Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 217 farmers in cities within Jefferson County received a total of $4.8 million in 411 farm subsidies, a 53.3% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $10.3 million in 707 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 Jefferson County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Godowns Farm Partnership | $312,694 | $231,500 | -26% |
| W P Smith and Sons | $514,205 | $218,043 | -57.6% |
| Brett & Brett, LLC | $213,745 | $210,299 | -1.6% |
| Rj Farms | $386,774 | $209,542 | -45.8% |
| William Jack Bailey | $402,303 | $202,137 | -49.8% |
| Sm Farms | $400,806 | $188,218 | -53% |
| Bryants Incorporated | $293,112 | $184,174 | -37.2% |
| Randy Rhodes | $272,955 | $154,153 | -43.5% |
| River Ridge Farms | $301,842 | $147,933 | -51% |
| Visscher Dairy, LLC | $482,960 | $141,452 | -70.7% |
| Steve Bailey | $279,901 | $134,353 | -52% |
| Lee M. Gardner III | $276,326 | $129,354 | -53.2% |
| Lee Murray Gardner IV | $213,258 | $122,344 | -42.6% |
| Gray Coat Creek Farms | $150,323 | $108,858 | -27.6% |
| J & C Farm, Inc. | $192,060 | $100,713 | -47.6% |
| Robert Heath Wilson | $165,323 | $95,082 | -42.5% |
| Mark Bryant | $171,626 | $87,346 | -49.1% |
| Jack and Steve, Inc. | $156,804 | $81,753 | -47.9% |
| Trevor K. Cobb | $175,874 | $78,225 | -55.5% |
| Robert Cole Godowns | $32,987 | $76,889 | 133.1% |
| Jimmy R. Gay | $195,070 | $74,514 | -61.8% |
| Ann Gay | $195,045 | $74,499 | -61.8% |
| Deer Ridge Farms, Inc. | $113,198 | $61,513 | -45.7% |
| James L. Gay | $258,751 | $59,122 | -77.2% |
| David Hibner | $140,012 | $53,896 | -61.5% |
| Grey Bomber Outdoors, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Lamb Logging | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Mike Cowart Trucking Company | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Donald W. Schmidt | $74,359 | $51,534 | -30.7% |
| Billy L Godowns | $203,236 | $49,594 | -75.6% |
| Twin Oaks Farm | $85,852 | $49,126 | -42.8% |
| Flonnory Farms, LLC | $18,844 | $49,039 | 160.2% |
| Gloria S. Gardner | $116,891 | $46,880 | -59.9% |
| Lee Murray Gardner | $154,004 | $46,880 | -69.6% |
| Steve Newberry | $187,664 | $45,324 | -75.8% |
| Howard W. Wilson | $127,134 | $43,989 | -65.4% |
| Kalein Edison Bryant | $23,185 | $43,388 | 87.1% |
| Randal Goossen | $54,627 | $41,252 | -24.5% |
| Adam C. Oglesby | $70,713 | $40,694 | -42.5% |
| Ray Brett | $127,585 | $40,114 | -68.6% |
| Daniel Newberry | $5,073 | $37,877 | 646.6% |
| JCJ, LLC | $4,649 | $36,314 | 681.1% |
| Christopher W. Rogers | $202,670 | $35,664 | -82.4% |
| Lesley D. Giesbrecht | $62,930 | $33,472 | -46.8% |
| Wiley C. Evans III | $88,514 | $33,198 | -62.5% |
| Arlo J. Schneider | $71,372 | $31,843 | -55.4% |
| Ann H. Smith | $33,659 | $30,716 | -8.7% |
| Barry Cobb | $48,284 | $24,174 | -49.9% |
| van Hiebert | $70,547 | $23,878 | -66.2% |
| Stephen Nikkel | $68,831 | $23,633 | -65.7% |
| James Jeremy Gay | $59,886 | $22,875 | -61.8% |
| John G. Shivers | $40,417 | $22,038 | -45.5% |
| Carlin Giesbrecht | $80,453 | $18,118 | -77.5% |
| Pennington Farms, Inc. | $282,528 | $17,729 | -93.7% |
| Georgia Select Fishfarm, LLC | $76,960 | $16,380 | -78.7% |
| Robert J. Jones III | $11,271 | $14,696 | 30.4% |
| The Willoughby Brothers | $35,932 | $14,372 | -60% |
| Lonnie Purvis | $32,076 | $14,304 | -55.4% |
| Ernest C. Smith III | $60,372 | $12,688 | -79% |
| Joe B. Walden Jr. | $16,169 | $12,228 | -24.4% |
| Lavern Bynes | $30,279 | $12,040 | -60.2% |
| Wiley C. Evans IV | $27,384 | $11,688 | -57.3% |
| Gregory Jon Schmidt | $28,550 | $11,421 | -60% |
| Kelwin Daryl Hibner | $22,668 | $9,637 | -57.5% |
| Peachey's and Cream Dairy, Inc. | $181,118 | $9,438 | -94.8% |
| John J. Jones Jr. | $17,384 | $9,322 | -46.4% |
| Hubert Flonnory JR | $75,879 | $9,228 | -87.8% |
| Donna C. Miller | $3,509 | $8,715 | 148.4% |
| Stephen Robert Newberry | $28,157 | $8,428 | -70.1% |
| Stuart R. Goossen | $25,246 | $8,411 | -66.7% |
| Sally S. Brooks | $8,005 | $8,305 | 3.7% |
| Clint W. Smith | $0 | $8,120 | -- |
| Thomas L. Watkins | $13,528 | $7,572 | -44% |
| Sherwin Jon Giesbrecht | $24,894 | $7,413 | -70.2% |
| Alan E. Wasden | $20,355 | $7,336 | -64% |
| Wright Perdue | $22,252 | $7,283 | -67.3% |
| Timothy Carl Chapman | $10,758 | $6,626 | -38.4% |
| Steven R. Purvis | $12,837 | $6,310 | -50.8% |
| Srod, LLC | $0 | $6,166 | -- |
| Dudley J. Gunn | $10,142 | $6,091 | -39.9% |
| Matthew B. Evans | $12,593 | $5,843 | -53.6% |
| Clayton R. Hodges | $7,507 | $5,706 | -24% |
| Sandra B. Williamson | $11,381 | $5,347 | -53% |
| Charles E. Stewart | $6,147 | $5,288 | -14% |
| Bernard Thomas | $23,374 | $4,968 | -78.7% |
| Derek L. Davis | $15,724 | $4,940 | -68.6% |
| Sam Evans | $17,688 | $4,729 | -73.3% |
| Geary E. Davis | $8,804 | $4,555 | -48.3% |
| James Logan Perdue | $8,674 | $4,471 | -48.5% |
| David Raley | $37,268 | $4,399 | -88.2% |
| James F. Clark | $8,128 | $4,302 | -47.1% |
| William T. Stevens | $1,782 | $4,284 | 140.4% |
| Richard W. Prescott | $9,062 | $3,780 | -58.3% |
| Curtis Holt | $16,746 | $3,707 | -77.9% |
| Jordan David Tankersley | $8,352 | $3,697 | -55.7% |
| Martha S. Mathis | $3,887 | $3,643 | -6.3% |
| Kendal Hibner | $7,952 | $3,604 | -54.7% |
| Lee P. Woods | $3,593 | $3,593 | 0% |
| William L. Bailey Jr. | $12,193 | $3,591 | -70.5% |
| Wilbert May | $0 | $3,550 | -- |
| Cecil Dueck | $33,175 | $3,463 | -89.6% |
| Ross Alan Wenger | $7,120 | $3,429 | -51.8% |
| James C Flonnory | $1,430 | $3,268 | 128.5% |
| Grayson B. Rhodes | $2,055 | $3,038 | 47.8% |
| Rabun E. Frost | $9,431 | $3,013 | -68.1% |
| Green's Cut Properties, Inc. | $2,764 | $2,764 | 0% |
| Joseph Randall Miller | $7,883 | $2,689 | -65.9% |
| Atwell-Rabun Agriculture, LLC | $0 | $2,674 | -- |
| Jerry Dowdy | $0 | $2,674 | -- |
| John R. Mole | $6,589 | $2,605 | -60.5% |
| Kathryn M. Schultz | $7,882 | $2,558 | -67.5% |
| Thomas R. Rowland III | $2,544 | $2,544 | 0% |
| Weston Farms, Inc. | $6,586 | $2,541 | -61.4% |
| William Byron Wren | $8,525 | $2,501 | -70.7% |
| Michael P. Brown | $35,598 | $2,498 | -93% |
| Kelvin V. Hodges | $6,539 | $2,389 | -63.5% |
| Deborah A. Hiebert | $7,959 | $2,379 | -70.1% |
| Charles S. Rachels | $15,553 | $2,365 | -84.8% |
| George T. Williams | $2,756 | $2,362 | -14.3% |
| Steven B. Peters | $9,100 | $2,334 | -74.4% |
| Robert E Adams Trust | $2,284 | $2,284 | 0% |
| Edward Salter | $9,340 | $2,255 | -75.9% |
| John D. Burgess | $9,176 | $1,997 | -78.2% |
| Betty B. McGahee | $6,600 | $1,984 | -69.9% |
| William W. Rabun | $3,253 | $1,936 | -40.5% |
| Gail D. Mole | $1,697 | $1,697 | 0% |
| Brenda M. Hudson | $7,784 | $1,684 | -78.4% |
| Jason Holdeman | $5,368 | $1,656 | -69.2% |
| Ve'ester T Armstrong | $2,648 | $1,633 | -38.3% |
| Jeff D. Gay | $6,791 | $1,622 | -76.1% |
| William O. Miller | $9,605 | $1,600 | -83.3% |
| Charlie Roy Hall | $2,948 | $1,591 | -46% |
| Scrap Metal Farm, LLC | $5,852 | $1,449 | -75.2% |
| Mark P. Thigpen | $4,906 | $1,414 | -71.2% |
| Joseph Brian Whitaker | $3,114 | $1,408 | -54.8% |
| Kenneth Miller | $4,928 | $1,397 | -71.7% |
| Alan Holley | $2,979 | $1,371 | -54% |
| Charlie R. Hall Estate | $0 | $1,358 | -- |
| Gene Hall | $1,271 | $1,271 | 0% |
| Joe McKenzie | $4,579 | $1,247 | -72.8% |
| Shane C. Holt | $5,414 | $1,244 | -77% |
| Willis L. McKenzie | $3,701 | $1,230 | -66.8% |
| Joe Jenkins | $1,265 | $1,177 | -7% |
| Larry R. Agner Jr. | $0 | $1,172 | -- |
| Brett E. Chappell | $0 | $1,101 | -- |
| William L. Brooks | $126 | $1,068 | 747.6% |
| Timothy E. Moore Jr. | $2,541 | $1,030 | -59.5% |
| Mark Hiebert | $3,844 | $1,000 | -74% |
| Clarence Broadus Jr. | $2,575 | $980 | -61.9% |
| Longbeard Farms, LLC | $2,185 | $907 | -58.5% |
| Robert L. Rabun | $1,153 | $888 | -23% |
| John M. Cox | $4,306 | $888 | -79.4% |
| Edward Eugene Brown | $5,809 | $873 | -85% |
| Delwyn Peters | $1,584 | $828 | -47.7% |
| Jared S. Schneider | $2,903 | $828 | -71.5% |
| Willie B. Miller Jr. | $13,611 | $811 | -94% |
| Frank A. Otis | $2,673 | $746 | -72.1% |
| Winfield B. Scott | $1,559 | $726 | -53.4% |
| Mark E. Lynam | $724 | $724 | 0% |
| Jantina G Newberry | $1,583 | $713 | -55% |
| Jacob R. Gay | $2,220 | $706 | -68.2% |
| Jason N Barber | $679 | $679 | 0% |
| Donnie Bailey | $3,443 | $667 | -80.6% |
| Brian Usry | $2,794 | $656 | -76.5% |
| H G Thomas New | $1,380 | $644 | -53.3% |
| William Frank Williford | $2,145 | $604 | -71.8% |
| Kristin L. Peters | $2,882 | $586 | -79.7% |
| Mikel B. Skinner | $1,826 | $552 | -69.8% |
| Olen P. Price Jr. | $0 | $515 | -- |
| John M. Dalton | $2,296 | $496 | -78.4% |
| Charles Broadus | $633 | $480 | -24.2% |
| Frank A. Gordy Sr. | $2,059 | $466 | -77.4% |
| Jamey Hadden | $1,793 | $448 | -75% |
| T. mac Reeves | $0 | $447 | -- |
| Melvin D. Unruh | $1,677 | $431 | -74.3% |
| Edwin A. Hartley | $1,122 | $414 | -63.1% |
| Teresa W. McNair | $1,955 | $409 | -79.1% |
| Susan W. White | $405 | $405 | 0% |
| Robert H. Smith | $0 | $404 | -- |
| Estate of Eugenia B Walden | $168 | $376 | 123.8% |
| Richard Holdeman | $1,463 | $362 | -75.3% |
| Leon J. Miller Jr. | $913 | $362 | -60.4% |
| Elbert C. Weaver | $5,694 | $310 | -94.6% |
| Jeffery K. Miller | $1,616 | $310 | -80.8% |
| Chester L. Radford | $570 | $283 | -50.4% |
| Stacy Phillips | $5,419 | $276 | -94.9% |
| Kyle Glen Brooks | $1,177 | $246 | -79.1% |
| Jerry Taylor | $1,012 | $242 | -76.1% |
| Brenda A. Josey | $239 | $239 | 0% |
| Wanda A. Gordy | $239 | $239 | 0% |
| Charlie Davis | $0 | $238 | -- |
| Lynn W. Carter | $224 | $224 | 0% |
| James A. Wren | $190 | $190 | 0% |
| Branden R. Anderson | $872 | $172 | -80.3% |
| Dolly M. Pennington | $318 | $159 | -50% |
| Marilyn R. McNair | $318 | $159 | -50% |
| Dolly M. Pennington | $318 | $159 | -50% |
| Carla Beth Clark | $149 | $149 | 0% |
| Cleveland B. Lamb IV | $149 | $149 | 0% |
| Patricia G. Stropoli | $149 | $149 | 0% |
| Stephanie P. Lamb | $149 | $149 | 0% |
| David J. Gunn | $272 | $133 | -51.1% |
| Jeannette B. Terry | $0 | $130 | -- |
| Jan B. Harrison | $279 | $117 | -58.1% |
| Amy K. Hadden | $0 | $89 | -- |
| Matthew C. Otis | $0 | $88 | -- |
| Jeffery K. Miller Jr. | $534 | $86 | -83.9% |
| Letha K. Holdeman | $0 | $59 | -- |
| William T. Smith | $187 | $59 | -68.4% |
| George I. Tedder | $78 | $38 | -51.3% |
| Kim P. Frost | $834 | $30 | -96.4% |
| Eugene J. Justen Jr. | $0 | $30 | -- |
| Clarence A. Thompson | $105 | $26 | -75.2% |
| Wade L. Brooks | $853 | $26 | -97% |
| The Holley Family Land Trust | $924 | $22 | -97.6% |
| Ann A. York | $696 | $21 | -97% |
| Scott Smith | $0 | $10 | -- |
| Shady Creek Greenhouses, LLC | $87,958 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry Holdeman | $114 | $0 | -100% |
| Tommy B. Josey | $1,112 | $0 | -100% |
| Gary D. Johnson Sr. | $7,189 | $0 | -100% |
| Luther J. Bowles III | $7,047 | $0 | -100% |
| Melissa M. Redd | $1,870 | $0 | -100% |
| Ray V. Brett Jr. | $35,288 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert W. Evans Sr. | $0 | $0 | -- |
| Suzanne M. Jones | $2,388 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Jeff Jones Nursery, Inc. | $25,203 | $0 | -100% |
| Rollin A. Rogers | $4,838 | $0 | -100% |
| Faye K. McNair | $368 | $0 | -100% |
| Eugenia B. Walden | $1,070 | $0 | -100% |
| Quinton Farrer Jr. | $2,025 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas H. Gunn | $1,678 | $0 | -100% |
| Carolyn A. Rabun | $1,170 | $0 | -100% |
| Christopher Timms | $1,276 | $0 | -100% |
| Cross Creek Land Company, LLC | $5,184 | $0 | -100% |
| Eva M. Prescott | $8,509 | $0 | -100% |
| Long Leaf Enterprises, Inc. | $2,860 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $10,257,173 | $4,788,086 | -53.3% |
Alerts Sign-up