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In 2021, 56 farmers in cities within Roanoke city received a total of $291,068 in 79 farm subsidies, a 59.3% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $715,420 in 139 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justice Farms of North Carolina, LLC | $0 | $142,915 | -- |
| Ned B. Jeter | $92,857 | $35,250 | -62% |
| First Bank & Trust Company | $0 | $14,782 | -- |
| ADR Cattle Company, LLC | $65,382 | $14,685 | -77.5% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity Credit Corporation | $0 | $12,539 | -- |
| Deatherage Homestead Farms, Inc. | $27,212 | $10,622 | -61% |
| Julia Alys Nash | $1,206 | $8,467 | 602.1% |
| Mary Ann Kraige | $0 | $6,600 | -- |
| Edward J Bagliani | $5,016 | $5,016 | 0% |
| Mustin Capital Management & Consultant Group, LLC | $0 | $4,713 | -- |
| Hunter Lance Barker | $13,735 | $2,809 | -79.5% |
| Mary Jane Pattisall | $2,729 | $2,729 | 0% |
| Mark A. Laughon | $7,862 | $2,522 | -67.9% |
| Myrtle W. Seibel | $16,576 | $2,426 | -85.4% |
| Audrey N. Poage | $10,564 | $2,350 | -77.8% |
| Gail W. Durham | $3,069 | $1,446 | -52.9% |
| David J. Poage | $13,039 | $1,318 | -89.9% |
| Idylwild Farm, LLC | $1,116 | $1,116 | 0% |
| Lester O. Spradlin | $5,182 | $1,062 | -79.5% |
| Charlotte S. Wilson | $4,592 | $948 | -79.4% |
| Callis Farms, LLC | $2,090 | $937 | -55.2% |
| Isaac R. Cockfield Jr. | $3,861 | $869 | -77.5% |
| Cate Creek Farms, LLC | $850 | $850 | 0% |
| John A. Montgomery | $1,676 | $783 | -53.3% |
| Sue Ann M. Blades | $1,660 | $783 | -52.8% |
| Allen Properties, LLC | $775 | $775 | 0% |
| Sharon Sue Curme | $1,898 | $720 | -62.1% |
| John M. Bowman | $4,742 | $692 | -85.4% |
| Pleasant Grove of Botetourt, LLC | $681 | $681 | 0% |
| Gary K. Ferguson | $3,378 | $678 | -79.9% |
| Mollie G. Stanley | $2,808 | $676 | -75.9% |
| Harris Family Farms, LLC | $3,007 | $630 | -79% |
| Rocky Ridge Farms, LLC. | $4,692 | $610 | -87% |
| Roger C. Moorman | $4,529 | $598 | -86.8% |
| William J. Lemon | $412 | $562 | 36.4% |
| Debra Cox Frye | $2,200 | $540 | -75.5% |
| Bullpasture, LLC | $486 | $486 | 0% |
| Larry W. Dancy | $0 | $406 | -- |
| Ann Broadhurst Roseman | $223 | $401 | 79.8% |
| William Davis Broadhurst | $223 | $401 | 79.8% |
| Stephen Edward Milam | $300 | $400 | 33.3% |
| Michael W. Christley | $1,287 | $346 | -73.1% |
| Jean Spencer Parks | $0 | $317 | -- |
| Michael B. Meyer | $726 | $296 | -59.2% |
| Voleta L Meyer | $726 | $296 | -59.2% |
| Forrest E. Sloan | $902 | $281 | -68.8% |
| Jennifer M. Arrington | $0 | $275 | -- |
| Donald L. Cass | $1,032 | $263 | -74.5% |
| Jerry W. Hubbard | $1,111 | $258 | -76.8% |
| Bryan W. Tribbett | $1,743 | $242 | -86.1% |
| Sandra O. Whitfield | $0 | $231 | -- |
| Mildred W. Hubbard | $748 | $154 | -79.4% |
| Nicholas H. Beasley | $0 | $141 | -- |
| Alan Carson Turner | $136 | $136 | 0% |
| Charles Chattin | $26 | $26 | 0% |
| James A. Sawyer | $0 | $13 | -- |
| Daniel L. Norwood | $734 | $0 | -100% |
| David Williams | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald L. Carter | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $5,025 | $0 | -100% |
| George Andrew Seibel | $8,465 | $0 | -100% |
| Hatchett Farms, Inc. | $1,429 | $0 | -100% |
| Helen Haverland | $221 | $0 | -100% |
| John H. Huffman | $1,540 | $0 | -100% |
| John R. Turman | $2,530 | $0 | -100% |
| Joshua David Poage | $8,344 | $0 | -100% |
| Justice Farms of North Carolina | $357,894 | $0 | -100% |
| Lance M. Hale | $110 | $0 | -100% |
| Miller Living Trust | $795 | $0 | -100% |
| Mustin Capital Management & Consu | $4,713 | $0 | -100% |
| Philip Schuck | $1,100 | $0 | -100% |
| Ray Galloway | $58 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan Taylor Lynch-Doughton | $550 | $0 | -100% |
| The Melvin C and Carol L Williams Rev Family Trustee | $977 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $715,420 | $291,068 | -59.3% |
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