Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 55 farmers in cities within Oglethorpe County received a total of $753,813 in 68 farm subsidies, a 13.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $873,615 in 140 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabaniss Dairy, LLC | $337,394 | $154,368 | -54.2% |
| John N Armour Farms, Inc. | $0 | $131,458 | -- |
| William Caleb Sass | $0 | $71,454 | -- |
| Bach Farm, LLC | $0 | $65,032 | -- |
| Garden Grove Farm, LLC | $0 | $43,765 | -- |
| Bao Bach | $0 | $32,736 | -- |
| Lewis Dwayne Grimes | $0 | $31,146 | -- |
| Ted Smith | $8,985 | $28,324 | 215.2% |
| Bridges Dairy & Poultry, Inc. | $0 | $24,942 | -- |
| John Rick Mallonee | $0 | $24,591 | -- |
| Providentia Divina Farms, LLC | $0 | $20,512 | -- |
| Bridges Angus Farm, LLC | $42,793 | $20,393 | -52.3% |
| Beth P. Brooks | $0 | $9,146 | -- |
| Harvey W. Holm | $0 | $6,998 | -- |
| Wheless Farms Incorporated | $9,805 | $6,566 | -33% |
| Jane R. Bowen | $43,931 | $6,086 | -86.1% |
| Frederick W. Gretsch Jr. | $70,327 | $5,501 | -92.2% |
| Sandra Jean Slay | $14,938 | $5,326 | -64.3% |
| Nation Farms | $20,381 | $5,248 | -74.3% |
| A and D Family Farms, LLC | $19,863 | $4,233 | -78.7% |
| John H. Lovin Jr. | $18,415 | $3,822 | -79.2% |
| Charles Andrew McPeake | $9,790 | $3,393 | -65.3% |
| E & E Cattle, LLC | $14,812 | $3,102 | -79.1% |
| Grove Creek Farm, Inc. | $3,274 | $3,074 | -6.1% |
| Overnear Farm, LLC | $0 | $3,036 | -- |
| Randall Andrews | $33,888 | $2,900 | -91.4% |
| Christopher S. Throne | $12,441 | $2,778 | -77.7% |
| Full Throttle Cattle Company, LLC | $37,350 | $2,587 | -93.1% |
| Robert J. McCurley | $10,780 | $2,439 | -77.4% |
| Budram Bhola | $2,744 | $2,327 | -15.2% |
| Leslie P. Smith | $7,656 | $2,285 | -70.2% |
| Carter Alexander Dodd | $7,923 | $2,268 | -71.4% |
| Kelly A. Smith | $18,553 | $1,998 | -89.2% |
| Hubert C. Colquitt | $8,180 | $1,977 | -75.8% |
| Jonathan Wynne Nation | $6,072 | $1,588 | -73.8% |
| Alex T. Dillard | $10,082 | $1,522 | -84.9% |
| William Thomas Houser | $6,006 | $1,522 | -74.7% |
| Bill J. Evans Jr. | $2,569 | $1,307 | -49.1% |
| Wanda Lynn Compton | $6,133 | $1,236 | -79.8% |
| Carlton Nunn | $4,927 | $1,199 | -75.7% |
| Darryl White | $5,745 | $1,064 | -81.5% |
| Jennifer Marie Wilson | $4,976 | $1,064 | -78.6% |
| Alfred Virgil Caldwell | $6,037 | $952 | -84.2% |
| Tommy Kline Wheless | $7,441 | $943 | -87.3% |
| Joe M. Arnold | $4,598 | $922 | -79.9% |
| Lafayette Royal | $2,942 | $880 | -70.1% |
| Gina F. Meyen | $4,197 | $750 | -82.1% |
| Charles E. Andrews | $16,165 | $709 | -95.6% |
| Jennifer E. Pringle | $3,657 | $596 | -83.7% |
| David Matthew Simmons | $2,148 | $433 | -79.8% |
| David A. Kidd | $0 | $430 | -- |
| David W. Hill | $3,486 | $424 | -87.8% |
| Craig W. Daniel | $1,023 | $223 | -78.2% |
| Nancy W. Meyer | $310 | $141 | -54.5% |
| Norma S. Craddock | $199 | $97 | -51.3% |
| Eric Glenn Lowe | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Jonathan Paul Sorah | $12,289 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles McIntosh | $994 | $0 | -100% |
| Laura Ann Pallas | $6,162 | $0 | -100% |
| Zodiak Technology & Associates, LLC | $354 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $873,615 | $753,813 | -13.7% |
Alerts Sign-up