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In 2021, 40 farmers in cities within Lee County received a total of $53,087 in 44 farm subsidies, a 72.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $195,680 in 156 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon C. Reese | $5,249 | $19,447 | 270.5% |
| James T. Cundiff | $48,874 | $7,316 | -85% |
| Benny Todd | $36,450 | $5,531 | -84.8% |
| William Thacker | $0 | $5,526 | -- |
| Michael W. Thomas | $18,365 | $976 | -94.7% |
| Larry Tincher | $4,813 | $971 | -79.8% |
| Eddie Noble | $3,190 | $945 | -70.4% |
| Sonya Spencer Johnson | $4,310 | $919 | -78.7% |
| James M. Brewer | $7,209 | $869 | -87.9% |
| Keith Wayne Smith | $5,341 | $838 | -84.3% |
| Eddie Shoemaker | $3,614 | $690 | -80.9% |
| Kevin Phillips | $3,452 | $663 | -80.8% |
| Michael Faulkner | $3,064 | $568 | -81.5% |
| Donald Fox | $1,640 | $543 | -66.9% |
| Bennie Joe Fox | $1,607 | $526 | -67.3% |
| Charles Berry Jackson | $4,081 | $494 | -87.9% |
| Joseph C. Lucas | $2,691 | $474 | -82.4% |
| Johnny Fike | $1,832 | $442 | -75.9% |
| Lester Eugene Carson | $1,967 | $408 | -79.3% |
| Doug Fox | $1,584 | $397 | -74.9% |
| Douglas Mays | $2,649 | $380 | -85.7% |
| Richard Moody | $1,980 | $374 | -81.1% |
| Jerry Stansbury | $904 | $356 | -60.6% |
| Amanda Spencer-Barnes | $1,167 | $340 | -70.9% |
| Tommy Marshall | $1,523 | $324 | -78.7% |
| Arch Lewis Abner | $2,020 | $294 | -85.4% |
| Paul D. Williams | $2,680 | $280 | -89.6% |
| Brandon Marshall | $2,109 | $277 | -86.9% |
| James Osborne | $1,797 | $260 | -85.5% |
| Johnny Todd | $1,824 | $219 | -88% |
| David Lyons | $1,070 | $214 | -80% |
| Archie Lee Moore | $2,201 | $207 | -90.6% |
| Virgil Glenn Kincaid | $1,208 | $202 | -83.3% |
| Ricky Stacy | $3,976 | $171 | -95.7% |
| Leonard C Ross Estate | $627 | $155 | -75.3% |
| David Jennings | $638 | $138 | -78.4% |
| Chad Mashburn | $341 | $121 | -64.5% |
| Willard Deaton | $506 | $121 | -76.1% |
| Lillie Mae Harney | $440 | $94 | -78.6% |
| Marvin Moore | $732 | $17 | -97.7% |
| Betty J. Cooper | $24 | $0 | -100% |
| Betty Sue Caudell | $8 | $0 | -100% |
| Brenda Lucas | $87 | $0 | -100% |
| Connie Smith | $80 | $0 | -100% |
| Darrell E. Hogan | $158 | $0 | -100% |
| Debbie Lucas | $43 | $0 | -100% |
| Donnie Best | $117 | $0 | -100% |
| Dottie Combs | $79 | $0 | -100% |
| Georgia P. Gabbard | $9 | $0 | -100% |
| Harold Franklin Kincaid | $385 | $0 | -100% |
| James D. Hogan | $158 | $0 | -100% |
| Joann Steele | $47 | $0 | -100% |
| Juanita B. Stamper | $5 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth Ray Mays | $6 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin Carson | $311 | $0 | -100% |
| Leita Best | $21 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Noe | $142 | $0 | -100% |
| Matt P. Easter | $1,618 | $0 | -100% |
| Natasha Lucas | $43 | $0 | -100% |
| Nelson Mays | $816 | $0 | -100% |
| Nicky Judd | $21 | $0 | -100% |
| Ottis Judd | $61 | $0 | -100% |
| Pamela Jo Bingham | $1 | $0 | -100% |
| Patricia Sue Burton | $33 | $0 | -100% |
| Sheila Moore | $33 | $0 | -100% |
| Sheila Stamper | $47 | $0 | -100% |
| Sherry Lanham | $15 | $0 | -100% |
| Tommy Johnson | $33 | $0 | -100% |
| Tommy Judd | $20 | $0 | -100% |
| Versie McIntosh | $84 | $0 | -100% |
| Virgil Dunaway | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Windell Spicer | $20 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $195,680 | $53,087 | -72.9% |
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