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In 2021, 65 farmers in cities within Scotland County received a total of $2.9 million in 155 farm subsidies, a 47.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.4 million in 272 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hagler Farms | $306,825 | $276,690 | -9.8% |
| 5 Stars Farm, LLC | $0 | $250,000 | -- |
| Carmichael Farms, LLC | $913,702 | $221,005 | -75.8% |
| Gibson T. G. Farms | $526,058 | $176,599 | -66.4% |
| Adrian J. Purvis | $0 | $153,754 | -- |
| Philip Futrell | $510,781 | $148,290 | -71% |
| Spring Hills Farms, Inc. | $197,445 | $122,582 | -37.9% |
| Ryan Gibson | $259,008 | $120,479 | -53.5% |
| Alfordsville Farms, Inc. | $135,665 | $117,892 | -13.1% |
| Jonathan M. Purvis | $0 | $101,688 | -- |
| Haynes B. Stone Jr. | $44,738 | $92,883 | 107.6% |
| Harvey Edge Z. Farms | $158,485 | $87,229 | -45% |
| Sinclair Farms, Inc. | $168,381 | $81,402 | -51.7% |
| Juniper Land Company | $182,566 | $77,821 | -57.4% |
| Snead Farms | $119,878 | $69,749 | -41.8% |
| Elrod Farms, Inc. | $156,380 | $66,755 | -57.3% |
| Rockdale Farms, Inc. | $151,800 | $65,172 | -57.1% |
| David E. Breeden | $115,883 | $55,118 | -52.4% |
| Stonewall Farms, Inc. | $150,421 | $54,912 | -63.5% |
| Raemon Farms, Inc. | $113,959 | $48,118 | -57.8% |
| Jane W. Cooley | $96,701 | $45,924 | -52.5% |
| Thomas E. Gibson Jr. | $92,185 | $44,701 | -51.5% |
| Gold Hill Farms, Inc. | $133,162 | $42,949 | -67.7% |
| Richard A. Snead | $88,337 | $37,027 | -58.1% |
| William D. Bethea | $84,703 | $36,024 | -57.5% |
| Stephen C. Herlocker | $88,074 | $33,637 | -61.8% |
| Marco Brandon Bryant | $0 | $33,519 | -- |
| Bryan Hagler | $124,115 | $28,878 | -76.7% |
| Lloyd H. Kenney Jr. | $23,736 | $24,937 | 5.1% |
| Thong Lee | $0 | $22,365 | -- |
| Pha Lor | $0 | $19,360 | -- |
| J D Carmichael, Inc. | $64,184 | $12,066 | -81.2% |
| Livingston-John Farms | $11,569 | $11,534 | -0.3% |
| John M. McLean Jr. | $18,826 | $8,666 | -54% |
| John W. Bridges | $15,446 | $8,205 | -46.9% |
| Burns Farms, Inc. | $13,799 | $7,906 | -42.7% |
| Mccoy Farms, Inc. | $7,904 | $7,904 | 0% |
| Richard L. Boles | $18,648 | $7,347 | -60.6% |
| Joe Harold Manis | $34,690 | $6,733 | -80.6% |
| Mcintyre Farm | $19,281 | $6,600 | -65.8% |
| William P. Carmichael | $16,541 | $5,744 | -65.3% |
| John D. Stewart | $4,018 | $4,018 | 0% |
| Elizabeth Kenney | $1,734 | $3,096 | 78.5% |
| Aubrey L. McCormick | $3,005 | $2,794 | -7% |
| Lytch Family Farms, LLP | $4,926 | $2,402 | -51.2% |
| Joe D. Manis | $25,282 | $2,232 | -91.2% |
| Richard N. Locklear | $9,233 | $1,796 | -80.5% |
| Martha Mcarthur Floyd | $1,292 | $1,292 | 0% |
| Thomas Locklear | $975 | $975 | 0% |
| Clarence B. High | $2,299 | $654 | -71.6% |
| Clarence K. High | $1,894 | $568 | -70% |
| Harry J. Covington | $825 | $567 | -31.3% |
| J. P. Locklear Jr. | $4,806 | $429 | -91.1% |
| Benny Oldham | $1,928 | $412 | -78.6% |
| Luther E. Hunt | $994 | $411 | -58.7% |
| James H. Dial Jr. | $570 | $203 | -64.4% |
| Chol C. No | $195 | $195 | 0% |
| Fria M. Edge | $136 | $182 | 33.8% |
| William Patrick Locklear | $501 | $125 | -75% |
| Marshall Smith | $2,805 | $97 | -96.5% |
| Cecil H. Paul | $1,004 | $96 | -90.4% |
| David A. Carmichael | $0 | $35 | -- |
| Edward T. Carmichael | $0 | $35 | -- |
| David L. Ray | $490 | $9 | -98.2% |
| Claudie Strickland | $1,901 | $5 | -99.7% |
| Aaron Stack | $33,487 | $0 | -100% |
| PJKS, LLC | $7,696 | $0 | -100% |
| Vieng Lee | $6,090 | $0 | -100% |
| Bill Carmichael, Inc. | $39,775 | $0 | -100% |
| Cody Melvin | $3,321 | $0 | -100% |
| Harvey Zemp Edge Jr. | $5,941 | $0 | -100% |
| Janelle Mcarthur Rhye | $313 | $0 | -100% |
| Phillip J Haines | $2,709 | $0 | -100% |
| Tina Edge | $12,118 | $0 | -100% |
| Tina Norton Edge | $8,534 | $0 | -100% |
| William Floyd Farms | $14,196 | $0 | -100% |
| James A. Cooley Jr. | $12,541 | $0 | -100% |
| John C. Cooley | $12,830 | $0 | -100% |
| John C. Stewart | $540 | $0 | -100% |
| John M. McLean Jr. | $10,930 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert W. Davis | $4,581 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronnie E. Chavis | $495 | $0 | -100% |
| Sherman McNeill | $773 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,411,559 | $2,862,792 | -47.1% |
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