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In 2021, 46 farmers in cities within Stephens County received a total of $697,415 in 49 farm subsidies, a 59.3% increase from 2020, when the total was $437,864 in 117 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duong Brothers Farm II, LLC | $0 | $250,000 | -- |
| Vernon J. Wilkinson Jr. | $0 | $90,416 | -- |
| J. W. Dooley | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Jay Dooley | $0 | $49,651 | -- |
| Jordan & Sons, Inc. | $0 | $47,290 | -- |
| Duong Brothers Farm I, LLC | $0 | $40,190 | -- |
| Bao Bach | $0 | $32,736 | -- |
| James Whiten Livestock, Inc. | $167,118 | $25,156 | -84.9% |
| Donna Kelly | $0 | $19,562 | -- |
| Tony Ledford | $1,045 | $15,803 | 1,412.2% |
| Twin Creeks Farm, LLC | $0 | $12,775 | -- |
| Robert Stuart Gaines | $0 | $12,254 | -- |
| Brian K. Barnes | $23,900 | $5,820 | -75.6% |
| David Cox | $33,011 | $4,650 | -85.9% |
| Glenn Owens | $19,025 | $4,037 | -78.8% |
| Charles W. Addington | $16,677 | $3,743 | -77.6% |
| Keith D. Nichols | $17,385 | $2,986 | -82.8% |
| Dennis James Whiten | $7,315 | $2,059 | -71.9% |
| Freddie Long | $7,736 | $2,053 | -73.5% |
| Tracy Eavenson | $8,415 | $2,010 | -76.1% |
| Roger W. Whitmire | $8,862 | $1,898 | -78.6% |
| Derek Addison | $7,421 | $1,783 | -76% |
| Vernon L. Cash | $5,764 | $1,661 | -71.2% |
| Donald Mitchell | $6,246 | $1,488 | -76.2% |
| Ray M. Jordan | $5,302 | $1,234 | -76.7% |
| Russell Biggers | $1,323 | $1,102 | -16.7% |
| Albert Frank Huber | $1,782 | $1,079 | -39.5% |
| Dudley Arvle Huber JR | $1,782 | $1,079 | -39.5% |
| Barry Adams | $5,079 | $986 | -80.6% |
| Henry A. Moore | $4,486 | $776 | -82.7% |
| Don Bell | $10,149 | $762 | -92.5% |
| Andrew Edward Hicks | $12,730 | $758 | -94% |
| Roger Lee Adams | $7,139 | $739 | -89.6% |
| Joe Martin | $3,672 | $633 | -82.8% |
| Jeffery Murray | $18,644 | $599 | -96.8% |
| Perry Dale Meeks | $2,751 | $586 | -78.7% |
| David Bailey | $2,689 | $568 | -78.9% |
| Mickey Cash | $4,743 | $516 | -89.1% |
| Trent Cash | $1,089 | $516 | -52.6% |
| Phillip Martin | $3,300 | $504 | -84.7% |
| James R. Alewine | $1,829 | $500 | -72.7% |
| Johnny Howard | $4,619 | $448 | -90.3% |
| Gerald Ernest Lockmiller | $2,286 | $425 | -81.4% |
| Greg Coker | $1,987 | $345 | -82.6% |
| Alan F. Smith | $2,088 | $257 | -87.7% |
| Harold Rogers | $429 | $107 | -75.1% |
| Brent R. Bellamy | $660 | $0 | -100% |
| Brett Ivester | $604 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth R. Crump | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Jason Morgan Hudson | $1,815 | $0 | -100% |
| Jewell B. Hudgins III | $347 | $0 | -100% |
| John Wayne Bentley | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth Darryl Addison | $1,815 | $0 | -100% |
| Nancy Lynn Komisak | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $437,864 | $697,415 | 59.3% |
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