Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 55 farmers in cities within Lewis County received a total of $298,182 in 61 farm subsidies, a 43% increase from 2020, when the total was $208,558 in 120 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Tanner Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Julie Taylor | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Kevin B Smith Logging | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| MRS Kerri Ellison | $0 | $45,760 | -- |
| Barry Tenison | $0 | $40,669 | -- |
| Riverside Valley Farm, LLC | $57,555 | $10,575 | -81.6% |
| Herman Carroll | $0 | $7,896 | -- |
| Swan Creek Farm | $3,088 | $2,489 | -19.4% |
| Jeffrey L. Hinson | $11,737 | $2,272 | -80.6% |
| Billy Skelton | $5,346 | $2,184 | -59.1% |
| Eddie Denicolais | $6,193 | $1,872 | -69.8% |
| Donald Duncan | $8,540 | $1,763 | -79.4% |
| Keith Reeves | $8,682 | $1,738 | -80% |
| James G. Allen | $8,154 | $1,557 | -80.9% |
| Larry Harper | $5,590 | $1,124 | -79.9% |
| Mike Clay | $2,376 | $1,095 | -53.9% |
| Jerry D. Floyd | $4,593 | $983 | -78.6% |
| Travis Hinson | $3,278 | $880 | -73.2% |
| Joseph D. Englett | $4,605 | $876 | -81% |
| Danny Holt | $3,652 | $854 | -76.6% |
| Paul Conner | $2,481 | $808 | -67.4% |
| R. B. Seiber | $2,464 | $796 | -67.7% |
| Jerry W. Seiber | $4,046 | $763 | -81.1% |
| Ben Lankford | $1,788 | $716 | -60% |
| Jacob Trull | $2,343 | $687 | -70.7% |
| Jamie Ray | $2,772 | $675 | -75.6% |
| Braden D. Hinson | $2,684 | $664 | -75.3% |
| Darrel Reeves | $4,024 | $636 | -84.2% |
| Greg Amacher | $2,743 | $588 | -78.6% |
| Joyce M. Duncan | $2,911 | $575 | -80.2% |
| Darrell S. Runions | $1,793 | $541 | -69.8% |
| Jennifer Tiller | $2,167 | $534 | -75.4% |
| John Warrington | $2,794 | $526 | -81.2% |
| Dorothy Warf | $1,309 | $510 | -61% |
| Larry Franks | $3,278 | $502 | -84.7% |
| James L. Whitehead | $5,499 | $501 | -90.9% |
| Linda Clayton | $1,727 | $478 | -72.3% |
| Darrell E. Bryson | $2,493 | $458 | -81.6% |
| Bill Ray | $2,048 | $448 | -78.1% |
| Victor Reeves | $825 | $448 | -45.7% |
| Bill Webb | $3,379 | $433 | -87.2% |
| Nolan Grinder | $2,697 | $396 | -85.3% |
| Leon Reeves | $1,781 | $394 | -77.9% |
| Billy C. Cothran | $999 | $280 | -72% |
| Thomas McCaa | $1,298 | $260 | -80% |
| Tyler Seiber | $1,155 | $238 | -79.4% |
| Themen Reeves | $729 | $236 | -67.6% |
| Jerry R Tenry | $392 | $235 | -40.1% |
| Carl Ronald Couch | $141 | $227 | 61% |
| Robert Muller | $762 | $121 | -84.1% |
| Robert Stroede | $0 | $121 | -- |
| Andrew S. Kemler | $277 | $52 | -81.2% |
| Lori M. Moseley | $209 | $50 | -76.1% |
| Marvin Byler | $1,594 | $37 | -97.7% |
| Roy Donald Malone III | $419 | $36 | -91.4% |
| Bentley Matthew Anthony | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank Wills | $2,917 | $0 | -100% |
| Joyce Hildenbrandt | $57 | $0 | -100% |
| Rick Brewer | $2,599 | $0 | -100% |
| Shannon R. Bennett | $145 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $208,558 | $298,182 | 43% |
Alerts Sign-up