Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 87 farmers in cities within Jefferson County received a total of $573,333 in 158 farm subsidies, a 52.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.2 million in 258 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| James T Blue & Sons, Inc. | $98,627 | $78,812 | -20.1% |
| Jason W. Magaha | $21,355 | $50,284 | 135.5% |
| John Nicholas Kerchval - Summit Farms | $0 | $34,465 | -- |
| Timothy Neill Banks - Alta Vista Farm | $0 | $33,401 | -- |
| Burns Farm | $113,621 | $33,373 | -70.6% |
| Greystone Farm, LLC | $12,825 | $31,470 | 145.4% |
| Zigler, Inc. | $27,432 | $26,302 | -4.1% |
| Riggs & Stiles, Inc. | $66,295 | $25,636 | -61.3% |
| Oakwood Farm, LLC | $169,149 | $20,476 | -87.9% |
| Robert D. Young Jr. | $0 | $18,970 | -- |
| Larry Leroy Lamp | $17,456 | $15,995 | -8.4% |
| Ralph B. Moler | $35,018 | $14,929 | -57.4% |
| Henry B. Davenport III | $51,307 | $13,607 | -73.5% |
| Paul M. Miller II | $15,397 | $12,087 | -21.5% |
| W O Lloyd Farms, LLC | $32,530 | $10,443 | -67.9% |
| Roy Michael Magaha | $17,362 | $9,596 | -44.7% |
| Short Hill Farms, LLC | $11,283 | $8,584 | -23.9% |
| Federal Hill Farm, Inc. | $25,397 | $8,163 | -67.9% |
| Michael D. Duncan | $32,014 | $6,047 | -81.1% |
| Gary W. Cogle Sr. | $20,505 | $5,729 | -72.1% |
| Elizabeth S. Beamer - Silver Spring Farm | $0 | $5,695 | -- |
| Charles A. Ware | $13,577 | $5,525 | -59.3% |
| Todd T. Hough | $8,815 | $5,492 | -37.7% |
| Adam B. Link III | $11,965 | $5,458 | -54.4% |
| Christina R. Barnard | $10,247 | $5,291 | -48.4% |
| Jack W. Catrow Jr. | $15,325 | $4,838 | -68.4% |
| William A. Knighten Jr. | $10,982 | $4,804 | -56.3% |
| Aspen Pool Farm, LLC | $9,442 | $4,644 | -50.8% |
| Joseph A. Ware Jr. | $8,286 | $3,981 | -52% |
| Michael D. Duncan Jr. | $10,976 | $3,969 | -63.8% |
| Ronald A. Hope Jr. | $20,108 | $3,847 | -80.9% |
| Green Gate Farm, LLC | $0 | $3,584 | -- |
| Howard Farms, LLC | $11,869 | $3,561 | -70% |
| Drew Chapman Stolipher | $4,065 | $3,540 | -12.9% |
| Donald E. Davidson | $7,752 | $2,797 | -63.9% |
| Jan Rowena Euler | $3,059 | $2,666 | -12.8% |
| O'Sullivan Farms, LLC | $8,065 | $2,521 | -68.7% |
| Drilake Farm, Inc. | $13,129 | $2,446 | -81.4% |
| Clarence E. Hough | $5,453 | $2,426 | -55.5% |
| Kevin S. Link | $11,257 | $2,340 | -79.2% |
| Michael D. Ring Jr. - R & M Farming | $0 | $2,222 | -- |
| Michael G. Riner | $7,353 | $2,093 | -71.5% |
| George R. Welsh Jr. | $6,351 | $1,920 | -69.8% |
| Kaitlin Ann Marie Sissler | $3,850 | $1,855 | -51.8% |
| Tyler Caudle - Cedar Springs, LLC | $0 | $1,854 | -- |
| Stacy Sissler | $10,707 | $1,799 | -83.2% |
| Terry G. Dunn | $10,562 | $1,785 | -83.1% |
| Barbara K Nickell Trust | $1,713 | $1,713 | 0% |
| Richard S Nickell Trust | $1,713 | $1,713 | 0% |
| Elmwood Fields NG, LLC | $5,252 | $1,604 | -69.5% |
| Edward Todd Banks | $5,712 | $1,599 | -72% |
| Warren G. Mickey | $4,975 | $1,510 | -69.6% |
| Terrence R. Vesper | $4,158 | $1,240 | -70.2% |
| Steven C. Diehl | $0 | $954 | -- |
| Samuel Brandon Staley | $4,962 | $926 | -81.3% |
| Rene' Donley | $868 | $868 | 0% |
| Terry L. Jenkins | $2,867 | $715 | -75.1% |
| Kenneth W. Shipley | $1,491 | $596 | -60% |
| Benjamin Byers II | $2,524 | $590 | -76.6% |
| Scott Cogan | $2,298 | $566 | -75.4% |
| Jacob Randell Blaylock | $7,934 | $537 | -93.2% |
| John P. Milton | $2,233 | $512 | -77.1% |
| Wysong Farm, LLC | $1,254 | $502 | -60% |
| William H. Gaestel | $990 | $496 | -49.9% |
| Stanley W. Dunn Jr. | $1,531 | $487 | -68.2% |
| Patrick G Masters | $770 | $461 | -40.1% |
| Red Hawk Rise Organics, LLC | $500 | $452 | -9.6% |
| Keith M. Currence | $1,793 | $432 | -75.9% |
| Ronald Milton | $1,672 | $408 | -75.6% |
| Christopher Mytar | $2,454 | $400 | -83.7% |
| Harmony Hill Farm | $2,387 | $346 | -85.5% |
| Lois a Bronzi | $633 | $310 | -51% |
| Adam T. Andrew | $1,002 | $310 | -69.1% |
| Daniel Ramesh Chittal | $726 | $298 | -59% |
| Herbert S. Snyder | $594 | $270 | -54.5% |
| Gatestone, Inc. | $784 | $246 | -68.6% |
| Daniel B. Moler | $968 | $231 | -76.1% |
| Barbara Psillas | $292 | $175 | -40.1% |
| Gerald T. Whitmer | $429 | $163 | -62% |
| Menda Dugan | $472 | $117 | -75.2% |
| Susannah Mayo Buckles | $0 | $59 | -- |
| Walter E. Tucker | $2,447 | $58 | -97.6% |
| David A. Gray | $971 | $54 | -94.4% |
| Donald K. Mickey | $176 | $51 | -71% |
| Linden Spring Farm, LLC | $192 | $26 | -86.5% |
| James O. Hunter Jr. | $29 | $14 | -51.7% |
| Jesse F. Morgan | $2 | $2 | 0% |
| Buck Wild Bison, LLC | $13,323 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth S. Beamer - Silver Spri | $28,742 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael D. Ring Jr. - R & M Farm | $7,644 | $0 | -100% |
| Walter S. Washington | $504 | $0 | -100% |
| Vinton Farm, LLC | $1,262 | $0 | -100% |
| John Nicholas Kerchval - Summit F | $29,840 | $0 | -100% |
| Russell S. Quinn | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy Neill Banks - Alta Vista | $49,323 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne C. Welty | $188 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul Edward Wilmoth | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Suellen D. Myers | $3,107 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,198,889 | $573,333 | -52.2% |
Alerts Sign-up