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In 2021, 64 farmers in cities within Gallatin County received a total of $287,060 in 107 farm subsidies, an 82.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.7 million in 223 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asa Phillips | $165,491 | $57,797 | -65.1% |
| Smithfield Farms, Inc. | $60,331 | $27,351 | -54.7% |
| Steven Bond | $30,503 | $27,231 | -10.7% |
| Eddie McCord | $51,422 | $17,481 | -66% |
| Brian Doolin | $37,457 | $17,472 | -53.4% |
| Jonathan Berkshire | $25,895 | $15,861 | -38.7% |
| Danny Bond | $38,054 | $13,420 | -64.7% |
| Zachary McCord | $31,167 | $13,219 | -57.6% |
| John True | $22,893 | $11,511 | -49.7% |
| J. T. Olds | $23,047 | $6,691 | -71% |
| Vic B. Satchwell | $125,979 | $5,646 | -95.5% |
| Doug Parker | $30,880 | $4,718 | -84.7% |
| Larkin R. Legrand | $0 | $4,433 | -- |
| Joe W. Smith | $10,376 | $4,387 | -57.7% |
| Lafe Smith JR | $10,376 | $4,387 | -57.7% |
| Jones Brothers Farms, LLC | $271,693 | $4,221 | -98.4% |
| Neal O. O'Connor | $18,796 | $3,919 | -79.1% |
| Jamie Bond | $7,265 | $3,779 | -48% |
| John Tuggle | $9,970 | $3,587 | -64% |
| Brad Whobrey | $9,729 | $3,116 | -68% |
| Gary Richardson | $7,285 | $3,092 | -57.6% |
| Richard Ackermann, D.M.D. | $9,328 | $2,539 | -72.8% |
| Jimmy Holder | $5,433 | $2,059 | -62.1% |
| Hardin Lowe | $8,348 | $1,968 | -76.4% |
| Todd Holder | $10,061 | $1,896 | -81.2% |
| Terry Patterson | $6,500 | $1,732 | -73.4% |
| Christopher J. Redden | $9,315 | $1,701 | -81.7% |
| David B. Jacoby | $969 | $1,503 | 55.1% |
| Jason Lowe | $8,134 | $1,302 | -84% |
| James Farrar | $8,429 | $1,272 | -84.9% |
| Katie Burlew | $3,289 | $1,103 | -66.5% |
| Kenny French | $7,024 | $1,034 | -85.3% |
| James Craig | $3,308 | $794 | -76% |
| Wm T. Craig | $3,253 | $786 | -75.8% |
| Abram Prescott Phillips | $5,836 | $776 | -86.7% |
| John Pittman | $3,675 | $724 | -80.3% |
| Eliezer Toussaint | $0 | $715 | -- |
| John H. Merryman | $3,387 | $696 | -79.5% |
| Bradley Noel | $3,344 | $680 | -79.7% |
| Chester Couch | $0 | $660 | -- |
| Larry Lewis | $2,596 | $659 | -74.6% |
| Kathleen M. Gibson | $3,434 | $614 | -82.1% |
| Bill Vaske | $3,725 | $612 | -83.6% |
| Gary Lillard | $2,479 | $606 | -75.6% |
| David Mikel | $3,228 | $574 | -82.2% |
| Edward Brown | $2,396 | $568 | -76.3% |
| Jacob D. Stotz | $1,055 | $566 | -46.4% |
| Danny Wilson | $4,589 | $542 | -88.2% |
| Carl a Domaschko JR | $990 | $528 | -46.7% |
| Wayne Tuggle | $2,431 | $501 | -79.4% |
| Edith Gabbard | $2,787 | $498 | -82.1% |
| Randel Cozine | $3,138 | $480 | -84.7% |
| Donnie Whobrey | $2,023 | $445 | -78% |
| Robert G. Columbia II | $1,874 | $426 | -77.3% |
| Lawson Beach | $1,301 | $368 | -71.7% |
| Robert B. Weldon | $720 | $338 | -53.1% |
| Gary W. Hamilton | $1,811 | $302 | -83.3% |
| Steven W. Gregory | $2,493 | $297 | -88.1% |
| Troy Beach | $2,206 | $296 | -86.6% |
| Greta Lewis | $2,074 | $222 | -89.3% |
| Matthew Mikel | $605 | $158 | -73.9% |
| Chris True | $162 | $116 | -28.4% |
| Bruce True | $55 | $50 | -9.1% |
| Diane Steffen | $0 | $35 | -- |
| Anthony A. Beach | $3,125 | $0 | -100% |
| Emily G Lofald | $6,896 | $0 | -100% |
| J. L. Davis | $1,161 | $0 | -100% |
| Kyle C. Beach | $1,576 | $0 | -100% |
| Northern Kentucky Greenhouse and Supply, Inc. | $500,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy C. Bond | $3,113 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary Hedrick | $1,248 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,653,533 | $287,060 | -82.6% |
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