Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 37 farmers in cities within Hardin County received a total of $559,713 in 63 farm subsidies, a 1.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $568,854 in 77 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher B. Moore | $36,173 | $121,862 | 236.9% |
| Amber C. Tortorice | $172,379 | $65,766 | -61.8% |
| R & L Trucking | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| The Nature Conservancy | $48,297 | $50,000 | 3.5% |
| Craig Rocco Cure Trust | $68,659 | $46,724 | -31.9% |
| Andrew Cure | $65,677 | $36,424 | -44.5% |
| Idania H. Cure | $66,020 | $36,424 | -44.8% |
| Lee Lack | $0 | $32,012 | -- |
| Wayne Partlow | $0 | $20,078 | -- |
| Jerry Gates | $0 | $18,304 | -- |
| Danny Reneau | $32,806 | $11,741 | -64.2% |
| Charles Cecil Gore | $0 | $10,879 | -- |
| Kevin W. Johnson | $0 | $10,814 | -- |
| Immanuel Trucking | $0 | $9,286 | -- |
| Matthew Reneau | $10,647 | $8,092 | -24% |
| C&C Family Partners, Ltd. | $20,418 | $4,597 | -77.5% |
| Keith Charles Cundiff and Mary Kathryn Cundiff Joint Rvoc LV | $0 | $2,285 | -- |
| Ira Clubb | $7,993 | $2,220 | -72.2% |
| Joseph Thomas Jones Jr. | $2,211 | $1,956 | -11.5% |
| David D. Hoyt | $0 | $1,925 | -- |
| Nicole Collins | $0 | $1,866 | -- |
| Carol F. Wyatt | $2,506 | $1,862 | -25.7% |
| Lana Sue A. Drake | $5,482 | $1,804 | -67.1% |
| Darrell Craig Vogel | $1,405 | $1,405 | 0% |
| Gary Gerngross | $1,108 | $1,346 | 21.5% |
| John Carnahan | $1,307 | $1,307 | 0% |
| Tammy David | $1,307 | $1,307 | 0% |
| Charles L. Appling | $3,543 | $1,220 | -65.6% |
| Tracy Sander | $0 | $1,151 | -- |
| Guion S. Pitts | $975 | $975 | 0% |
| Debbie Wheeler | $639 | $329 | -48.5% |
| Amy Detwiler | $248 | $320 | 29% |
| Iron Manager Land & Cattle, LLC | $1,309 | $311 | -76.2% |
| Sam Bethea III | $0 | $123 | -- |
| Wayne Stupka | $140 | $57 | -59.3% |
| Diane S Zambardino | $65 | $54 | -16.9% |
| Barbara A. Ryan | $27 | $12 | -55.6% |
| Jon A. Hoyt | $1,815 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles D King | $4,655 | $0 | -100% |
| Henry Stout | $457 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank B. Lusk | $46 | $0 | -100% |
| William Klett | $10,540 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $568,854 | $559,713 | -1.6% |
Alerts Sign-up