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In 2021, 49 farmers in cities within Pickens County received a total of $192,366 in 58 farm subsidies, a 57.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $457,220 in 143 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| King's Sunset Nursery, Inc. | $0 | $108,802 | -- |
| Ignacio Estrada | $68,631 | $28,590 | -58.3% |
| Roy Watson | $43,351 | $7,496 | -82.7% |
| Karen R. Morris | $19,465 | $4,457 | -77.1% |
| Harold M. Crane | $37,269 | $4,267 | -88.6% |
| John A. Crumpton | $16,181 | $4,112 | -74.6% |
| Danny Lee Ford II | $15,315 | $2,623 | -82.9% |
| David W. Hendricks | $7,271 | $2,593 | -64.3% |
| Mary Gamble Boyles | $2,526 | $2,526 | 0% |
| Chris Denton | $10,744 | $1,854 | -82.7% |
| William E. Treadway | $5,115 | $1,622 | -68.3% |
| Virginia Levitt | $4,820 | $1,455 | -69.8% |
| Danny Ford | $4,057 | $1,381 | -66% |
| James Rampey | $8,752 | $1,312 | -85% |
| Randall M. Griffis | $14,436 | $1,272 | -91.2% |
| Gerald E. Clark Jr. | $1,225 | $1,225 | 0% |
| Milton Alexander | $4,119 | $1,047 | -74.6% |
| Carl E. Thompson | $8,421 | $1,035 | -87.7% |
| Karen Daniel | $1,338 | $959 | -28.3% |
| Roger Ellenburg | $5,095 | $942 | -81.5% |
| Johnnie L. Newton | $9,435 | $920 | -90.2% |
| Sammie B. Leroy | $4,946 | $878 | -82.2% |
| Wayne Levitt Family Trust | $1,755 | $744 | -57.6% |
| Jimmy D. Pilgrim | $5,605 | $696 | -87.6% |
| George Mraovich | $1,261 | $621 | -50.8% |
| Walker Mcelmoyle School Farm Trust | $0 | $620 | -- |
| Gary Ellenburg | $0 | $618 | -- |
| David S. Galloway Jr. | $3,020 | $602 | -80.1% |
| Leonard A. Williams | $2,690 | $591 | -78% |
| Danny Winchester | $3,651 | $574 | -84.3% |
| Hozman K Holliday | $4,884 | $571 | -88.3% |
| Roger Gwinn | $2,871 | $542 | -81.1% |
| Ted S. Shehan | $3,325 | $522 | -84.3% |
| Gabe Boggs | $4,820 | $517 | -89.3% |
| Ruth S. Smith | $5,415 | $494 | -90.9% |
| Joshua Ray Daughety | $2,358 | $466 | -80.2% |
| Susan C. Hutton | $3,409 | $466 | -86.3% |
| James B. Medlin | $1,562 | $348 | -77.7% |
| L & M Livestock, LLC | $6,258 | $294 | -95.3% |
| Helen Willimon | $1,197 | $287 | -76% |
| Houston K. Hutton | $2,806 | $273 | -90.3% |
| Andrew Jackson Aiken | $1,309 | $270 | -79.4% |
| Harrison James Hutton | $1,627 | $204 | -87.5% |
| Lucy Mcjunkin Ward | $440 | $182 | -58.6% |
| Janice a Teske Liv Trust | $181 | $181 | 0% |
| Lacy M. Walker | $0 | $150 | -- |
| James E. Reeves | $663 | $128 | -80.7% |
| Dogwood Bryn Farms | $703 | $21 | -97% |
| Phyllis Lewis | $89 | $16 | -82% |
| Ford's Hemp, LLC | $31,978 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen Steed | $3,704 | $0 | -100% |
| William T Clayton Revocable Trust | $2,200 | $0 | -100% |
| Karen Ann Ardis | $761 | $0 | -100% |
| Walker Mcelmoyle School Farm Trus | $620 | $0 | -100% |
| Douglas C. Clamp | $58 | $0 | -100% |
| Ignacio Estrada Jr. | $57,509 | $0 | -100% |
| Lynne Garito | $37 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott L. Holder | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| Table Rock Tea Company | $375 | $0 | -100% |
| Mile Creek Farm & Produce, LLC | $4,522 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $457,220 | $192,366 | -57.9% |
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