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In 2021, 97 farmers in cities within Oldham County received a total of $412,186 in 159 farm subsidies, a 54.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $897,911 in 309 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Home Dairy, LLC | $47,467 | $80,822 | 70.3% |
| James A. Fackler III | $63,806 | $44,597 | -30.1% |
| Waldeck Mansion, Inc. | $82,162 | $27,100 | -67% |
| Judy Cultra | $23,688 | $23,688 | 0% |
| Scott Hartmann | $65,364 | $21,924 | -66.5% |
| Grand Meadow Farms, LLC | $83,987 | $21,780 | -74.1% |
| Alan Kaelin | $31,638 | $18,719 | -40.8% |
| Bernie Kaelin | $31,839 | $17,476 | -45.1% |
| N E Dick Farm, Inc. | $33,233 | $12,526 | -62.3% |
| Joshua E. Clubb | $19,232 | $12,174 | -36.7% |
| Blue Hole Hills, LLC | $11,839 | $11,318 | -4.4% |
| Kevin L. Estes | $8,819 | $8,381 | -5% |
| Mauck-Lege Farm, LLC | $25,383 | $6,926 | -72.7% |
| Sarah Bebee | $6,149 | $6,149 | 0% |
| Robertson Family Dynasty Trustee | $0 | $4,264 | -- |
| Buckman & Robison Farms, LLC | $9,916 | $4,209 | -57.6% |
| Mason Lane, LLC | $8,519 | $3,717 | -56.4% |
| Sharon H. Vincent | $12,202 | $3,692 | -69.7% |
| Cat Alley -Mary Margaret Bell, LLC | $6,330 | $3,229 | -49% |
| James Anderson Young | $3,439 | $3,220 | -6.4% |
| WD Boon, LLC | $262 | $3,093 | 1,080.5% |
| Wakefield Farms | $10,491 | $3,092 | -70.5% |
| Gregory Vance | $2,766 | $2,766 | 0% |
| Ted A. Cummings | $14,834 | $2,674 | -82% |
| Ray Deibel & Sons, Inc. | $0 | $2,650 | -- |
| Terri Justice | $1,566 | $2,627 | 67.8% |
| William G. Reynolds | $7,895 | $2,611 | -66.9% |
| Melanie Barry Wire | $10,855 | $2,541 | -76.6% |
| Joseph Carraco | $8,044 | $2,519 | -68.7% |
| Ashlock Farms | $9,333 | $2,428 | -74% |
| Rick & Lucy Lucas Living Trust | $0 | $2,099 | -- |
| Tommy C. Manning Jr. | $16,288 | $1,967 | -87.9% |
| Robert Button | $3,719 | $1,874 | -49.6% |
| Anstett Farm, Inc. | $4,983 | $1,815 | -63.6% |
| Craig C. Stodghill | $5,239 | $1,775 | -66.1% |
| Agnes Faye Cooksey | $8,796 | $1,733 | -80.3% |
| Wesley T. Husband | $9,044 | $1,694 | -81.3% |
| G. R. Blakemore Jr. | $5,753 | $1,540 | -73.2% |
| Gilbert J. Nichter | $6,314 | $1,428 | -77.4% |
| Brett Jones | $4,301 | $1,407 | -67.3% |
| Altha R. Hite | $2,024 | $1,363 | -32.7% |
| L. M. Kaelin | $8,762 | $1,317 | -85% |
| Oil Valley Resources, Inc. | $776 | $1,281 | 65.1% |
| Brian Fenn | $0 | $1,251 | -- |
| Philip A. Griffin | $3,925 | $1,230 | -68.7% |
| George H. Searson | $2,086 | $1,200 | -42.5% |
| Sharon Woolwine | $2,332 | $1,166 | -50% |
| Murphy Properties, LLC | $4,800 | $1,162 | -75.8% |
| Shirley L West | $1,136 | $1,136 | 0% |
| Donald Belknap | $0 | $1,124 | -- |
| Karen R. Smith | $6,945 | $1,116 | -83.9% |
| Paul Bradshaw Jr. | $4,271 | $1,014 | -76.3% |
| John M. Warren | $5,564 | $1,000 | -82% |
| Diane Cornwell | $900 | $900 | 0% |
| Albertis G Long | $2,361 | $890 | -62.3% |
| Rosemary Howard | $4,752 | $821 | -82.7% |
| Dolores May Anstett | $3,382 | $783 | -76.8% |
| Amanda Nichter | $800 | $764 | -4.5% |
| Marcia A. Kight | $3,061 | $719 | -76.5% |
| Brentstead Farms, LLC | $3,267 | $684 | -79.1% |
| Jerry McIver | $5,143 | $662 | -87.1% |
| Joanne Pitchford | $428 | $648 | 51.4% |
| Kevin William Barron | $3,780 | $642 | -83% |
| Christian L. Davis | $3,088 | $641 | -79.2% |
| Ron Smith | $3,400 | $604 | -82.2% |
| Janice Proffitt | $3,522 | $554 | -84.3% |
| Lucy D. Lucas | $2,099 | $460 | -78.1% |
| Mary Sue Barnes | $1,981 | $454 | -77.1% |
| Alexander G. Babey | $1,973 | $444 | -77.5% |
| THM Farm, Inc. | $2,210 | $427 | -80.7% |
| Sharon Coomer | $709 | $400 | -43.6% |
| Susan Annette Burns | $0 | $397 | -- |
| Mark Vantilburg | $387 | $387 | 0% |
| Daniel Haney | $3,481 | $370 | -89.4% |
| David B and Donna a Russell Trust | $1,452 | $367 | -74.7% |
| Harvey A. Gilley | $1,163 | $363 | -68.8% |
| Joanna Veirs | $360 | $360 | 0% |
| John Edward Mcbride Estate | $0 | $330 | -- |
| Mary B. Broecker | $1,551 | $321 | -79.3% |
| Griffith Family Farm Trust | $304 | $304 | 0% |
| S&S Investments, Inc. | $264 | $264 | 0% |
| Robert H. Martin | $1,769 | $238 | -86.5% |
| Geraldine Fessel | $222 | $189 | -14.9% |
| Kristopher R. Kelley | $341 | $181 | -46.9% |
| Chad Gnadinger | $1,348 | $177 | -86.9% |
| Joseph M. Davis | $170 | $170 | 0% |
| William S. Baumann | $1,245 | $107 | -91.4% |
| Douglas J. Eilrich | $437 | $96 | -78% |
| Teresa Foushee | $0 | $96 | -- |
| Harold W. Myers | $432 | $88 | -79.6% |
| David Poteet | $0 | $73 | -- |
| Dennis Brown | $266 | $57 | -78.6% |
| Grant Neidigh | $108 | $42 | -61.1% |
| Lois B. Wright | $342 | $39 | -88.6% |
| Randalene Cross | $27 | $36 | 33.3% |
| Roy T. Allinder | $0 | $31 | -- |
| Sandy K. Grider | $0 | $2 | -- |
| Dennis H. Spainhour | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Ballard G. Ashlock | $7,235 | $0 | -100% |
| Benjamin C. Abell | $47,140 | $0 | -100% |
| G. A. Kaelin | $715 | $0 | -100% |
| Horace Harrod | $2,035 | $0 | -100% |
| James J. Pearce | $2,313 | $0 | -100% |
| Jo Ann Luecke Rev Trust | $1,951 | $0 | -100% |
| Joyce Keibler | $1,722 | $0 | -100% |
| Kipley McNally | $220 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert A. Jones | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen Wagner | $2,640 | $0 | -100% |
| Barr Farm, LLLP | $933 | $0 | -100% |
| Mead Ferris Jr. | $540 | $0 | -100% |
| Cassandra Carroll | $3,724 | $0 | -100% |
| Jon Bednarski | $2,750 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph Rusnak | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Louise P. Fleming | $437 | $0 | -100% |
| James E. Thomas III | $146 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeff Preston | $2,828 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin Perkins | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Mcroberts Cattle Company, LLC | $1,069 | $0 | -100% |
| Alliene Kiper | $2,107 | $0 | -100% |
| James J Naive IV | $3,135 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $897,911 | $412,186 | -54.1% |
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