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In 2021, 88 farmers in cities within Walker County received a total of $400,973 in 97 farm subsidies, a 42.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $698,330 in 196 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faith Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Ricky Freeman Sole Proprietorship | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Mason Colby Shadinger | $0 | $42,538 | -- |
| Roby Farms, LLC | $0 | $34,508 | -- |
| J G S Properties, Ltd. | $32,258 | $32,258 | 0% |
| Grace Farming Company, LLC | $55,576 | $32,240 | -42% |
| C & C Hauling, LLC | $0 | $16,188 | -- |
| Chris L. Edwards | $110,902 | $16,036 | -85.5% |
| Cade Matthew Grace | $15,616 | $8,206 | -47.5% |
| Dorman Keith Grace | $15,944 | $8,206 | -48.5% |
| James Donald Walker | $30,852 | $6,426 | -79.2% |
| Larry Dan Farris | $6,297 | $6,297 | 0% |
| Charles Dan Burton | $18,491 | $5,897 | -68.1% |
| Jeff Donaldson | $18,890 | $4,988 | -73.6% |
| Harold Wade | $20,887 | $4,416 | -78.9% |
| James H. Key | $23,612 | $4,243 | -82% |
| Ronald Dugger | $0 | $3,740 | -- |
| Rowland Farms, Inc. | $56,906 | $3,312 | -94.2% |
| Betty Underwood | $2,967 | $2,967 | 0% |
| James Dillon Miller | $11,249 | $2,846 | -74.7% |
| Bartley Wyers | $2,673 | $2,697 | 0.9% |
| Rosa Lee Haley | $8,023 | $2,668 | -66.7% |
| Chris Patton | $11,627 | $2,469 | -78.8% |
| Dustin Haley | $3,622 | $2,463 | -32% |
| Herbert Hollingsworth | $3,921 | $2,270 | -42.1% |
| Mike Rice | $7,124 | $2,156 | -69.7% |
| Johnny W. Aaron | $11,330 | $2,087 | -81.6% |
| Nicholas A. Whittemore | $3,234 | $1,962 | -39.3% |
| William L. Dutton | $12,251 | $1,934 | -84.2% |
| Tubbs Livestock Company, LLC | $19,022 | $1,887 | -90.1% |
| Carl Burton Farm | $7,507 | $1,870 | -75.1% |
| John Southard | $572 | $1,792 | 213.3% |
| Madonna Kim McCarty | $3,813 | $1,553 | -59.3% |
| Ricky Hollingsworth | $7,227 | $1,546 | -78.6% |
| John Nabors | $0 | $1,485 | -- |
| Phillip Eads | $3,597 | $1,440 | -60% |
| Michael L. Williams | $6,017 | $1,426 | -76.3% |
| Timothy A. Tate | $6,891 | $1,414 | -79.5% |
| Dennis Ray McCollum | $4,974 | $1,350 | -72.9% |
| Randy Briggs | $4,975 | $1,308 | -73.7% |
| Betty Lou Hollingsworth | $5,324 | $1,305 | -75.5% |
| Donnie McGough | $3,993 | $1,225 | -69.3% |
| Herbert D. Shumate | $3,498 | $984 | -71.9% |
| Jacky Haley | $2,336 | $899 | -61.5% |
| Andy Carl McGinnis | $3,388 | $866 | -74.4% |
| Wayne Phillips | $3,871 | $832 | -78.5% |
| Odis Nathaniel Dodson Jr. | $3,845 | $758 | -80.3% |
| Larry Ray Tidwell | $684 | $684 | 0% |
| Fredrick Lynn Parnell | $452 | $678 | 50% |
| Marnita Parnell | $452 | $678 | 50% |
| Tommy Roberts | $2,101 | $674 | -67.9% |
| Ricky Whittemore | $1,869 | $670 | -64.2% |
| Gerald Scott Aaron | $46,034 | $604 | -98.7% |
| Wesley Drake McKenzie | $0 | $604 | -- |
| Lowell Gant II | $4,059 | $577 | -85.8% |
| Ned Smith | $4,520 | $571 | -87.4% |
| Lowell Ray Gant | $3,193 | $570 | -82.1% |
| David S. Ball | $3,859 | $568 | -85.3% |
| Charlene M. Stephenson | $0 | $543 | -- |
| Anthony Allan Brown | $0 | $495 | -- |
| Justin Wayne Key | $3,989 | $473 | -88.1% |
| Andrew Brandon Walters | $3,047 | $458 | -85% |
| Douglas A. Roberts | $1,859 | $457 | -75.4% |
| Emory Wright | $1,869 | $448 | -76% |
| Jessica Lolley Gardner | $1,232 | $373 | -69.7% |
| Bruce B. Roberts | $1,810 | $363 | -79.9% |
| James E. Davidson | $1,202 | $354 | -70.5% |
| Johnathon Bradley Key | $1,628 | $346 | -78.7% |
| Thomas J. Posey | $4,034 | $338 | -91.6% |
| Anita Daugherty | $747 | $330 | -55.8% |
| Teresa Glover | $2,485 | $327 | -86.8% |
| Elizabeth Black | $1,876 | $316 | -83.2% |
| Jerry Abbott | $759 | $315 | -58.5% |
| Curtis Roby | $1,815 | $310 | -82.9% |
| Faye M. Lollar | $1,183 | $270 | -77.2% |
| Debra Tidwell | $1,507 | $256 | -83% |
| Joyce Loretta Swann | $872 | $239 | -72.6% |
| Michael Haley | $598 | $211 | -64.7% |
| Mitchell Haley | $598 | $211 | -64.7% |
| Brady M. Johnson | $972 | $200 | -79.4% |
| John D. Burkett | $1,410 | $190 | -86.5% |
| Daniel Hogue | $572 | $124 | -78.3% |
| Phillip Bozeman | $6,717 | $115 | -98.3% |
| Greg O'Mary | $341 | $110 | -67.7% |
| Debbi R. Jennings | $25 | $83 | 232% |
| Charles R. Gilliam | $530 | $69 | -87% |
| Bobbie S. McCraw | $119 | $46 | -61.3% |
| Donald J. Tucker | $909 | $17 | -98.1% |
| Ron Crumbley | $4,015 | $0 | -100% |
| James Larry York | $1,290 | $0 | -100% |
| Elvin Ingle | $174 | $0 | -100% |
| Nathan Roby | $79 | $0 | -100% |
| Andrea D. Sims | $1,166 | $0 | -100% |
| Franklin Williams | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Lucille Parnell | $452 | $0 | -100% |
| Peggy R. Wall | $2,694 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $698,330 | $400,973 | -42.6% |
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