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In 2021, 162 farmers in cities within Smith County received a total of $1.4 million in 186 farm subsidies, a 15.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.7 million in 352 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.
Farmers and Their Subsidies in Cities Associated with Smith County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin R. Shirk | $3,723 | $249,908 | 6,612.5% |
| Maggie Victoria Smith | $6,677 | $102,144 | 1,429.8% |
| Hollis Marion Blackwell | $20,680 | $86,508 | 318.3% |
| Thomas Jason Pickering | $0 | $80,184 | -- |
| Pete Rutland | $427,417 | $54,065 | -87.4% |
| Charlie Craft Trucking, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| J&a Farms, LLC | $0 | $52,299 | -- |
| Paul Bruce Gable | $7,275 | $44,961 | 518% |
| Nicole P. Gilpin | $0 | $41,799 | -- |
| Fonda S. Arender | $0 | $41,357 | -- |
| Mary Katherine Hill | $0 | $39,075 | -- |
| William David Robinson | $0 | $38,693 | -- |
| Jasper Ducksworth | $0 | $32,318 | -- |
| CP Exchange, LLC | $30,149 | $30,149 | 0% |
| Charles Dennis Alexander | $1,485 | $28,651 | 1,829.4% |
| Blake's Farm, Inc. | $0 | $27,219 | -- |
| Ponderosa Farms | $68,741 | $25,976 | -62.2% |
| Richard J. Dunkerton | $0 | $24,113 | -- |
| C and N Farms, LLC | $0 | $23,358 | -- |
| Nonette Bulger Runnels | $0 | $22,526 | -- |
| Jonathan D. Kilgore | $82,490 | $21,868 | -73.5% |
| Charles W. Pickering Sr. | $3,951 | $19,726 | 399.3% |
| Mary Kinslow White | $0 | $19,405 | -- |
| Howard C. Austin | $12,500 | $17,472 | 39.8% |
| James A. Grayson | $12,207 | $16,332 | 33.8% |
| Robert Lynn Sullivan | $45,136 | $9,867 | -78.1% |
| The Troy Wayne and Beverly Davis Revocable Trust | $8,836 | $8,836 | 0% |
| Kenneth T. Easterling | $0 | $8,599 | -- |
| Larry W. Meadows | $29,161 | $7,654 | -73.8% |
| Danny W. Arender | $29,273 | $7,588 | -74.1% |
| Ms. Leanne Kilgore | $123,988 | $6,172 | -95% |
| Robert L. Koehn | $0 | $6,170 | -- |
| Jerry W. Houston | $22,176 | $5,837 | -73.7% |
| Lazy B Country Farm, LLC | $0 | $5,565 | -- |
| Ray H. Tullos | $24,752 | $5,296 | -78.6% |
| J. L. Runnels | $3,667 | $5,103 | 39.2% |
| William Steve Gambrell | $6,023 | $4,723 | -21.6% |
| Max Phillips | $2,998 | $4,711 | 57.1% |
| Allen C. Magee | $17,050 | $4,166 | -75.6% |
| Michael Laine Eason | $0 | $3,960 | -- |
| Kody A. Miller | $28,566 | $3,942 | -86.2% |
| Grant H. Blakeney | $17,484 | $3,910 | -77.6% |
| Paul M. Meadows | $13,014 | $3,571 | -72.6% |
| Blaine H. Eaton II | $11,753 | $3,546 | -69.8% |
| Tubbs Apiaries, Inc. | $0 | $3,527 | -- |
| Larry Joe Hancock | $11,245 | $3,520 | -68.7% |
| Kissi Nicole Sullivan | $16,654 | $3,518 | -78.9% |
| Carl Gable | $8,558 | $3,408 | -60.2% |
| Marvin B. Allen Jr. | $14,769 | $3,260 | -77.9% |
| Martha B. Terrell | $3,064 | $3,206 | 4.6% |
| Justin Lee Green | $5,963 | $3,181 | -46.7% |
| Alan Featherston Miller | $16,060 | $3,060 | -80.9% |
| James Newton Ishee | $15,244 | $2,769 | -81.8% |
| The Vernal R King Irrevocable Family Trust | $2,614 | $2,614 | 0% |
| James Larry Garner | $8,668 | $2,605 | -69.9% |
| Margaret Ann Pickering | $2,222 | $2,277 | 2.5% |
| Frank Burks | $8,094 | $2,229 | -72.5% |
| John Billy Blakeney | $11,777 | $2,208 | -81.3% |
| Kevin Sherman | $2,937 | $2,170 | -26.1% |
| Benjie Ford | $2,163 | $2,163 | 0% |
| Richard Bryant | $9,214 | $2,099 | -77.2% |
| Doris Ilene Boykin Ingram | $12,141 | $2,080 | -82.9% |
| Douglas Wayne Thornton Jr. | $7,526 | $2,037 | -72.9% |
| Danny Kash Miller | $84,034 | $1,960 | -97.7% |
| Nathan D. Thornton | $7,858 | $1,956 | -75.1% |
| Bennie D. Matthews | $8,140 | $1,828 | -77.5% |
| Winndale Crosby | $0 | $1,815 | -- |
| William Cleo White Jr. | $8,888 | $1,748 | -80.3% |
| Ginger Michele Avila | $7,810 | $1,728 | -77.9% |
| Steven Hancock | $1,695 | $1,695 | 0% |
| James Larry Wood | $8,257 | $1,683 | -79.6% |
| Ann H. Ainsworth | $6,556 | $1,673 | -74.5% |
| Mary Katherine Turner | $1,523 | $1,654 | 8.6% |
| Hillman Vinson | $4,664 | $1,628 | -65.1% |
| Johnny Jones | $6,138 | $1,592 | -74.1% |
| Joshua Austin Bryant | $6,238 | $1,550 | -75.2% |
| Robert Houston | $5,566 | $1,541 | -72.3% |
| Helenese G Sims | $6,701 | $1,498 | -77.6% |
| Reggie Blackwell | $16,214 | $1,471 | -90.9% |
| Clyde A. Wilson | $5,333 | $1,449 | -72.8% |
| Clinton Hugh Robinson | $7,216 | $1,437 | -80.1% |
| Harry D. Norris | $5,346 | $1,414 | -73.6% |
| Randell White | $6,798 | $1,398 | -79.4% |
| Dale K. Moore | $1,343 | $1,343 | 0% |
| Johnny Wesley Hall | $7,676 | $1,342 | -82.5% |
| Jimmie K. Eaton | $1,401 | $1,314 | -6.2% |
| Jerry Lowery | $6,235 | $1,300 | -79.1% |
| Jeffrey Todd Harrison | $5,128 | $1,279 | -75.1% |
| Robert Hicks | $4,672 | $1,276 | -72.7% |
| Otho Arender | $5,634 | $1,267 | -77.5% |
| Delores Lackey Smith | $4,169 | $1,231 | -70.5% |
| Kenneth R. Jernigan | $3,960 | $1,195 | -69.8% |
| Michelle Rutland | $5,778 | $1,156 | -80% |
| Shannon Gene Powell | $5,615 | $1,146 | -79.6% |
| B. Walker Enterprise, LLC | $4,510 | $1,121 | -75.1% |
| Christy A. Smith | $4,653 | $1,067 | -77.1% |
| James E. Hatten | $2,387 | $1,056 | -55.8% |
| Larry W. Weathersby | $4,704 | $1,050 | -77.7% |
| Claude Roberson | $4,829 | $1,048 | -78.3% |
| Norman Whitlock | $5,005 | $1,035 | -79.3% |
| Robert Lee Pruitt Jr. | $9,308 | $1,028 | -89% |
| Charles Calvin Vowell | $3,762 | $1,018 | -72.9% |
| Lou Ann S. Gaskin | $1,017 | $1,017 | 0% |
| Justin Lee Hammons | $4,235 | $1,002 | -76.3% |
| Ronnie Hammons | $5,027 | $985 | -80.4% |
| Henry H. Nelson | $4,356 | $980 | -77.5% |
| Aubrey Lynn Knight | $4,542 | $976 | -78.5% |
| Clayton G. Atwood | $4,184 | $968 | -76.9% |
| Melissa Nicole Arender | $3,905 | $957 | -75.5% |
| Joanne M. Russell | $3,219 | $932 | -71% |
| Sarah H. Rayner | $2,530 | $924 | -63.5% |
| Mitchell O. Hallman | $4,586 | $916 | -80% |
| Hugh C. Byrd | $2,651 | $854 | -67.8% |
| Phillip A. Johnson | $2,486 | $849 | -65.8% |
| Brenda L. Easterling | $4,466 | $837 | -81.3% |
| Charles Dwayne Brewer | $4,344 | $830 | -80.9% |
| Billy K. Tadlock | $2,805 | $814 | -71% |
| Wilson Hallman | $3,729 | $802 | -78.5% |
| Gene T. Young | $2,959 | $798 | -73% |
| Nelner Robertson | $3,191 | $794 | -75.1% |
| James Harlon Craft | $2,805 | $785 | -72% |
| Gail W. Stringer | $2,354 | $742 | -68.5% |
| Jimmy Sanderford | $2,366 | $734 | -69% |
| Allen McAlpin | $4,680 | $690 | -85.3% |
| Mexel Crosby | $6,311 | $690 | -89.1% |
| Frances Frazier | $2,365 | $677 | -71.4% |
| James H. Wilson | $2,178 | $676 | -69% |
| Davy Hammons | $3,320 | $657 | -80.2% |
| Randy K. Lowery | $1,606 | $631 | -60.7% |
| James E. Moffett | $0 | $605 | -- |
| Loretta Smith | $597 | $597 | 0% |
| Robert Scott Terrell | $582 | $582 | 0% |
| Iris Ford Nichols | $572 | $572 | 0% |
| Larry Steven Glenn | $2,854 | $571 | -80% |
| Kody L. Sullivan | $1,871 | $568 | -69.6% |
| Hubert C. Hicks | $1,664 | $500 | -70% |
| Bruce Hutchinson | $2,676 | $460 | -82.8% |
| Byron D. Unruh | $2,299 | $455 | -80.2% |
| Johnny O. Howell | $1,385 | $448 | -67.7% |
| Michael Thornton | $2,303 | $448 | -80.5% |
| Friend B. Walker Jr. | $428 | $428 | 0% |
| Dale Sullivan | $2,508 | $426 | -83% |
| Joe Allen Barnes | $1,617 | $423 | -73.8% |
| Sandy Corley | $1,592 | $412 | -74.1% |
| Patrick Moffett | $1,518 | $406 | -73.3% |
| Marsea Straughn | $1,208 | $404 | -66.6% |
| Andy Hugh Daniel | $1,056 | $360 | -65.9% |
| Kelsey Wedgeworth Robinson | $1,667 | $300 | -82% |
| Warren E. Woodrow | $759 | $294 | -61.3% |
| Kayla Norris | $1,440 | $290 | -79.9% |
| Martha Lynn Shutze | $285 | $285 | 0% |
| Edward Crosby Jr. | $968 | $276 | -71.5% |
| George A. Stockman | $968 | $270 | -72.1% |
| Ann Cannon | $1,111 | $252 | -77.3% |
| Willie Jacob Ducksworth | $550 | $172 | -68.7% |
| Gregory M. Easterling | $693 | $169 | -75.6% |
| Edward Duckworth | $0 | $165 | -- |
| Thomas Earl Keyes | $715 | $142 | -80.1% |
| John Douglas Dixon | $330 | $132 | -60% |
| Bobbie Britt | $231 | $121 | -47.6% |
| Kisha L. Slade | $561 | $121 | -78.4% |
| Kenneth E. Dees | $0 | $89 | -- |
| Charles Cody Craft | $817 | $0 | -100% |
| Chasity Hancock | $3,445 | $0 | -100% |
| Christy Melissa Easterling | $3,445 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald S. Amason | $4,233 | $0 | -100% |
| Elouise L. Hancock | $8,841 | $0 | -100% |
| Kimberly Shawn Craft | $4,857 | $0 | -100% |
| Billy M. Rogers | $212 | $0 | -100% |
| George David Henderson | $3,575 | $0 | -100% |
| George Puckett | $2,512 | $0 | -100% |
| James Harold Arender Jr. | $2,090 | $0 | -100% |
| Janice L. Houston | $253 | $0 | -100% |
| Mike Ashley | $4,686 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert L. Bowen | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruth M. Powell | $1,056 | $0 | -100% |
| Elsie Yvonne Gable | $454 | $0 | -100% |
| Janelle Wagner | $1,502 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph Ken Thompson | $12,654 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth Lamar Clark Sr. | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Hull | $1,210 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul O'Rourke | $520 | $0 | -100% |
| Rhonda I. Ford | $5,168 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronnie E. Ivy | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,708,124 | $1,443,378 | -15.5% |
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