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In 2021, 77 farmers in cities within Scott County received a total of $240,232 in 79 farm subsidies, a 7.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $260,289 in 198 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepard Trucking, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| American Timber, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| West Brothers Logging | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Roger Russell | $0 | $32,075 | -- |
| Timothy Miller | $22,190 | $4,433 | -80% |
| Steven Ray Armstrong | $22,111 | $4,270 | -80.7% |
| Michael West | $16,466 | $3,119 | -81.1% |
| Coy Wright | $10,329 | $1,549 | -85% |
| Gary Bridges | $5,946 | $1,378 | -76.8% |
| James D. Kidd | $6,943 | $1,372 | -80.2% |
| Tim Chitwood | $4,224 | $1,259 | -70.2% |
| Lanford Cross | $4,569 | $1,165 | -74.5% |
| Kevin Miller | $8,289 | $1,117 | -86.5% |
| Coyen Walker | $880 | $1,091 | 24% |
| Jerry Braden | $3,707 | $990 | -73.3% |
| Anthony Overton | $5,115 | $941 | -81.6% |
| Gary M. Brewster | $4,971 | $908 | -81.7% |
| Jackie Lee Abbott | $10,539 | $896 | -91.5% |
| Bernard C. Terry Jr. | $5,415 | $858 | -84.2% |
| Lillard Miller | $5,604 | $854 | -84.8% |
| Russell Yaden | $4,081 | $838 | -79.5% |
| Ralph Boyatt | $3,444 | $808 | -76.5% |
| Gary L. Cross | $4,665 | $807 | -82.7% |
| James R. Byrge | $3,238 | $794 | -75.5% |
| Anthony S. Stanley | $3,883 | $791 | -79.6% |
| Kevin Bowling | $3,427 | $782 | -77.2% |
| Ray Strunk | $3,717 | $764 | -79.4% |
| Gerald Taylor | $2,794 | $730 | -73.9% |
| Ray Elder | $4,109 | $685 | -83.3% |
| Wesley Crabtree | $3,702 | $642 | -82.7% |
| Steve Thompson | $1,991 | $622 | -68.8% |
| Daryl Krahn | $3,110 | $614 | -80.3% |
| Michael Logan Brewster | $3,018 | $587 | -80.6% |
| Rhyne Daniel Douglas | $990 | $561 | -43.3% |
| James A. Whittenburg | $3,232 | $540 | -83.3% |
| Bryon Foster | $2,125 | $518 | -75.6% |
| Jasper Robbins Jr. | $1,826 | $514 | -71.9% |
| David Morrow | $3,231 | $501 | -84.5% |
| Rick King | $2,660 | $479 | -82% |
| Robbie L. Terry | $2,189 | $475 | -78.3% |
| Marvin Hughett | $1,694 | $432 | -74.5% |
| Robert Wilson | $2,200 | $430 | -80.5% |
| James R Moffette | $1,980 | $430 | -78.3% |
| Doyle Kidd | $1,815 | $415 | -77.1% |
| Lance Boyatt | $1,903 | $391 | -79.5% |
| Floyd L. Phillips | $1,188 | $377 | -68.3% |
| Greg Overton | $1,342 | $377 | -71.9% |
| Mark Partin | $1,727 | $377 | -78.2% |
| Joseph K. McCartt | $2,035 | $364 | -82.1% |
| Dessie Sexton | $1,771 | $363 | -79.5% |
| Beverly L. Duncan | $2,532 | $343 | -86.5% |
| Dwight David Marlar | $2,090 | $335 | -84% |
| Gregory Spradlin | $297 | $334 | 12.5% |
| Randy Harness | $2,463 | $328 | -86.7% |
| Chris Henry | $2,393 | $328 | -86.3% |
| James Rodney Stephens | $1,408 | $326 | -76.8% |
| Clay Jeff Stephens | $1,681 | $318 | -81.1% |
| James C. Todd | $1,397 | $301 | -78.5% |
| Hank Duvall | $2,120 | $285 | -86.6% |
| Lester Marcum | $1,111 | $277 | -75.1% |
| Jordan Potter | $1,425 | $267 | -81.3% |
| David Ellis | $1,100 | $263 | -76.1% |
| Ronnie Phillips | $1,430 | $261 | -81.7% |
| Blake Murphy | $2,280 | $252 | -88.9% |
| Acmon Abbott | $1,089 | $228 | -79.1% |
| James H. Laxton | $1,023 | $225 | -78% |
| Sean Cross | $1,023 | $214 | -79.1% |
| William Ricky Russ | $888 | $204 | -77% |
| Thomas W. Payne | $847 | $180 | -78.7% |
| Dennis Foster | $809 | $172 | -78.7% |
| Gary Frogge | $966 | $172 | -82.2% |
| Cynthia Joy Webb | $744 | $160 | -78.5% |
| Mark Shane Cross | $968 | $159 | -83.6% |
| Kenneth Lee Collins | $1,796 | $133 | -92.6% |
| Eric Owens | $561 | $121 | -78.4% |
| Paul Boshears | $517 | $114 | -77.9% |
| Zachary Webb | $176 | $24 | -86.4% |
| Robert M. Lowe | $1,246 | $0 | -100% |
| Paula Bridges | $2,524 | $0 | -100% |
| Crestin J Burke | $157 | $0 | -100% |
| Garry Todd Pike | $403 | $0 | -100% |
| Jonathon O'Neal | $560 | $0 | -100% |
| Sabrina L. Terry | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Susie B. Freeman | $54 | $0 | -100% |
| Vicky C. Taylor | $56 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Todd | $68 | $0 | -100% |
| Rhyne Daniel Douglas | $2,602 | $0 | -100% |
| Tracy Lynn Morgan | $220 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $260,289 | $240,232 | -7.7% |
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