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In 2021, 92 farmers in cities within Union County received a total of $851,284 in 116 farm subsidies, a 5.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $900,495 in 171 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laster Cattle & Poultry Farm, LLC | $0 | $79,475 | -- |
| Casey Wooten | $0 | $70,696 | -- |
| Roberto Ruiz | $6,105 | $55,248 | 805% |
| RLR Timber, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Troy Thurmon Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Agerton Transportation, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| JG & L, Inc. | $0 | $52,301 | -- |
| Justin A. Pratt | $2,992 | $42,462 | 1,319.2% |
| Stan Sweeney, LLC | $231,976 | $38,479 | -83.4% |
| Goodwin Logging, LLC | $0 | $33,691 | -- |
| Melton Logging, LLC | $0 | $31,004 | -- |
| Jacob W. Agerton | $0 | $29,582 | -- |
| Fife Farms, LLC | $0 | $25,206 | -- |
| Willie M Nobles Trust | $0 | $19,031 | -- |
| L&S Land and Timber LP | $17,380 | $15,851 | -8.8% |
| Lucio Ruiz | $6,071 | $15,791 | 160.1% |
| Hard Bargain Farms Partnership | $288,252 | $12,935 | -95.5% |
| James R. Poole | $0 | $11,463 | -- |
| Todd R. Thompson | $0 | $10,461 | -- |
| Judy Agerton | $0 | $10,191 | -- |
| C & R Partners, LLC | $10,164 | $10,164 | 0% |
| Randall Pagan | $4,110 | $10,042 | 144.3% |
| Jeb Transports, LLC | $0 | $7,471 | -- |
| Mahony Corporation | $14,589 | $7,303 | -49.9% |
| Dean Weddle | $10,788 | $7,034 | -34.8% |
| Dale McDougald | $0 | $6,441 | -- |
| Bayou Deview Riverrun Farms, LLC | $9,602 | $6,252 | -34.9% |
| Cherry Agerton | $22,668 | $5,207 | -77% |
| Liandro Ruiz | $1,881 | $4,580 | 143.5% |
| Mark O Reinebach | $4,241 | $4,115 | -3% |
| Ruth Matocha | $2,465 | $3,875 | 57.2% |
| William Rhett Hanry | $20,372 | $3,370 | -83.5% |
| Rafter M Beef Cattle, LLC | $15,389 | $3,348 | -78.2% |
| Yvonne Horne | $8,098 | $3,293 | -59.3% |
| Phillip W. Hamaker | $22,871 | $3,008 | -86.8% |
| Lesia Hamaker | $18,139 | $2,956 | -83.7% |
| Charles J. Foot | $4,851 | $2,955 | -39.1% |
| David Frisby | $10,743 | $2,254 | -79% |
| Joe Vestal | $9,893 | $2,155 | -78.2% |
| Jerry W. Agerton | $1,210 | $2,026 | 67.4% |
| William Lloyd Phelps | $10,129 | $1,938 | -80.9% |
| Harry Baldwin Fessler JR Family Trust FBO Alison a | $0 | $1,754 | -- |
| Bryan D. Maroney | $8,096 | $1,736 | -78.6% |
| Larry C. Hicks | $2,581 | $1,682 | -34.8% |
| Dorothy Poole | $3,311 | $1,645 | -50.3% |
| Wendi Laster | $6,379 | $1,628 | -74.5% |
| John Dawson Rogers | $10,351 | $1,614 | -84.4% |
| Phenix Foster | $3,333 | $1,467 | -56% |
| Billy Foster | $631 | $1,431 | 126.8% |
| James French | $4,697 | $1,334 | -71.6% |
| Marty Davis | $3,575 | $1,263 | -64.7% |
| Carl A. Armstrong | $4,237 | $1,228 | -71% |
| Johnny Loftin | $4,988 | $1,221 | -75.5% |
| William T. Swilley | $4,826 | $1,174 | -75.7% |
| Joe H. Kinard | $5,390 | $1,106 | -79.5% |
| 5 F Farms, LLC | $5,698 | $1,092 | -80.8% |
| Nadine Andrews | $1,071 | $1,071 | 0% |
| John D. Seymour | $980 | $980 | 0% |
| Frank Willett | $2,717 | $926 | -65.9% |
| Paula M. Davis | $3,091 | $920 | -70.2% |
| Mr. Fredric G. Caldwell | $3,113 | $897 | -71.2% |
| John Scott Calloway | $3,053 | $800 | -73.8% |
| Russell Pratt | $1,650 | $736 | -55.4% |
| Jebb T. Young | $3,174 | $699 | -78% |
| Brandon G. Jerry | $2,323 | $689 | -70.3% |
| Becky White | $2,475 | $682 | -72.4% |
| Gene O. Rainwater | $1,727 | $667 | -61.4% |
| Phillip Wade Smith Sr. | $1,071 | $641 | -40.1% |
| Ronald Edward Smith | $1,071 | $641 | -40.1% |
| Richard O. Woods | $1,631 | $630 | -61.4% |
| Mary I. Poole | $2,068 | $624 | -69.8% |
| Max H. Rowland Jr. | $2,684 | $609 | -77.3% |
| Joseph Burroughs | $1,210 | $518 | -57.2% |
| John W. Cowger | $1,398 | $509 | -63.6% |
| Cleo Ellison | $1,976 | $504 | -74.5% |
| Chris Crawford | $0 | $473 | -- |
| Jimmy Wilson | $1,276 | $380 | -70.2% |
| Miguel Ayala Correa | $1,380 | $366 | -73.5% |
| Larry Beasley | $1,485 | $345 | -76.8% |
| Claude Johnson | $2,090 | $344 | -83.5% |
| Barbara J. Nelson | $1,617 | $322 | -80.1% |
| William E. Gandy | $858 | $316 | -63.2% |
| James Terry Bolding | $858 | $214 | -75.1% |
| John D. Pritchard | $407 | $155 | -61.9% |
| Henry C. Maroney | $470 | $153 | -67.4% |
| Kathy Maroney Kennedy | $470 | $153 | -67.4% |
| Linda G. Williams | $264 | $148 | -43.9% |
| Ginger E. Welch | $32 | $134 | 318.8% |
| Heather E. Graves | $4,207 | $128 | -97% |
| Peter Sam Cyphers | $901 | $121 | -86.6% |
| Donny Coke | $352 | $102 | -71% |
| Tena Hughes | $104 | $33 | -68.3% |
| Carol A. Beaird | $1,308 | $0 | -100% |
| Harry Baldwin Fessler JR Family T | $830 | $0 | -100% |
| Pete Williams | $110 | $0 | -100% |
| Sewell Cattle Company, Inc. | $19,041 | $0 | -100% |
| Todd Whatley | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $900,495 | $851,284 | -5.5% |
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