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In 2021, 139 farmers in cities within DeSoto County received a total of $3.6 million in 166 farm subsidies, a 42.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $6.3 million in 262 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VCH Holdings, LLC | $158,972 | $539,495 | 239.4% |
| Eugene H Turner Family PTR, Ltd. | $0 | $461,669 | -- |
| V C H Citrus | $163,619 | $331,204 | 102.4% |
| Sun Bulb Company, Inc. | $100,151 | $282,112 | 181.7% |
| Phil Turner Farms, Inc. | $0 | $204,845 | -- |
| Keith B. Councell | $133,213 | $146,123 | 9.7% |
| Citrisun Nurseries | $0 | $125,640 | -- |
| Marsh Groves of Desoto County, LLC | $13,684 | $122,480 | 795.1% |
| Estate of V C Hollingsworth SR | $65,294 | $107,507 | 64.7% |
| Bar 4J Bar Ranch, Inc. | $188,175 | $93,958 | -50.1% |
| Turner Cattle Company, LLP | $235,100 | $81,458 | -65.4% |
| Charles W Harrison SR Estate | $0 | $80,494 | -- |
| Eugene H Turner and Son, Inc. | $0 | $74,459 | -- |
| Hollidale Farms, Inc. | $0 | $71,705 | -- |
| Harrison Cattle Limited Liability Company | $62,442 | $61,901 | -0.9% |
| Hollingsworth Cattle, LLC | $102,844 | $61,619 | -40.1% |
| P Bar R Sod Company, LLC | $0 | $53,010 | -- |
| Lou Hoopingarner | $0 | $47,163 | -- |
| Fay Harrison | $2,904 | $31,067 | 969.8% |
| C W Harrison, Inc. | $0 | $30,098 | -- |
| Eugene H. Turner, III, LLC | $4,125 | $27,469 | 565.9% |
| VCH Ranch-FL, LLC | $151,276 | $26,796 | -82.3% |
| MJW Ranch, LLC | $260,229 | $25,605 | -90.2% |
| Robert J. Flint | $323,382 | $23,970 | -92.6% |
| Sorrells Groves, Inc. | $299,764 | $19,576 | -93.5% |
| XL Bar Cattle Company, LLC | $82,929 | $19,437 | -76.6% |
| John R. Dees | $15,675 | $18,683 | 19.2% |
| Philip W Turner Family PRTN | $373,738 | $18,576 | -95% |
| Stewart Land & Cattle, LLC | $14,901 | $18,146 | 21.8% |
| E & I Family, LLC | $0 | $15,264 | -- |
| H & M Citrus, LLC | $0 | $13,317 | -- |
| A Bar L Ranch, LLC | $26,011 | $12,940 | -50.3% |
| Darrell Williamson | $10,443 | $12,540 | 20.1% |
| Garrett Ranch Partnership, LLLP | $0 | $12,159 | -- |
| Eunice Hughes | $11,586 | $11,481 | -0.9% |
| Grove Ladder Farm, LLC | $0 | $11,293 | -- |
| Thomas E. Butler | $28,347 | $10,923 | -61.5% |
| John Lipe | $10,570 | $10,232 | -3.2% |
| Robert J. Flint Jr. | $332,403 | $9,283 | -97.2% |
| S M Mercer Irrevocable Trust | $0 | $9,200 | -- |
| Hardiman Produce, LLC | $345,748 | $8,966 | -97.4% |
| C J Cattle, LLC | $45,357 | $8,891 | -80.4% |
| Sigfrido Cisneros Medina | $42,209 | $7,981 | -81.1% |
| James M. Hall Jr. | $33,843 | $7,969 | -76.5% |
| Steven V. Hall | $26,873 | $7,508 | -72.1% |
| Darrel Schlabach | $0 | $6,700 | -- |
| VA Ranch, LLC | $8,888 | $6,575 | -26% |
| Dees-Grose Family Partnership, Ltd. | $0 | $6,483 | -- |
| James B. Fussell | $0 | $6,270 | -- |
| Tony Hutson | $44,778 | $6,268 | -86% |
| Conerly Land & Cattle, LLC | $24,255 | $6,244 | -74.3% |
| Alfred G. Parker | $15,092 | $5,814 | -61.5% |
| Thomas C. Peterson | $6,359 | $5,745 | -9.7% |
| Newton D. Keen | $25,707 | $5,693 | -77.9% |
| Lipe Farms, Ltd. | $4,125 | $5,553 | 34.6% |
| Ernesto Barajas | $0 | $5,500 | -- |
| Charles T. Adams Jr. | $21,777 | $5,414 | -75.1% |
| Robert A. Hill | $12,555 | $4,869 | -61.2% |
| Jesse G. Thomas | $2,787 | $4,842 | 73.7% |
| Fred E. Lewis | $10,593 | $4,718 | -55.5% |
| Glenn E. Lee | $11,553 | $4,454 | -61.4% |
| GL Cattle, LLC | $23,448 | $4,369 | -81.4% |
| Cynthia G. Dees | $0 | $4,312 | -- |
| Johnson Homestead, LLC | $5,201 | $4,290 | -17.5% |
| Kameron Turner | $0 | $4,202 | -- |
| Bradley Nichols | $0 | $4,144 | -- |
| Michael Martin | $9,636 | $3,992 | -58.6% |
| Salvador Medina | $0 | $3,960 | -- |
| Thomas W. Lipe | $12,700 | $3,880 | -69.4% |
| Harn Cattle Company | $17,675 | $3,643 | -79.4% |
| Climbing C Ranch, Inc. | $18,287 | $3,635 | -80.1% |
| Algie Didlaukies | $3,676 | $3,597 | -2.1% |
| V. C. Hollingsworth III | $0 | $3,566 | -- |
| Ashley Schafer | $0 | $3,355 | -- |
| Vincent T. Hall | $11,957 | $3,262 | -72.7% |
| Triangle T Ranch | $13,134 | $3,232 | -75.4% |
| Johnson Grove & Cattle, Inc. | $11,913 | $3,086 | -74.1% |
| Head Farms | $34,937 | $3,058 | -91.2% |
| Julie Colding | $0 | $3,025 | -- |
| William T. Trawick | $0 | $2,875 | -- |
| Wanda J. Lowe | $9,255 | $2,796 | -69.8% |
| Ernesto Manriquez | $9,666 | $2,752 | -71.5% |
| John Turner Ranch, LLC | $20,479 | $2,751 | -86.6% |
| Richard G. Mercer | $9,317 | $2,614 | -71.9% |
| Harriet K. Wise | $10,857 | $2,537 | -76.6% |
| William P. Mercer | $9,361 | $2,523 | -73% |
| John Parker Jr. | $5,643 | $2,427 | -57% |
| Mercer's Mens and Western Store, Inc. | $119,502 | $2,398 | -98% |
| Randell Franklin Padgett | $12,844 | $2,392 | -81.4% |
| Judith D. Birchenough | $2,178 | $2,178 | 0% |
| Claddie L Savage | $18,078 | $2,108 | -88.3% |
| Bill E. Blocker | $9,143 | $2,094 | -77.1% |
| Mario Huerta | $0 | $1,802 | -- |
| Richard E. Harvin | $7,392 | $1,768 | -76.1% |
| Bryan Beswick | $7,329 | $1,700 | -76.8% |
| Lawrence Davis Jr. | $0 | $1,650 | -- |
| David Fourez | $14,710 | $1,617 | -89% |
| K Sweet, Inc. | $79,780 | $1,600 | -98% |
| Carol E Frey-Knickerbocker | $1,472 | $1,472 | 0% |
| Ellen D. Hansen | $1,472 | $1,472 | 0% |
| Ronald P Neads | $990 | $1,429 | 44.3% |
| Heartland Grove Service, LLC | $0 | $1,393 | -- |
| Patricia a Vittetow | $3,282 | $1,384 | -57.8% |
| Fran Kovach | $1,360 | $1,360 | 0% |
| Eugene H. Turner IV | $0 | $1,336 | -- |
| Andres Santana | $0 | $1,320 | -- |
| Joshua Citrus, Inc. | $5,511 | $1,310 | -76.2% |
| John F. Court | $6,094 | $1,280 | -79% |
| Clinton Howard | $4,147 | $1,199 | -71.1% |
| Bradford Burtscher | $7,191 | $1,169 | -83.7% |
| Thomas Higgins | $2,251 | $1,158 | -48.6% |
| Michael Allbritton | $3,627 | $1,137 | -68.7% |
| Jeffery Griffis | $3,014 | $1,030 | -65.8% |
| James M. Oleary | $3,023 | $980 | -67.6% |
| Augustus A. Grantham | $30,576 | $965 | -96.8% |
| Alfred Higginbotham | $4,050 | $953 | -76.5% |
| Ronnie Welch | $4,202 | $938 | -77.7% |
| Frank D. Williams | $3,714 | $909 | -75.5% |
| Jerald S Johnson, LLC | $4,389 | $882 | -79.9% |
| Tin-Buck-2 Cattle Company, LLC | $1,980 | $871 | -56% |
| Barbara J. Collins | $3,177 | $832 | -73.8% |
| Jenise Stark | $1,947 | $792 | -59.3% |
| Ricky D. Wood | $1,947 | $782 | -59.8% |
| Guy Masters JR | $4,805 | $712 | -85.2% |
| Patricia A. Pfeil | $2,849 | $695 | -75.6% |
| Gary Hunter Hollingsworth | $0 | $660 | -- |
| Florida Hughes | $4,099 | $658 | -83.9% |
| Leslie L. Bickett | $1,867 | $642 | -65.6% |
| Kenneth Prescott Sr. | $2,145 | $536 | -75% |
| Sharon Lasko | $2,454 | $429 | -82.5% |
| Patricia A. Strader | $1,155 | $409 | -64.6% |
| Diane E. Hall | $1,026 | $380 | -63% |
| Donald Knoche | $328 | $328 | 0% |
| Lila Harber | $512 | $208 | -59.4% |
| Elizabeth Langford | $429 | $194 | -54.8% |
| Robert L. Crist | $0 | $182 | -- |
| Segur Farms & Real Estate, LLC | $223 | $129 | -42.2% |
| Tommy R. Caskey | $151 | $95 | -37.1% |
| Janet D. Dowland | $99 | $60 | -39.4% |
| Bermont Properties, LLC | $307,593 | $0 | -100% |
| Bishop Citrus, Inc. | $11,345 | $0 | -100% |
| Citrus Grove, Inc. | $17,550 | $0 | -100% |
| Cynthina P Holley | $1,540 | $0 | -100% |
| Dan K. Shelfer | $82,487 | $0 | -100% |
| Down South Blues, Corp. | $48,575 | $0 | -100% |
| Garner Grove & Cattle Company, Inc. | $37,140 | $0 | -100% |
| George W. Hughes | $15,765 | $0 | -100% |
| Greenbyrd Farm, LLC | $439 | $0 | -100% |
| Howard P. Bateman | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| Is Ranch, LLC | $4,840 | $0 | -100% |
| Jared Nightingale | $8,645 | $0 | -100% |
| King's Nursery, LLC | $347,178 | $0 | -100% |
| Maria Cruz | $3,057 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Altman | $40,461 | $0 | -100% |
| Ohana Nurseries, LLC | $324,400 | $0 | -100% |
| Phillip E. Varner | $21,960 | $0 | -100% |
| Roy E. Shipley | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandhill Native Growers, Inc. | $145,639 | $0 | -100% |
| Shun Yuan Farmers Market | $276,319 | $0 | -100% |
| William H. Perry Jr. | $88,875 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $6,269,720 | $3,611,214 | -42.4% |
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