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In 2021, 136 farmers in cities within Gilchrist County received a total of $4.7 million in 222 farm subsidies, a 56.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $10.7 million in 363 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simpson Acres, LLC | $382,973 | $393,027 | 2.6% |
| Simpson JR Farm, LLC | $477,211 | $393,013 | -17.6% |
| Alliance Dairies | $326,059 | $258,725 | -20.7% |
| Merry H. Simpson | $165,277 | $253,705 | 53.5% |
| Douglas E. Simpson III | $86,280 | $252,361 | 192.5% |
| Sarah Lynn Wilkerson | $400,225 | $214,508 | -46.4% |
| Makenzie Smith | $0 | $179,678 | -- |
| Alliance Grazing Group | $602,519 | $159,575 | -73.5% |
| Rachelle Philman | $288,689 | $146,083 | -49.4% |
| Keith Philman | $288,528 | $145,212 | -49.7% |
| Rita S Martin Farm, LLC | $399,733 | $135,376 | -66.1% |
| North FL Holsteins LC | $588,007 | $127,313 | -78.3% |
| Kelly J. Philman | $415,914 | $124,398 | -70.1% |
| Joshua D. Moore | $31,434 | $120,143 | 282.2% |
| Michael Wilkerson | $730,982 | $112,441 | -84.6% |
| Marcus J. Corbin | $168,448 | $98,302 | -41.6% |
| GD Watson Farms, Inc. | $20,466 | $92,370 | 351.3% |
| Rantz K. Smith | $454,100 | $91,613 | -79.8% |
| Jan R. Henderson | $84,302 | $86,898 | 3.1% |
| Katie Elizabeth Smith | $0 | $73,854 | -- |
| Austin T. Smith | $278,107 | $70,489 | -74.7% |
| Theodore P Jackanicz | $80,907 | $51,228 | -36.7% |
| 83 Farms, LLC | $208,354 | $50,897 | -75.6% |
| Frank S. Quincey | $81,744 | $48,114 | -41.1% |
| Benjamin Frank Colson | $57,952 | $44,165 | -23.8% |
| Jeffrey Mikell | $1,500 | $41,899 | 2,693.3% |
| Glory Produce, Inc. | $0 | $37,892 | -- |
| Reed Cattle Company, Inc. | $135,225 | $36,231 | -73.2% |
| Jackie Langford | $65,555 | $34,320 | -47.6% |
| B. J. Wilkerson | $365,951 | $34,249 | -90.6% |
| Nina Sue Shepherd | $75,435 | $32,911 | -56.4% |
| Trent Pridgeon | $23,997 | $32,323 | 34.7% |
| Rodney C. Watson | $36,858 | $31,530 | -14.5% |
| Shelby M. Crosby | $0 | $28,189 | -- |
| Thomas J. Harper | $107,846 | $26,992 | -75% |
| Thomas D. Jones | $39,074 | $24,869 | -36.4% |
| Stephanie M. Smith | $518,500 | $23,570 | -95.5% |
| Wendell L. Corbin | $45,487 | $23,318 | -48.7% |
| Johnson Ranch & Cattle Company | $99,462 | $22,839 | -77% |
| Adam Cook Harvesting, Inc. | $50,165 | $22,802 | -54.5% |
| W O Beauchamp Farm, Inc. | $166,194 | $22,553 | -86.4% |
| James A. Shepherd | $0 | $22,495 | -- |
| L R Thomas, Inc. | $94,864 | $20,880 | -78% |
| William A. Smith | $137,614 | $18,594 | -86.5% |
| William C. Roberts | $20,623 | $17,830 | -13.5% |
| Corliss K. Smith | $324,701 | $17,182 | -94.7% |
| Patsy J. Coyne | $23,043 | $16,966 | -26.4% |
| Jeffrey G. Beach | $138,790 | $16,250 | -88.3% |
| STS Farms, Inc. | $14,006 | $15,042 | 7.4% |
| Charles J. Townsend | $16,318 | $15,013 | -8% |
| Tracey L. Wilkinson | $16,186 | $14,839 | -8.3% |
| John C. Parrish | $65,326 | $14,735 | -77.4% |
| J & J Peanut, Inc. | $17,414 | $13,996 | -19.6% |
| Gayle W. Brown | $22,068 | $13,965 | -36.7% |
| Wilkerson B. Mathis III | $13,467 | $13,863 | 2.9% |
| Randall O. Roberts Jr. | $9,426 | $12,749 | 35.3% |
| Randall O. Roberts Sr. | $14,683 | $12,284 | -16.3% |
| Orlando E. Roberts | $13,200 | $12,134 | -8.1% |
| J & G Revocable Trust | $0 | $11,473 | -- |
| Elizabeth Watson | $12,436 | $11,441 | -8% |
| Galen T. Watson | $16,662 | $10,521 | -36.9% |
| Jerry M. Quincey | $49,597 | $10,394 | -79% |
| Rhett Watson | $13,554 | $7,840 | -42.2% |
| Jamie M. Jones | $9,735 | $7,612 | -21.8% |
| Alliance Branford, LLC | $219,310 | $6,665 | -97% |
| Michael Graham Farms, Inc. | $45,100 | $5,405 | -88% |
| Kenneth L. Moore | $6,802 | $5,349 | -21.4% |
| David L. Moore | $5,698 | $5,080 | -10.8% |
| Susan Owens | $14,537 | $5,050 | -65.3% |
| Mark E. Lundy | $7,360 | $4,580 | -37.8% |
| Ashley Cook | $0 | $4,574 | -- |
| Earl E. Jones | $9,570 | $4,498 | -53% |
| Keri a Van Aernam | $12,995 | $4,464 | -65.6% |
| Quincey Farms II, LLC | $17,020 | $4,347 | -74.5% |
| Wes C. Grant | $17,083 | $4,312 | -74.8% |
| Tillman H Swilley Estate | $26,982 | $4,192 | -84.5% |
| Robert George Rankin | $5,118 | $3,487 | -31.9% |
| ADT Farms of Florida, LLC | $23,219 | $3,223 | -86.1% |
| Heath K. Carlisle | $4,960 | $3,100 | -37.5% |
| Mark A. Bishop | $9,734 | $3,061 | -68.6% |
| Richard A. Hudson | $2,701 | $2,701 | 0% |
| Gregg Watson | $7,554 | $2,584 | -65.8% |
| Myrtle L. Roberts | $2,608 | $2,400 | -8% |
| Buford O. Langford Jr. | $220,871 | $2,397 | -98.9% |
| Julian H. Weeks | $9,779 | $2,162 | -77.9% |
| Kenneth U. Corbin | $7,535 | $1,974 | -73.8% |
| Roy Williams | $1,913 | $1,913 | 0% |
| Bradland Investment, Inc. | $2,067 | $1,900 | -8.1% |
| Grayling L Smith | $7,930 | $1,798 | -77.3% |
| Rose Grant | $4,828 | $1,711 | -64.6% |
| Wayne Beauchamp | $7,029 | $1,636 | -76.7% |
| Jason T. Gore | $8,476 | $1,621 | -80.9% |
| Ronnie F. Arrington | $0 | $1,620 | -- |
| Kathryn D. Holder | $7,570 | $1,615 | -78.7% |
| Robert Brett Winegar | $0 | $1,388 | -- |
| Doyle B. Pridgeon | $2,640 | $1,366 | -48.3% |
| Barney O. Faircloth | $6,039 | $1,342 | -77.8% |
| JTC Beef, LLC | $0 | $1,210 | -- |
| Mildred D. Culpepper | $3,224 | $1,177 | -63.5% |
| Robert Michael Rutledge | $8,733 | $1,176 | -86.5% |
| Windy C. Langford | $6,457 | $1,174 | -81.8% |
| Dale Jones | $6,010 | $1,154 | -80.8% |
| Roger Allen Mathis | $825 | $1,100 | 33.3% |
| Jason D. Jones | $4,074 | $1,052 | -74.2% |
| Johnny W. Jones | $5,148 | $1,014 | -80.3% |
| Raymond Wood | $2,706 | $1,004 | -62.9% |
| Jimmie Sheffield | $5,214 | $1,000 | -80.8% |
| Marcus F. Mitchell | $4,824 | $833 | -82.7% |
| Harry Clark Craig | $741 | $728 | -1.8% |
| Casey Mitchell | $4,604 | $650 | -85.9% |
| Gregory E. Stalvey | $2,806 | $621 | -77.9% |
| Wendell J. Wright | $1,419 | $619 | -56.4% |
| Carl Sheffield | $3,289 | $616 | -81.3% |
| Anthony C. Matthews | $1,485 | $582 | -60.8% |
| Helen T. Jordan | $0 | $575 | -- |
| Wayne O. Gothard | $1,419 | $557 | -60.7% |
| James Michael Walsh | $2,089 | $552 | -73.6% |
| Tracy D. Davis | $1,573 | $534 | -66.1% |
| Ronald Hodge | $1,023 | $532 | -48% |
| Robert G. Jordan | $2,222 | $519 | -76.6% |
| Joseph B. Brandon | $1,123 | $493 | -56.1% |
| Terrell Langford | $6,974 | $488 | -93% |
| William M. Martin | $1,221 | $474 | -61.2% |
| Owen C. Johnson | $1,320 | $443 | -66.4% |
| Judy L. Beauchamp | $803 | $316 | -60.6% |
| Jesse James Rodgers | $429 | $313 | -27% |
| Leslie E. Wooten | $759 | $304 | -59.9% |
| Thomas F. Philman | $627 | $266 | -57.6% |
| Terry Parrish | $1,287 | $266 | -79.3% |
| Jonathan Lindsey | $946 | $252 | -73.4% |
| Johnathan Hatch | $1,812 | $241 | -86.7% |
| Jennifer Lester | $0 | $147 | -- |
| Diamond 99, Inc. | $127,795 | $140 | -99.9% |
| James R. Yelvington | $323 | $103 | -68.1% |
| Nannette M. Wilkerson | $104 | $21 | -79.8% |
| Margie M. Collins | $262 | $3 | -98.9% |
| Barron's of Trenton, Inc. | $11,534 | $0 | -100% |
| Emily Mathis Sessions | $6,032 | $0 | -100% |
| Hugh D. Martin | $110,744 | $0 | -100% |
| John Rance Thomas | $57,170 | $0 | -100% |
| Lindsey Burns | $3,960 | $0 | -100% |
| Rita S. Martin | $1,212 | $0 | -100% |
| William Rodney Smith | $1,265 | $0 | -100% |
| Anita L. Jordan | $4,473 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald A. Hicks | $60,617 | $0 | -100% |
| Dukes Hay, Inc. | $218 | $0 | -100% |
| Edwin Langford | $208 | $0 | -100% |
| Emily E. Randolph | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank Hill Nurseries, LLC | $53,133 | $0 | -100% |
| Heather M. Beach | $21,833 | $0 | -100% |
| Henry J. Langford Jr. | $1,320 | $0 | -100% |
| James Thomas Frields | $77 | $0 | -100% |
| John Jones | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Lucille Swilley | $4,235 | $0 | -100% |
| Myles T. Langford | $15,763 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $10,689,535 | $4,654,837 | -56.5% |
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