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In 2021, 58 farmers in cities within Perry County received a total of $228,008 in 84 farm subsidies, a 56% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $517,901 in 202 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Logging., LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| John Floyd | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Timothy Byrd | $85,082 | $18,101 | -78.7% |
| Craig Byrd | $37,921 | $12,125 | -68% |
| Mike Southall | $48,732 | $10,238 | -79% |
| Kevin N. Grinder | $44,727 | $10,039 | -77.6% |
| Chris Hickerson | $27,160 | $8,679 | -68% |
| Larry Clifton | $20,868 | $4,894 | -76.5% |
| William Dickey Bastin | $18,405 | $4,791 | -74% |
| Lofton Cotton | $10,904 | $3,696 | -66.1% |
| Randy MacKin | $3,576 | $3,230 | -9.7% |
| Charles A. Ulmer | $8,744 | $2,871 | -67.2% |
| Michael Hickerson | $7,778 | $2,515 | -67.7% |
| Terry Skelton | $23,028 | $2,441 | -89.4% |
| Chris Qualls | $6,831 | $2,130 | -68.8% |
| Grant Skelton | $15,224 | $1,922 | -87.4% |
| David Weatherly | $0 | $1,815 | -- |
| Bobby K. Hickerson | $13,107 | $1,802 | -86.3% |
| Tessa Hedgepath | $1,779 | $1,779 | 0% |
| Steve Averett | $3,399 | $1,652 | -51.4% |
| Kenneth J. Holder | $1,570 | $1,570 | 0% |
| Larry W. Acree | $7,758 | $1,534 | -80.2% |
| Jerry Roach | $8,044 | $1,504 | -81.3% |
| Elizabeth H. Tiller | $8,043 | $1,500 | -81.4% |
| Phillip L. Smith | $5,995 | $1,391 | -76.8% |
| Jack Tatum | $3,883 | $1,376 | -64.6% |
| Rex J. Donaldson | $8,607 | $1,284 | -85.1% |
| Holder Family Revocable Trust | $5,487 | $1,276 | -76.7% |
| Robert E. Flippo | $3,723 | $1,108 | -70.2% |
| Kristie L. Rhodes | $1,536 | $1,089 | -29.1% |
| Wenona Stark | $4,305 | $950 | -77.9% |
| William L. Stofel Jr. | $4,532 | $918 | -79.7% |
| John Hue Carroll | $3,563 | $836 | -76.5% |
| Jerry Cotham | $3,718 | $833 | -77.6% |
| Chad Richardson | $4,118 | $816 | -80.2% |
| Daniel Merriman | $3,443 | $792 | -77% |
| Billy O. Tarkington | $3,131 | $753 | -76% |
| Gregory G. Hinson | $3,564 | $714 | -80% |
| Mary Erskin | $1,664 | $704 | -57.7% |
| Jackie Byrd | $3,501 | $691 | -80.3% |
| Ben E. Carroll | $2,717 | $640 | -76.4% |
| Michael B. Smith | $2,785 | $620 | -77.7% |
| Randall Dailey | $3,190 | $592 | -81.4% |
| Eric Hickerson | $4,420 | $534 | -87.9% |
| James L. Edney | $2,431 | $474 | -80.5% |
| Rita Grow | $447 | $447 | 0% |
| Kenneth Salhany | $892 | $439 | -50.8% |
| Kevin Wayne Acree | $2,331 | $402 | -82.8% |
| Danny Rosson | $924 | $380 | -58.9% |
| Robert N. Tucker | $1,617 | $302 | -81.3% |
| Wess F. Ward | $627 | $266 | -57.6% |
| David Jarrod Richardson | $968 | $229 | -76.3% |
| Lincoln Brewer | $638 | $194 | -69.6% |
| Rebecca L. Travis | $84 | $135 | 60.7% |
| Tucker Glenn Southall | $9,478 | $126 | -98.7% |
| Susan L. Hall | $2,019 | $106 | -94.7% |
| Gene Strickland | $727 | $8 | -98.9% |
| Rex Patterson | $291 | $5 | -98.3% |
| Brent Hinson | $210 | $0 | -100% |
| Dakota Qualls | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| David Horner | $405 | $0 | -100% |
| David Richardson | $67 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Clark | $74 | $0 | -100% |
| Graham and Richardson | $694 | $0 | -100% |
| James Brian Moore | $505 | $0 | -100% |
| Janet Pevahouse | $7 | $0 | -100% |
| Jim Volner | $183 | $0 | -100% |
| Johnny J. Skelton | $286 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Horner | $150 | $0 | -100% |
| Patricia F. Smith | $161 | $0 | -100% |
| Randy Hensley | $98 | $0 | -100% |
| Samuel A. Grow | $40 | $0 | -100% |
| Tara H. Bell | $237 | $0 | -100% |
| William Garcia | $1,612 | $0 | -100% |
| Billie Frances Roberts G. S. Jones | $204 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Smith | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Don Washburn | $1,271 | $0 | -100% |
| Francis Strong | $3,228 | $0 | -100% |
| Joe F. May | $1,847 | $0 | -100% |
| Marsha Whitehead | $53 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald Whitehead | $1,323 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $517,901 | $228,008 | -56% |
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