Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 47 farmers in cities within Wise County received a total of $93,280 in 51 farm subsidies, a 63.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $254,637 in 136 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C & C Logging | $0 | $40,578 | -- |
| Elkins & Phipps Land, LLC | $7,283 | $7,283 | 0% |
| Bobby Ray Branham | $19,370 | $3,625 | -81.3% |
| James David Yeary | $13,475 | $3,450 | -74.4% |
| The Gap Cattle Company, Inc. | $15,301 | $3,370 | -78% |
| Clarence Phillips | $12,804 | $2,676 | -79.1% |
| Sandra Kay Franklin | $9,116 | $2,335 | -74.4% |
| Charlie Ramsey | $21,459 | $2,108 | -90.2% |
| Riggs Rental, LLC | $2,323 | $2,023 | -12.9% |
| Bruce Riggs | $9,786 | $1,823 | -81.4% |
| David H. Wampler | $7,193 | $1,650 | -77.1% |
| Melvin Belcher | $7,673 | $1,616 | -78.9% |
| Anthony Keith Bevins | $7,570 | $1,568 | -79.3% |
| Judy Collins | $10,098 | $1,526 | -84.9% |
| Mary Gwen Fleming | $7,057 | $1,390 | -80.3% |
| Danny Cantrell | $12,516 | $1,313 | -89.5% |
| Elmer T. Osborne Jr. | $4,616 | $1,284 | -72.2% |
| Winston Ely | $4,411 | $1,276 | -71.1% |
| Gregory D. Stanley | $4,532 | $1,060 | -76.6% |
| Larry Brett Collier | $7,237 | $964 | -86.7% |
| Oscar E. Sturgill | $6,897 | $902 | -86.9% |
| Charles Morris | $3,971 | $818 | -79.4% |
| Terry Dickenson | $3,586 | $782 | -78.2% |
| Steven Dickenson | $3,586 | $772 | -78.5% |
| Johnny H. Salyer | $0 | $702 | -- |
| Bradley S. Jett | $4,016 | $696 | -82.7% |
| Ruth Doler Price | $2,022 | $670 | -66.9% |
| Witt Associates L C | $2,124 | $607 | -71.4% |
| John Ramsey | $3,647 | $522 | -85.7% |
| Gregory Norris | $6,672 | $448 | -93.3% |
| A. C. Blevins | $1,826 | $398 | -78.2% |
| Allison Brady | $2,899 | $393 | -86.4% |
| Carson Boggs | $2,315 | $384 | -83.4% |
| Courtney Paige Slemp | $1,045 | $349 | -66.6% |
| Kenneth H. Rose | $2,052 | $284 | -86.2% |
| Clay Baker | $1,419 | $239 | -83.2% |
| Ginny Bevins | $1,854 | $218 | -88.2% |
| Willie Ray Neece | $1,197 | $204 | -83% |
| Amanda Hope Reynolds | $1,165 | $162 | -86.1% |
| Walter James Rose | $693 | $155 | -77.6% |
| Donald Clarence Gibson | $144 | $144 | 0% |
| Adam M. Wiseman | $638 | $138 | -78.4% |
| Jackie Christian Jr. | $1,256 | $100 | -92% |
| Heather Sergent | $1,189 | $94 | -92.1% |
| Edward Sturgill | $396 | $90 | -77.3% |
| Brian S. Salyer | $2,508 | $77 | -96.9% |
| Brittany Pell | $755 | $14 | -98.1% |
| Logan Franklin | $385 | $0 | -100% |
| James W. Price | $152 | $0 | -100% |
| Joshua Wayne Leonard | $148 | $0 | -100% |
| Bobbie Couch Powers | $569 | $0 | -100% |
| Joyce G. Easterling | $50 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald Dewayne Deel | $1,263 | $0 | -100% |
| Audrey M. Slemp | $737 | $0 | -100% |
| Evan Sturgill | $910 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry Cantrell | $1,734 | $0 | -100% |
| Paula Jean Meade | $484 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin G. Nicely II | $2,880 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin J. Saucier | $107 | $0 | -100% |
| Maxine Harruff | $174 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Martucci | $1,352 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $254,637 | $93,280 | -63.4% |
Alerts Sign-up