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In 2021, 131 farmers in cities within Shelby County received a total of $890,963 in 173 farm subsidies, a 51.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.8 million in 347 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coosa Valley Sod Farm, LLC | $0 | $116,417 | -- |
| Sunbelt Sod Company, LLC | $0 | $106,521 | -- |
| Luke Smith | $293,956 | $71,822 | -75.6% |
| Shelby Sod Company, Inc. | $0 | $56,675 | -- |
| Jerry Odom Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Jerry Spates | $121,601 | $48,860 | -59.8% |
| Paul Smith | $129,365 | $46,853 | -63.8% |
| Stanley W. McCranie | $111,927 | $37,052 | -66.9% |
| Grey McCranie | $99,060 | $33,020 | -66.7% |
| Bailey Brake Farm, Inc. | $28,440 | $28,440 | 0% |
| Tarrow Hill Farm, LLC | $72,743 | $27,595 | -62.1% |
| Barber Family Farm, LLC | $72,501 | $25,669 | -64.6% |
| George Carey Kendrick | $13,659 | $23,720 | 73.7% |
| Pocobo Farms, LLC | $18,421 | $18,420 | -0% |
| Dennis Robertson | $56,533 | $16,968 | -70% |
| Creswell Enterprises, LLC | $51,383 | $16,685 | -67.5% |
| James B. Smith | $42,277 | $14,306 | -66.2% |
| Claude Slaughter | $32,174 | $10,151 | -68.4% |
| Marla Parker | $20,031 | $8,645 | -56.8% |
| Lawler and Son Farm, LLC | $24,714 | $7,847 | -68.2% |
| Donald Carl Smith II | $8,037 | $7,813 | -2.8% |
| Donald R. Miller | $6,872 | $6,575 | -4.3% |
| Walter Mark Boulware | $4,776 | $4,772 | -0.1% |
| Michael Henry Klinner | $18,106 | $4,398 | -75.7% |
| William N. Johnson | $16,495 | $4,118 | -75% |
| Gary Michael Davis | $17,446 | $4,039 | -76.8% |
| Jack Whitson Kidd | $13,530 | $3,298 | -75.6% |
| Patricia L. Smith | $5,313 | $2,954 | -44.4% |
| van Holcombe | $8,272 | $2,942 | -64.4% |
| William B. McCormick | $2,702 | $2,702 | 0% |
| Susan A. Hall | $9,904 | $2,386 | -75.9% |
| Steve Wiley | $2,278 | $2,278 | 0% |
| Jewel F. Coker | $0 | $2,157 | -- |
| Josh Garrett Slaughter | $11,700 | $2,032 | -82.6% |
| Ronald L. Cook | $8,867 | $1,975 | -77.7% |
| Randy Greenhill | $10,161 | $1,872 | -81.6% |
| Michael Saucer | $1,958 | $1,799 | -8.1% |
| William G. Gayle | $6,402 | $1,799 | -71.9% |
| Ross W. Stagner | $1,239 | $1,703 | 37.4% |
| Robert E. King Revocable Trust Dated December 30, 1966 | $2,202 | $1,595 | -27.6% |
| Richard Gray Anderson | $1,571 | $1,571 | 0% |
| Five Star Contracting, Inc. | $8,008 | $1,570 | -80.4% |
| Norman Parson | $5,445 | $1,543 | -71.7% |
| William K. Dunham Jr. | $6,797 | $1,508 | -77.8% |
| James Paul Tate | $8,827 | $1,371 | -84.5% |
| Julius Brian Davenport | $1,188 | $1,368 | 15.2% |
| Douglas G. Nichols | $4,915 | $1,359 | -72.3% |
| Jared D. Sims | $4,959 | $1,352 | -72.7% |
| Ashley Danielle King | $1,313 | $1,313 | 0% |
| Philip A. Burmeister | $2,487 | $1,215 | -51.1% |
| Stacy E. Osborn | $4,939 | $1,157 | -76.6% |
| Aslam Khan | $3,641 | $1,134 | -68.9% |
| Corey Ladner | $4,241 | $1,133 | -73.3% |
| Richard Maddox | $4,730 | $1,103 | -76.7% |
| Jason R. Davis | $4,400 | $1,097 | -75.1% |
| Jerry A. Clay | $2,116 | $1,096 | -48.2% |
| Bryan Tyler Hoagland | $4,642 | $1,041 | -77.6% |
| Cynthia Hylton-Murer | $4,785 | $1,028 | -78.5% |
| Frances Givhan | $0 | $992 | -- |
| Randy Gallups | $3,806 | $967 | -74.6% |
| Stephen D. Phillips | $3,080 | $922 | -70.1% |
| Jeff D. Hulon | $3,850 | $914 | -76.3% |
| Walter Yarbrough | $3,681 | $911 | -75.3% |
| Joan M. Chance | $620 | $904 | 45.8% |
| Nancy S. Simmer | $3,421 | $888 | -74% |
| William F. Dorough | $3,640 | $874 | -76% |
| Douglas Eason Merrell | $4,086 | $864 | -78.9% |
| Russell G. Beaty | $862 | $862 | 0% |
| Thomas E. Morrow Jr. | $2,804 | $834 | -70.3% |
| Kenneth L. Edwards | $2,673 | $831 | -68.9% |
| Jane Helms Smith | $0 | $812 | -- |
| Roger W. Chandler | $2,838 | $792 | -72.1% |
| Terrell D. Vick | $3,531 | $748 | -78.8% |
| Joan Spiess | $5,154 | $748 | -85.5% |
| H. D. Ingram Jr. | $3,091 | $746 | -75.9% |
| Jeremy D. Sims | $1,626 | $735 | -54.8% |
| Mike Largin | $5,013 | $729 | -85.5% |
| Mark Youngblood | $5,416 | $723 | -86.7% |
| Paul Starnes | $17,312 | $721 | -95.8% |
| Betty Zeitz -Betty A. Zeitz Revocalbe Living Trust | $2,904 | $716 | -75.3% |
| Williams Family IRRV Trustee Henry G Williams Ttee | $0 | $703 | -- |
| Tanya Jarvis | $619 | $695 | 12.3% |
| Jeani Atkison | $1,059 | $692 | -34.7% |
| Cooper Johnson | $2,783 | $662 | -76.2% |
| Bryan K. Hoagland | $14,858 | $581 | -96.1% |
| Jeffrey Kyle Grayson | $0 | $551 | -- |
| Brad Davis | $2,706 | $536 | -80.2% |
| Brian L. Butler | $2,486 | $520 | -79.1% |
| William T. Johnson | $0 | $502 | -- |
| Douglas M. Kent II | $2,876 | $475 | -83.5% |
| Susan Maples Minor | $0 | $462 | -- |
| Casa DE Fauna, LLC | $618 | $449 | -27.3% |
| Harold G. Alexander | $1,595 | $448 | -71.9% |
| Jack B. Tatum Jr. | $1,540 | $438 | -71.6% |
| Bernice S. Kidd | $2,222 | $433 | -80.5% |
| Gerald W. Baker | $1,371 | $425 | -69% |
| Shane F. Merrell | $1,529 | $414 | -72.9% |
| Steven D. Allen | $1,331 | $404 | -69.6% |
| John L. Bearden Jr. | $1,628 | $400 | -75.4% |
| John W. Nix Jr. | $1,628 | $400 | -75.4% |
| Eddie J. Martin | $1,483 | $394 | -73.4% |
| Randall M Zeegers | $4,446 | $387 | -91.3% |
| John Irby | $382 | $382 | 0% |
| Emmett G. Darnell | $901 | $371 | -58.8% |
| Roy H. McKinney | $1,122 | $365 | -67.5% |
| Teresa S. Pennington | $1,449 | $357 | -75.4% |
| Wade Faulkner | $2,861 | $343 | -88% |
| Stephen Carter | $1,232 | $342 | -72.2% |
| Scott Vinsant | $1,772 | $338 | -80.9% |
| William D. Edwards | $1,463 | $336 | -77% |
| Matthew Allen | $1,056 | $333 | -68.5% |
| Ailene B. Williams | $1,030 | $327 | -68.3% |
| Larry E. Guy | $1,647 | $327 | -80.1% |
| Jessica L. Manfredi | $0 | $325 | -- |
| Kevin Lucas | $2,501 | $314 | -87.4% |
| Steven G. Smith | $1,342 | $291 | -78.3% |
| Wayne Hutchison | $1,345 | $276 | -79.5% |
| Nancy M. Parker | $962 | $241 | -74.9% |
| Jana B. Kirksey | $729 | $222 | -69.5% |
| Audavee Bennett | $423 | $207 | -51.1% |
| Houston Grove Enterprises, LLC | $0 | $180 | -- |
| Jared K. Pate | $1,122 | $180 | -84% |
| Dennis Blackerby | $759 | $163 | -78.5% |
| Robert R. Becks Jr. | $603 | $134 | -77.8% |
| Dwight Steven Lawley | $707 | $132 | -81.3% |
| Leonard Lowrey III | $224 | $109 | -51.3% |
| James E. Gill | $528 | $104 | -80.3% |
| Ellie B Glasscox | $557 | $98 | -82.4% |
| Gary Dean Cambron | $168 | $98 | -41.7% |
| Roger E. Cain | $1,073 | $97 | -91% |
| Danny Louis Tate | $77 | $60 | -22.1% |
| Barton's Greenhouse & Nursery, Inc. | $190,190 | $0 | -100% |
| Bobby L. Rushing | $774 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry W. Rush | $430 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephanie A. Sparkman | $829 | $0 | -100% |
| James Walter Suttle | $6,033 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert P Grosze II | $1,313 | $0 | -100% |
| Southern Organics, LLC | $26,977 | $0 | -100% |
| Walter J. Vansant | $1,632 | $0 | -100% |
| Al Chatham II | $9,051 | $0 | -100% |
| Ben Casey Frederick III | $715 | $0 | -100% |
| Ann R. Helms | $2,505 | $0 | -100% |
| Bill Shaner | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Nancy R. Duren | $296 | $0 | -100% |
| R. King | $5,384 | $0 | -100% |
| Jane W. Thompson | $160 | $0 | -100% |
| Maxie Jo Miller | $91 | $0 | -100% |
| John S. Payne | $331 | $0 | -100% |
| William J. Belmont Jr. | $968 | $0 | -100% |
| Iris Roth | $111 | $0 | -100% |
| Max F. Larkin Jr. Family Partnership, Ltd. | $2,270 | $0 | -100% |
| Blue Rooster Farm, LLC | $3,028 | $0 | -100% |
| David Walljasper | $864 | $0 | -100% |
| Carl Montgomery | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,834,862 | $890,963 | -51.4% |
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