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In 2021, 56 farmers in cities within Caldwell County received a total of $418,794 in 75 farm subsidies, a 75.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.7 million in 191 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| James S. Anderson | $34,164 | $176,080 | 415.4% |
| Daniel Charles Swanson | $2,134 | $64,203 | 2,908.6% |
| William R. Hicks | $9,647 | $35,195 | 264.8% |
| Steve Anderson | $14,603 | $26,690 | 82.8% |
| Gary L. Richey | $119,178 | $25,228 | -78.8% |
| Rock Creek Cattle and Grain, LLC | $26,506 | $13,071 | -50.7% |
| M E & R S Starnes | $16,962 | $11,247 | -33.7% |
| Helton Logging | $0 | $10,946 | -- |
| B G Looper and Sons | $93,032 | $6,018 | -93.5% |
| Ronald C. Bowman | $6,931 | $4,513 | -34.9% |
| Blue Ridge Apiaries, LLC | $32,240 | $4,225 | -86.9% |
| Lonnie Starnes | $22,042 | $3,329 | -84.9% |
| Ronnie Holman | $14,107 | $2,988 | -78.8% |
| John A. Wike | $17,504 | $2,932 | -83.2% |
| Sandy Parker Prestwood | $11,445 | $2,743 | -76% |
| Dallas Wilcox Sr. | $9,318 | $2,547 | -72.7% |
| Tommy McGee | $12,039 | $2,279 | -81.1% |
| Wilson Farms of Granite Falls, LLC | $9,568 | $1,784 | -81.4% |
| Chris Spears | $7,554 | $1,710 | -77.4% |
| Dakota D. Kirby | $9,762 | $1,649 | -83.1% |
| Charles Grant Wimbish | $0 | $1,516 | -- |
| Kim Prestwood | $7,153 | $1,452 | -79.7% |
| Dewey Reid | $5,937 | $1,306 | -78% |
| Johnny Wilson | $3,876 | $1,252 | -67.7% |
| Charles Franklin | $5,390 | $1,219 | -77.4% |
| Ricky Bumgarner | $6,382 | $1,116 | -82.5% |
| Anthony Shawn Oliver | $4,081 | $1,015 | -75.1% |
| William Clay | $6,713 | $929 | -86.2% |
| Roger Poarch | $5,589 | $828 | -85.2% |
| John H. Cassavaugh | $2,951 | $724 | -75.5% |
| Keith Blinson | $4,119 | $656 | -84.1% |
| Donald G. Bley | $1,280 | $628 | -50.9% |
| Ronnie Cardwell | $3,589 | $619 | -82.8% |
| Charles J. Taylor | $1,594 | $601 | -62.3% |
| Jeffrey Branch | $3,205 | $543 | -83.1% |
| Sandra Bowman | $4,640 | $523 | -88.7% |
| Marvin Lee Bowman | $2,244 | $488 | -78.3% |
| Clay Cannon | $2,761 | $471 | -82.9% |
| Margo S. Amaker | $468 | $468 | 0% |
| Paul Garrison Mann III | $1,793 | $377 | -79% |
| Steve Cardwell | $1,572 | $328 | -79.1% |
| Dillard Farms | $1,353 | $321 | -76.3% |
| Bruce Terrell Roberts | $0 | $270 | -- |
| Joe Robert Cooke | $2,265 | $260 | -88.5% |
| Wayne Barnwell | $638 | $188 | -70.5% |
| Seth Hamilton Nagy | $931 | $180 | -80.7% |
| Bruce E. Coffey | $836 | $176 | -78.9% |
| Thomas Joel Kirby | $671 | $156 | -76.8% |
| Justin Hefner | $672 | $149 | -77.8% |
| Ronnie Coffey | $341 | $137 | -59.8% |
| Robert J Mcelhinney Trust - a | $0 | $132 | -- |
| Michael Willis | $5,773 | $121 | -97.9% |
| Ryan White | $443 | $93 | -79% |
| Josephine T. Stroud | $231 | $64 | -72.3% |
| Terry Lee Fowler | $2,760 | $56 | -98% |
| Shirley D. Saunders | $90 | $55 | -38.9% |
| Donald P. Reid | $3,828 | $0 | -100% |
| Jimmy Hall | $961 | $0 | -100% |
| Keith Murphy | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| Patrick Starnes | $3,061 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Dale Boles | $325 | $0 | -100% |
| Wesley Looper | $92,135 | $0 | -100% |
| Barry Edward Cloer | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Bass Nursery, Inc. | $136,730 | $0 | -100% |
| Bruce Roberts | $1,694 | $0 | -100% |
| Bryk Family Farms, LLC | $10,092 | $0 | -100% |
| Caldwell County Nursery, LLC | $72,962 | $0 | -100% |
| Casey R. Richey | $7,756 | $0 | -100% |
| Chester Brookshire | $10,439 | $0 | -100% |
| Donna Nelson | $11,656 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth Woods Prestwood | $2,860 | $0 | -100% |
| John Mark Picton | $3,281 | $0 | -100% |
| Laura Ann Reid Livingston | $2,813 | $0 | -100% |
| Marty G Waters | $2,188 | $0 | -100% |
| Mulberry Nursery | $10,316 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Shoemake Sr. | $42,664 | $0 | -100% |
| Rippetoe Farm, LLC | $858 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert M. Gragg | $3,550 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger Coffey & Sons, Inc. | $239,466 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger D. Coffey Jr. | $225,088 | $0 | -100% |
| Upton Valley Nursery, Inc. | $268,489 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,716,269 | $418,794 | -75.6% |
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