| Sharon M. Keyton | $35 | $0 | -100% |
| Treva T. Gross | $67 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $365,792 | $226,883 | -38% |
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