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In 2021, 229 farmers in cities within Orange County received a total of $2.6 million in 386 farm subsidies, a 71.8% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $9.3 million in 802 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 Orange County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springer Brothers Farms, LLC | $154,215 | $255,838 | 65.9% |
| Thomas M. Gray | $0 | $188,179 | -- |
| Phillip Easterday Jr. | $441,786 | $183,652 | -58.4% |
| Hackney Farms Corporation | $382,359 | $130,215 | -65.9% |
| RVF Land, Corp. | $430,869 | $126,075 | -70.7% |
| Lee W. Gerkin | $267,459 | $89,748 | -66.4% |
| Linda Kay Gerkin | $266,754 | $88,026 | -67% |
| Larry Thomas | $173,222 | $71,120 | -58.9% |
| DJM, Inc. | $75,160 | $65,470 | -12.9% |
| Cooper Farms, LLC | $123,348 | $54,684 | -55.7% |
| Mark Morin Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Pridemore Farms, LLC | $121,043 | $45,928 | -62.1% |
| Douglas Hackney | $102,368 | $44,002 | -57% |
| Danny Easterday | $142,033 | $39,960 | -71.9% |
| Clark Love | $92,354 | $37,898 | -59% |
| Ben Reynolds & Sons, LLC | $221,359 | $36,619 | -83.5% |
| Ronald Holsapple | $101,701 | $32,266 | -68.3% |
| Billy A. Rominger II | $163,521 | $31,815 | -80.5% |
| Ross Farms, LLC | $109,940 | $29,410 | -73.2% |
| DWR Farm, LLC | $130,167 | $29,271 | -77.5% |
| Robert Holsapple | $97,651 | $29,261 | -70% |
| Larry Cadle | $60,552 | $29,022 | -52.1% |
| Danny R. Cadle | $114,514 | $28,179 | -75.4% |
| Lost River Cattle, LLC | $77,639 | $26,301 | -66.1% |
| Bill Rominger | $89,417 | $26,100 | -70.8% |
| Marshall Management, LLC | $25,614 | $25,614 | 0% |
| Danny Orr | $47,007 | $25,180 | -46.4% |
| Harry Bledsoe | $94,161 | $24,583 | -73.9% |
| Lindsey Farms, LLC | $34,202 | $23,797 | -30.4% |
| Hall & Hall Farms, LLC | $74,522 | $23,208 | -68.9% |
| Ralph E. Wininger | $20,555 | $20,555 | 0% |
| Josh Tincher | $73,756 | $20,243 | -72.6% |
| County Line, Inc. | $19,578 | $19,578 | 0% |
| John R. Cornwell | $52,054 | $18,832 | -63.8% |
| Gerald W. Jackson | $64,212 | $18,802 | -70.7% |
| Kenneth L. Cornwell | $73,425 | $18,308 | -75.1% |
| Roger D. Robinson | $63,100 | $17,437 | -72.4% |
| Bob Hudelson | $26,902 | $17,410 | -35.3% |
| Ralph Limp | $21,713 | $16,867 | -22.3% |
| Howard Springer Farms, Inc. | $57,439 | $16,628 | -71.1% |
| Jan E. Brown | $32,464 | $16,499 | -49.2% |
| Scott Lowe | $41,399 | $16,382 | -60.4% |
| Stewart Gerkin | $67,520 | $15,440 | -77.1% |
| Mary Alice Burton | $15,143 | $15,143 | 0% |
| Smokie Weeks | $4,933 | $14,985 | 203.8% |
| The Martha Geneva Dorsam Irrevocable Living Trust | $15,055 | $14,227 | -5.5% |
| Hager Farms, LLC | $53,488 | $13,997 | -73.8% |
| Beth Ann Hall | $12,567 | $12,567 | 0% |
| Stephen L. Brown | $28,026 | $12,172 | -56.6% |
| Loran B. Wilson | $42,620 | $11,883 | -72.1% |
| Easterday Brothers Grain | $89,514 | $11,231 | -87.5% |
| Dennis B. Tincher | $46,686 | $10,809 | -76.8% |
| Sam Condra | $10,126 | $10,207 | 0.8% |
| Joel R. Newlin | $38,263 | $10,159 | -73.4% |
| Pumpkin Center Farms | $15,022 | $9,799 | -34.8% |
| Linda Buchanan | $9,693 | $9,693 | 0% |
| Easterday Agriculture, LLC | $0 | $9,127 | -- |
| Frank Shelton Kaiser | $17,721 | $9,058 | -48.9% |
| Paul L. Noblitt | $8,806 | $8,806 | 0% |
| Micah J. Gray | $0 | $8,527 | -- |
| Jeremy Andrew Smith | $31,280 | $8,260 | -73.6% |
| Sulphur Creek Valley Farms, LLC | $39,171 | $8,179 | -79.1% |
| Carol Sue Mccart Living Trust | $8,077 | $8,077 | 0% |
| Nicholas Fleenor | $9,524 | $8,019 | -15.8% |
| HC Land Management C/0 Aaron Johnson, LLC | $22,235 | $7,918 | -64.4% |
| James C Tucker-Jas C Tucker Rt-10x Land RT | $7,497 | $7,525 | 0.4% |
| Ruben Whitfield | $17,010 | $7,204 | -57.6% |
| Donald J. Emmons | $8,609 | $7,034 | -18.3% |
| Scott R. Daugherty | $25,597 | $6,848 | -73.2% |
| Crandall Farms, LLC | $23,935 | $6,627 | -72.3% |
| Barry Daugherty | $16,214 | $6,536 | -59.7% |
| Gerald B. Brim | $12,260 | $5,502 | -55.1% |
| Rebecca C. Owen | $0 | $5,473 | -- |
| Verneice E Lindley | $0 | $5,423 | -- |
| Michael Cheatham | $5,765 | $5,358 | -7.1% |
| Joan Gerkin | $6,532 | $5,350 | -18.1% |
| Tim Busick | $13,361 | $5,279 | -60.5% |
| Ben Reynolds | $5,541 | $5,028 | -9.3% |
| H. R. Stevens | $5,074 | $4,970 | -2% |
| Wilbur Bennett | $14,250 | $4,722 | -66.9% |
| Launie Radtke | $4,312 | $4,373 | 1.4% |
| Ralstons Farm, Inc. | $4,335 | $4,335 | 0% |
| Gary W. Busick | $13,046 | $4,199 | -67.8% |
| Jason McGill | $4,135 | $4,135 | 0% |
| Greg Goller | $17,188 | $4,094 | -76.2% |
| Frank L. Friedman | $10,811 | $3,909 | -63.8% |
| Robert C Flick-Robert C Flick Living Trust | $8,599 | $3,802 | -55.8% |
| David Hackney | $8,270 | $3,742 | -54.8% |
| Christopher a Burger | $23,842 | $3,564 | -85.1% |
| Vance Elliott | $3,306 | $3,306 | 0% |
| Cattle Creek Farm | $14,832 | $3,215 | -78.3% |
| William K Reynolds-Wjr, LLC | $0 | $3,179 | -- |
| Cooper Cattle Company, LLC | $16,909 | $3,040 | -82% |
| Kay Rafferty | $3,332 | $3,036 | -8.9% |
| Stanley Hall | $11,748 | $2,974 | -74.7% |
| Ruth Holsapple | $5,752 | $2,723 | -52.7% |
| Reita A. Nicholson | $2,696 | $2,696 | 0% |
| Sheila Buchanan | $9,969 | $2,635 | -73.6% |
| Richard Keller | $5,985 | $2,629 | -56.1% |
| Alan D. Kelly | $11,022 | $2,622 | -76.2% |
| James B. Daugherty | $10,698 | $2,607 | -75.6% |
| Bennett Northwest Farms, LLC | $2,564 | $2,564 | 0% |
| Jim R. Wells | $7,859 | $2,495 | -68.3% |
| Daniel M. Springer | $2,400 | $2,400 | 0% |
| Michael J. Lowe | $13,107 | $2,299 | -82.5% |
| Michael Gray | $9,579 | $2,291 | -76.1% |
| William F. Verkamp | $2,267 | $2,267 | 0% |
| Kelly Daugherty | $2,227 | $2,227 | 0% |
| John Bosley | $3,951 | $2,196 | -44.4% |
| Richard E. Packard | $9,699 | $2,138 | -78% |
| Richard E. Packard II | $9,697 | $2,131 | -78% |
| Paul C. McIntosh | $20,730 | $2,013 | -90.3% |
| Mark Nicol | $2,005 | $2,005 | 0% |
| Joe Taylor | $3,247 | $1,861 | -42.7% |
| Roger Lankford | $10,592 | $1,858 | -82.5% |
| Larry Gilstrap | $11,098 | $1,818 | -83.6% |
| Ronald E. Hess | $15,034 | $1,763 | -88.3% |
| Michael Paul Burton | $1,740 | $1,740 | 0% |
| Katelyn Gardner | $10,587 | $1,713 | -83.8% |
| Steve Hawkins | $4,649 | $1,696 | -63.5% |
| Duane E Radcliffe Trust | $1,672 | $1,672 | 0% |
| Lola S Taylor Living Trust | $2,766 | $1,409 | -49.1% |
| Scott Whalin | $1,358 | $1,358 | 0% |
| Danny Hudelson | $1,324 | $1,324 | 0% |
| Tawnya Daugherty | $1,290 | $1,290 | 0% |
| Wm Fred Sizemore | $1,266 | $1,266 | 0% |
| Russell W. Lane | $5,559 | $1,246 | -77.6% |
| Christy Kloss | $1,229 | $1,229 | 0% |
| William A. Magner | $1,586 | $1,210 | -23.7% |
| Steven L. Wynn | $4,178 | $1,199 | -71.3% |
| Rudy E. Freeman | $9,100 | $1,192 | -86.9% |
| Walton Farm, LLC | $4,290 | $1,151 | -73.2% |
| Douglas Walton | $4,103 | $1,106 | -73% |
| Joseph R. Stackhouse | $3,740 | $1,097 | -70.7% |
| Ronald J. Taylor | $1,081 | $1,081 | 0% |
| Matthew Banks | $2,403 | $1,057 | -56% |
| Jay F. Strauss | $1,053 | $1,053 | 0% |
| Sherry Strauss | $1,053 | $1,053 | 0% |
| Dennis Ray Nicholson | $1,048 | $1,048 | 0% |
| Patti Tinkle | $1,048 | $1,048 | 0% |
| Paul David Nicholson | $1,048 | $1,048 | 0% |
| Barry Wilson | $4,085 | $1,035 | -74.7% |
| Mary Lou Penrod | $1,024 | $1,024 | 0% |
| Charles Lindley | $1,013 | $1,013 | 0% |
| Colton Reynolds | $3,153 | $1,012 | -67.9% |
| Archer Farm Partnership | $5,637 | $997 | -82.3% |
| Gerry Daugherty | $5,255 | $975 | -81.4% |
| Dorothy K and James H Phillips, LLC | $2,324 | $970 | -58.3% |
| John R. Burton | $2,567 | $961 | -62.6% |
| Mark Springer | $2,902 | $959 | -67% |
| Wayne Dalton | $0 | $951 | -- |
| Bonnie McIntosh | $6,078 | $947 | -84.4% |
| Evan Hall | $7,559 | $922 | -87.8% |
| David Daugherty | $2,530 | $898 | -64.5% |
| Thomas F. Williams | $5,665 | $869 | -84.7% |
| John K. Engler | $3,168 | $856 | -73% |
| Drake Farm, LLC | $6,228 | $810 | -87% |
| David L. Burton | $5,646 | $799 | -85.8% |
| John H. Lindley Jr. | $4,969 | $790 | -84.1% |
| Leon Gilstrap | $10,164 | $776 | -92.4% |
| Marvin Lee Hardman | $3,839 | $720 | -81.2% |
| Living Roots, Inc. | $5,595 | $684 | -87.8% |
| John W. Fountain II | $4,656 | $660 | -85.8% |
| Lisa Tincher | $655 | $655 | 0% |
| Bobby E. Busick | $1,048 | $632 | -39.7% |
| Charles Jackson | $645 | $632 | -2% |
| John R. Tarr | $4,491 | $619 | -86.2% |
| Morris D. Bennett | $2,214 | $586 | -73.5% |
| Vernon Scott Crews | $2,768 | $571 | -79.4% |
| Charles W Crecelius-Charles & Retha Crecelius Trust | $3,015 | $569 | -81.1% |
| Brent M. Brown | $2,365 | $567 | -76% |
| Thelma Boyer | $1,039 | $548 | -47.3% |
| Daniel Robinson | $1,039 | $547 | -47.4% |
| Brenda Whitfield | $1,931 | $530 | -72.6% |
| Amos McAdams | $2,810 | $510 | -81.9% |
| Glenda M. Lindley | $493 | $493 | 0% |
| Sherry L. Williams | $3,336 | $482 | -85.6% |
| Charles Johnson | $1,892 | $474 | -74.9% |
| William J. Mathers | $3,905 | $461 | -88.2% |
| Maurice Dewane Benefiel | $4,566 | $460 | -89.9% |
| Samuel Holland | $1,089 | $446 | -59% |
| Mary L Vennekotter | $0 | $444 | -- |
| Roy Halbert Farm, LLC | $430 | $430 | 0% |
| Robert G. Wolfington | $3,619 | $405 | -88.8% |
| Gary L. Cheatham | $794 | $397 | -50% |
| John D. Cheatham | $794 | $397 | -50% |
| Jamie S. Wires | $17,332 | $394 | -97.7% |
| Jeff Fischer | $843 | $392 | -53.5% |
| Adam Daugherty | $1,903 | $391 | -79.5% |
| Phillip B. Daugherty | $1,034 | $376 | -63.6% |
| Windy Ridge Farm, Inc. | $368 | $368 | 0% |
| Martha A. Gallion | $1,165 | $355 | -69.5% |
| Eric Hawkins | $1,639 | $350 | -78.6% |
| Leon Wineinger | $1,375 | $337 | -75.5% |
| Jim Oakley | $1,947 | $330 | -83.1% |
| Tim Scott | $1,672 | $328 | -80.4% |
| Charles Cissell | $1,573 | $326 | -79.3% |
| Frentz Farms, LLC | $316 | $316 | 0% |
| William H. Williams | $825 | $308 | -62.7% |
| Barbara N. Thompson | $951 | $307 | -67.7% |
| Kathy Blanton | $2,014 | $300 | -85.1% |
| Mary Carolyn Brinegar | $5,863 | $296 | -95% |
| Roger A. Robinson | $2,324 | $293 | -87.4% |
| Stephenson Farms, LLC | $279 | $279 | 0% |
| Shawn Tate | $64 | $276 | 331.3% |
| Bob Hounshell | $1,444 | $269 | -81.4% |
| Robert Watts | $261 | $261 | 0% |
| Owen D. Simpson | $4,661 | $252 | -94.6% |
| Uphill Farms, LLC | $7,729 | $248 | -96.8% |
| Jason Castro | $247 | $247 | 0% |
| Judy Walters | $336 | $243 | -27.7% |
| Tyler Love | $1,875 | $242 | -87.1% |
| Angela K. Beavers | $1,019 | $223 | -78.1% |
| Walter C. Freeman | $1,276 | $211 | -83.5% |
| Darwin Beck | $1,336 | $193 | -85.6% |
| Raymond S. Moffatt | $1,620 | $186 | -88.5% |
| Matthew Jones | $424 | $127 | -70% |
| Moon Farms, LLC | $0 | $126 | -- |
| Fern Carter | $2,211 | $123 | -94.4% |
| Ryan D. Daugherty | $743 | $118 | -84.1% |
| Robert Stine | $984 | $107 | -89.1% |
| Patrick Hall | $1,743 | $106 | -93.9% |
| O Carolyn Barnett Trust | $323 | $97 | -70% |
| John W. Love | $656 | $80 | -87.8% |
| Callie Coulter | $1,295 | $73 | -94.4% |
| Rebecca Gardner | $67 | $67 | 0% |
| Sarah Ann Badger | $1,186 | $56 | -95.3% |
| Brack Coulter | $159 | $15 | -90.6% |
| Summer Hudelson | $212 | $11 | -94.8% |
| Betty Lou Radtke | $454 | $0 | -100% |
| Breitwieser Farm, LLC | $303 | $0 | -100% |
| Doug McClure | $902 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric Dean Morris | $1,305 | $0 | -100% |
| Leon Toliver | $1,008 | $0 | -100% |
| Margaret Mangus | $115 | $0 | -100% |
| Sheryl A. Denney | $898 | $0 | -100% |
| Adam M. Hill | $25,854 | $0 | -100% |
| Brooke Hill | $707 | $0 | -100% |
| Carolyn R. Huffman | $2,409 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Cessna | $7,347 | $0 | -100% |
| Evelyn R. Noblitt | $320 | $0 | -100% |
| Forrest O. Lindley | $6,035 | $0 | -100% |
| Greg & Rita Noble Properties, LLC | $10,813 | $0 | -100% |
| Jack R. Shipley | $3,881 | $0 | -100% |
| Jc Hall | $771 | $0 | -100% |
| Kristopher R. Dillard | $238 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry D. Cooper | $827 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary Frances Moon | $5,494 | $0 | -100% |
| Philip A. McBride | $709 | $0 | -100% |
| Phillip Easterday Rev Trustee | $86,100 | $0 | -100% |
| Riverview Farms, Inc. | $3,000,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Roy Lee Rutherford | $5,388 | $0 | -100% |
| Shanna Johnson | $105 | $0 | -100% |
| Shannon McBride | $2,353 | $0 | -100% |
| Terry E. Kimble | $9,904 | $0 | -100% |
| Andrew M. Mahler | $2,337 | $0 | -100% |
| Brad Cooper | $385 | $0 | -100% |
| Christopher Cornwell | $937 | $0 | -100% |
| Dan King | $220 | $0 | -100% |
| Glen Bosley | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Howard Springer | $9,846 | $0 | -100% |
| James B. Adams | $330 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry R. Moore | $844 | $0 | -100% |
| Meadowview, Inc. | $1,065 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen Free | $2,255 | $0 | -100% |
| Bradley Archer | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry D Purlee Living Trust Agreement | $711 | $0 | -100% |
| Lori Orr | $339 | $0 | -100% |
| Roberta Lee Condra | $261 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $9,303,932 | $2,625,912 | -71.8% |
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