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In 2021, 176 farmers in cities within Lee County received a total of $4.7 million in 310 farm subsidies, a 49.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $9.3 million in 515 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 Lee County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| T & T Farms | $537,118 | $631,701 | 17.6% |
| Sho-Lo Farms | $433,565 | $320,253 | -26.1% |
| Griffith Farms, LLC | $275,064 | $161,622 | -41.2% |
| Riley Anthony McRee | $109,089 | $150,849 | 38.3% |
| Century Pecan Groves, Inc. | $444,742 | $146,911 | -67% |
| Grady T Hatcher Farms, Inc. | $214,187 | $145,313 | -32.2% |
| Alex Harrell Farms, LLC | $261,929 | $144,896 | -44.7% |
| LJ Farms Partnership | $204,882 | $142,022 | -30.7% |
| Mark Wendell Israel | $224,295 | $137,960 | -38.5% |
| Emory Cornwell Webb | $159,455 | $127,215 | -20.2% |
| Harold Hobbs | $135,323 | $124,361 | -8.1% |
| Derrick L. Lewis | $361,230 | $122,029 | -66.2% |
| Harold J. Israel Jr. | $197,063 | $115,315 | -41.5% |
| Michigan Homes | $404,558 | $110,708 | -72.6% |
| Wendell Kyle Mims | $43,553 | $102,593 | 135.6% |
| K. W. Arrington | $84,201 | $99,372 | 18% |
| Jones and Carr Pecans, LLC | $0 | $87,573 | -- |
| Stephanie Arrington | $131,411 | $82,331 | -37.3% |
| Julian Fletcher Cosby Jr. | $154,029 | $81,904 | -46.8% |
| Marjorie Cornwell McRee | $95,440 | $69,840 | -26.8% |
| Jill Harrell | $78,440 | $68,092 | -13.2% |
| Rebecca Meeks Harrell | $144,729 | $65,883 | -54.5% |
| Wendell Arrington | $158,994 | $64,173 | -59.6% |
| Rodney Sherrill Harrell | $127,422 | $63,547 | -50.1% |
| Bruce Johnson Farms, LLC | $119,360 | $63,517 | -46.8% |
| Roosevelt Carter | $91,438 | $59,591 | -34.8% |
| Jar Farm Partnership | $171,004 | $57,506 | -66.4% |
| Thornton Property Management, LLC | $8,914 | $55,280 | 520.1% |
| Grebel Pecan Services, Inc. | $84,685 | $50,057 | -40.9% |
| Morris Stephen Childers | $73,530 | $49,348 | -32.9% |
| Douglas Marion Collins | $305,638 | $45,527 | -85.1% |
| Barrett Clinton | $71,544 | $42,201 | -41% |
| Jones Planting Company, LLC | $0 | $41,453 | -- |
| James G. Usry | $74,748 | $40,576 | -45.7% |
| HPS Real Estate Limited Liability Company | $0 | $40,484 | -- |
| CBP Pecans, LLC | $56,902 | $35,839 | -37% |
| Alan Ryan Johnson | $72,341 | $34,056 | -52.9% |
| Thomas Hershberger | $43,974 | $33,960 | -22.8% |
| Ray D. Williams | $34,153 | $32,710 | -4.2% |
| Chris R. McRee | $44,733 | $31,270 | -30.1% |
| Jon V. Daniel | $33,902 | $31,189 | -8% |
| George F. Gill | $16,565 | $27,113 | 63.7% |
| Harold J. Israel | $21,477 | $26,198 | 22% |
| Mcree Farms, LLC | $108,973 | $24,504 | -77.5% |
| Joseph Carl Goodin | $25,030 | $23,872 | -4.6% |
| Bernice S. Wiley | $12,937 | $22,290 | 72.3% |
| Pentahope Farms, LLC | $396,139 | $21,599 | -94.5% |
| Roy Dale Goodson | $14,854 | $20,937 | 41% |
| Kay W. Barfield | $27,351 | $17,691 | -35.3% |
| James Pond Farms | $3,828 | $15,942 | 316.5% |
| Aaron F. Cosby | $91,390 | $15,049 | -83.5% |
| L&H Farms, LLC | $38,898 | $14,093 | -63.8% |
| Jones Bros Farms | $197,862 | $13,366 | -93.2% |
| Jesse L. Batten | $23,153 | $12,690 | -45.2% |
| Kaylor Tree Farm, LLC | $12,677 | $12,677 | 0% |
| Henry H. Griffin | $60,355 | $11,518 | -80.9% |
| Marshall Properties & Investment, LLLP | $11,805 | $11,507 | -2.5% |
| Larry Dorsey | $19,642 | $11,081 | -43.6% |
| Larry Steve Hudson | $11,479 | $10,732 | -6.5% |
| William B. Akins Jr. | $10,480 | $9,984 | -4.7% |
| Frederick H. Hancock | $6,141 | $9,122 | 48.5% |
| Little H Farms, LLC | $0 | $8,084 | -- |
| Peggy S. Israel | $22,814 | $7,829 | -65.7% |
| Jesse C. Thompson | $2,313 | $7,218 | 212.1% |
| Henry R. Hatfield | $7,181 | $7,048 | -1.9% |
| T & M Brown Farms, LLC | $38,623 | $7,036 | -81.8% |
| Samuel M. Hayes | $7,848 | $6,664 | -15.1% |
| Neil Wingfield | $6,619 | $6,619 | 0% |
| Lynn Brewer | $8,743 | $6,141 | -29.8% |
| Walter D. Roland | $58,661 | $6,061 | -89.7% |
| Kurt R. Wessels | $28,513 | $5,936 | -79.2% |
| Ross Chappell | $10,144 | $5,903 | -41.8% |
| Jean W Mills-Phillips | $8,276 | $5,901 | -28.7% |
| Alvin W. Mosley | $6,681 | $5,630 | -15.7% |
| Brian Wetherald | $5,719 | $5,589 | -2.3% |
| David Thomas Goodson | $29,099 | $5,498 | -81.1% |
| James R Wilson JR Trust | $0 | $5,240 | -- |
| Tommy A. Jowers | $6,357 | $4,950 | -22.1% |
| Harris Livestock, LLC | $28,664 | $4,578 | -84% |
| LJB Properties, LLC | $4,575 | $4,526 | -1.1% |
| Glenn Hall Smith | $5,387 | $4,480 | -16.8% |
| Old South Investment Company | $4,212 | $4,212 | 0% |
| Roland Family Trust | $4,092 | $4,092 | 0% |
| Stacey W. Shiver | $3,739 | $3,934 | 5.2% |
| KWP Group, LLC | $4,826 | $3,810 | -21.1% |
| Charles H. Usry Jr. | $7,398 | $3,797 | -48.7% |
| Donna Stallings | $2,459 | $3,589 | 46% |
| William C. King | $3,993 | $3,497 | -12.4% |
| Branch Mill Properties, LLC | $3,482 | $3,482 | 0% |
| Milton H. Haynes Jr. | $3,634 | $3,461 | -4.8% |
| Kenneth Moates | $4,093 | $3,389 | -17.2% |
| William E. Butts III | $3,658 | $3,253 | -11.1% |
| Timothy L. Allen | $3,312 | $3,188 | -3.7% |
| Wallace M. Daniel | $4,345 | $3,123 | -28.1% |
| Leslie A. Kobs | $3,095 | $3,095 | 0% |
| David R. Byrd | $18,965 | $2,992 | -84.2% |
| Nicholas Smarra | $9,244 | $2,867 | -69% |
| David Beamon | $4,700 | $2,819 | -40% |
| Valerie Moates | $3,512 | $2,808 | -20% |
| Flo-Rob, Inc. | $2,795 | $2,795 | 0% |
| Sue Rawls Cornwell Estate | $2,671 | $2,671 | 0% |
| Joseph L. Powell Jr. | $2,962 | $2,445 | -17.5% |
| Maxwell Creek Farms, LLC | $936 | $2,240 | 139.3% |
| Jimmy L. Davis | $0 | $2,188 | -- |
| James Bone | $2,551 | $2,176 | -14.7% |
| Butts Farming and Services, LLC | $13,161 | $2,092 | -84.1% |
| Morris Paul Edwards | $2,025 | $2,025 | 0% |
| Colby Usry | $13,277 | $1,983 | -85.1% |
| Walker K. Johnson | $2,246 | $1,837 | -18.2% |
| Zachary S. Thaggard | $319,579 | $1,800 | -99.4% |
| Tina J. Martin | $1,905 | $1,756 | -7.8% |
| Robert B. Moss Jr. | $3,722 | $1,684 | -54.8% |
| Edward Boyd Greene | $2,426 | $1,655 | -31.8% |
| Henry Q. Scott Jr. | $3,566 | $1,632 | -54.2% |
| Jim Creamer | $2,341 | $1,619 | -30.8% |
| Lynn Smith | $1,551 | $1,551 | 0% |
| Luke Smith | $1,533 | $1,533 | 0% |
| Lera Faye Mullis Slocumb | $1,493 | $1,493 | 0% |
| Michael Farris Strickland | $1,474 | $1,474 | 0% |
| Fowltown Farms, LLC | $1,460 | $1,460 | 0% |
| Daniel Heath Odom | $7,412 | $1,367 | -81.6% |
| Karlyn Fiveash Powell | $0 | $1,306 | -- |
| Belisle Kenney Simpson Family Limited PTR | $1,282 | $1,282 | 0% |
| Cameron Hayes | $195 | $1,258 | 545.1% |
| SB Farms, LLC | $5,308 | $1,242 | -76.6% |
| BLR Farms, Inc. | $0 | $1,206 | -- |
| Patricia Y. Kirt | $726 | $1,087 | 49.7% |
| James Edwin McDowell | $1,078 | $1,078 | 0% |
| Udderly Usry Farm, LLC | $4,202 | $1,024 | -75.6% |
| John Keith Monts | $11,417 | $1,022 | -91% |
| Jack Beamon | $8,298 | $1,020 | -87.7% |
| Roland Wayne McNease | $0 | $863 | -- |
| VF Livestock, LLC | $3,674 | $810 | -78% |
| Vincent Cutts | $0 | $799 | -- |
| Victor Farms, LLC | $780 | $780 | 0% |
| Shonya Bone | $749 | $749 | 0% |
| Jackie B. Thaggard | $264,468 | $739 | -99.7% |
| John J. Glass III | $734 | $734 | 0% |
| Kim I. Glass | $734 | $734 | 0% |
| William Daniel Jr. | $1,296 | $728 | -43.8% |
| C & S Agent, LLC | $3,718 | $720 | -80.6% |
| Harold Hartley | $703 | $703 | 0% |
| Lewis Dewitt Webb | $687 | $687 | 0% |
| Mercer D. Garrett | $4,042 | $684 | -83.1% |
| Jesse Daniel | $940 | $655 | -30.3% |
| James Hayes Jr. | $649 | $649 | 0% |
| Sarah E. Reese | $649 | $649 | 0% |
| William Zachary Golden | $3,366 | $641 | -81% |
| Scott R. Sapp | $575 | $575 | 0% |
| Terry Smith | $1,157 | $533 | -53.9% |
| Donna G. Aldridge | $0 | $511 | -- |
| William V. Huff | $2,233 | $508 | -77.3% |
| John L. Leach | $1,176 | $503 | -57.2% |
| Andy Kennedy | $0 | $494 | -- |
| Edward Meeks Jr. | $1,638 | $463 | -71.7% |
| Jason Allan Bryan | $436 | $436 | 0% |
| Walter E. Hasty | $0 | $392 | -- |
| Cecil Daniel | $832 | $380 | -54.3% |
| Andrew B. Cherry | $367 | $367 | 0% |
| Jennifer Liston | $342 | $342 | 0% |
| Michael C. Steavens | $1,034 | $335 | -67.6% |
| Russell Timothy Hadley | $325 | $325 | 0% |
| Ceri Cox West | $912 | $318 | -65.1% |
| Marvin Robert McCool | $651 | $295 | -54.7% |
| Alan J. Jones | $1,551 | $267 | -82.8% |
| Hattie Rivers | $210 | $210 | 0% |
| Kevin E. Cotton | $1,424 | $203 | -85.7% |
| George Woodall | $187 | $187 | 0% |
| Holsey Farms, LLC | $28,162 | $184 | -99.3% |
| Shyron J Daniel | $226 | $181 | -19.9% |
| Eric Lee Hardy | $484 | $163 | -66.3% |
| Danny J. Daniel | $266 | $130 | -51.1% |
| Peggy S. Singletary | $1,375 | $102 | -92.6% |
| Charlotte Ann Moorehead | $123 | $95 | -22.8% |
| Jems, LLC | $279 | $76 | -72.8% |
| Joe Jimmerson | $30 | $10 | -66.7% |
| Ashley Brooke Wood | $2,915 | $0 | -100% |
| Bernie Hanratty | $1,574 | $0 | -100% |
| Bethenta Terrell | $9,130 | $0 | -100% |
| Brandon Scott More | $1,636 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles B. Tyler | $1,428 | $0 | -100% |
| Cheshire Sholar and Bryan Partners L E T Partners | $6,072 | $0 | -100% |
| Dan Griffin Properties, LLC | $5,190 | $0 | -100% |
| Doe Field Farms, LLC | $3,080 | $0 | -100% |
| Erin W. Thaggard | $255,419 | $0 | -100% |
| Felix Marbury Jr. | $91,235 | $0 | -100% |
| Flint River Produce, LLC | $145,397 | $0 | -100% |
| Forrest G. Gosa | $398 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary Phillips | $8,459 | $0 | -100% |
| H H G Properties, LLC | $41,895 | $0 | -100% |
| Houston and Pulaski Farms | $39,741 | $0 | -100% |
| Jimmie K. Strickland | $3,863 | $0 | -100% |
| Joe Clayton | $1,933 | $0 | -100% |
| John D. Wheaton | $14,728 | $0 | -100% |
| Juston Burson | $9,257 | $0 | -100% |
| Latasha Clark | $6,934 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda M. Hanner | $1,735 | $0 | -100% |
| Marcus A. Batten | $1,342 | $0 | -100% |
| Mcgee Trust | $4,809 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael R. Pitts | $7,298 | $0 | -100% |
| Pat Frank Mays | $2,303 | $0 | -100% |
| Rodney L. Brooks Jr. | $70 | $0 | -100% |
| Tracy A. Bridges | $85,776 | $0 | -100% |
| Trey Benjamin Morrison | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| William Young | $153 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Israel | $4,410 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert E. Usry | $8,499 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert W. Tucker | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $9,282,812 | $4,699,241 | -49.4% |
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