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In 2021, 187 farmers in cities within Cook County received a total of $6.1 million in 385 farm subsidies, a 49.3% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $12.1 million in 673 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 Cook County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Eugene Sumner | $326,717 | $179,909 | -44.9% |
| Danny Thompson Farms | $295,788 | $177,760 | -39.9% |
| Jeff L. Bullard | $358,405 | $177,131 | -50.6% |
| Jason Bullard | $351,564 | $172,367 | -51% |
| Jody Bullard | $350,863 | $172,363 | -50.9% |
| Darkhorse Farms | $311,680 | $168,535 | -45.9% |
| Brent P. Bloser | $152,054 | $164,646 | 8.3% |
| Southern Acres Farms, LLC | $481,304 | $164,624 | -65.8% |
| Donald Richard Moore | $226,376 | $155,247 | -31.4% |
| Howell Farms | $266,213 | $150,663 | -43.4% |
| Ray Gene Sumner | $187,089 | $138,594 | -25.9% |
| Chip Rountree | $244,519 | $135,447 | -44.6% |
| Johnson Farms | $314,024 | $134,047 | -57.3% |
| Luke Rountree | $237,240 | $131,478 | -44.6% |
| Clint Rountree | $237,372 | $131,274 | -44.7% |
| John Ferrol Davis | $129,610 | $129,309 | -0.2% |
| Valdosta Plant Company, Inc. | $437,792 | $125,000 | -71.4% |
| Padgett & Holt, Inc. | $277,452 | $121,075 | -56.4% |
| Stanley Boyette | $173,997 | $114,783 | -34% |
| Donald P. Williams | $215,569 | $109,995 | -49% |
| Shannan D. Hill | $11,839 | $105,685 | 792.7% |
| Char Lee Farms, LLLP | $27,341 | $104,238 | 281.3% |
| William D. Daughtrey | $7,346 | $99,491 | 1,254.4% |
| Jonathan Lee Thompson | $335,490 | $98,259 | -70.7% |
| Ronnie Williams | $178,045 | $95,526 | -46.3% |
| Joey D. Williams | $188,961 | $84,276 | -55.4% |
| Charlton Daniel Wall III | $162,203 | $83,372 | -48.6% |
| Joiner Farms, Inc. | $130,182 | $79,712 | -38.8% |
| Bren-Dale Farms | $35,588 | $79,439 | 123.2% |
| Gerold Ray Peele Jr. | $229,490 | $78,825 | -65.7% |
| Jori W. Thompson | $119,134 | $72,842 | -38.9% |
| Terry Lee Harper | $135,602 | $72,769 | -46.3% |
| Zack Charles Wetherington | $137,821 | $71,039 | -48.5% |
| Billy Bryan | $6,292 | $69,830 | 1,009.8% |
| Robert W. Alley | $31,907 | $64,483 | 102.1% |
| Jerred C. Bullard | $167,745 | $62,863 | -62.5% |
| Evergreen Produce, LLC | $101,517 | $62,156 | -38.8% |
| M J Taylor Farms, Inc. | $98,340 | $61,061 | -37.9% |
| Annette Joiner | $98,183 | $60,333 | -38.6% |
| Ernest G. Joiner | $98,186 | $60,333 | -38.6% |
| Yvonna Sue Alley | $0 | $57,761 | -- |
| Doug Alley | $134,244 | $57,730 | -57% |
| Michael Tytus Baker | $96,661 | $55,522 | -42.6% |
| Franks Farms, Inc. | $119,768 | $54,284 | -54.7% |
| James R. Betts II | $107,708 | $53,613 | -50.2% |
| Jameson Duane Wetherington | $107,862 | $53,530 | -50.4% |
| Derrell C. Bennett | $123,971 | $53,454 | -56.9% |
| Jeff Sumner | $68,443 | $50,084 | -26.8% |
| Michael Craig Betts | $108,837 | $49,141 | -54.8% |
| Kevin Bruce Betts | $102,757 | $48,893 | -52.4% |
| Brian Edward Betts | $103,136 | $48,811 | -52.7% |
| Ernest Chip Joiner Jr. | $71,414 | $46,798 | -34.5% |
| Clint H. Bullard | $118,457 | $43,531 | -63.3% |
| Acree Investment, Ltd. | $50,000 | $41,755 | -16.5% |
| Terrell Henry Rutland | $121,723 | $40,794 | -66.5% |
| Chaddrick R Sumner | $46,883 | $38,207 | -18.5% |
| Lance Pleamon Golden | $62,418 | $36,820 | -41% |
| Joseph Michael Baker | $54,643 | $32,434 | -40.6% |
| Jason Wlliam Golden | $53,079 | $32,268 | -39.2% |
| Steve W. Register | $54,315 | $31,890 | -41.3% |
| P. H. Danforth | $48,234 | $31,836 | -34% |
| Bee-Lieve Farms Bee-Lieve Apiaries, LLC | $376 | $30,370 | 7,977.1% |
| Howard Kirk McDaniel | $37,075 | $28,767 | -22.4% |
| Brett Bullard | $43,960 | $26,942 | -38.7% |
| Lamar Betts | $60,558 | $25,150 | -58.5% |
| Michael B. Betts | $60,565 | $25,149 | -58.5% |
| James Earl Rice | $32,531 | $25,083 | -22.9% |
| Michael W. Lindsey | $47,322 | $24,787 | -47.6% |
| Justin S. Shealey | $45,894 | $23,976 | -47.8% |
| Gresham Plantation, LLC | $91,910 | $21,620 | -76.5% |
| Sue W. Baker | $45,101 | $20,463 | -54.6% |
| Faith Danforth | $31,709 | $20,279 | -36% |
| William H. Danforth | $22,059 | $17,352 | -21.3% |
| Dennis Dewayne Griffin | $39,850 | $17,216 | -56.8% |
| John G. Sumner | $37,260 | $15,711 | -57.8% |
| M J Taylor Farms, GP | $219,310 | $15,400 | -93% |
| James J Wiggins | $16,161 | $14,744 | -8.8% |
| James Benjamin Tucker | $14,407 | $13,913 | -3.4% |
| Benjamin L. Griner | $26,697 | $11,545 | -56.8% |
| Laries M Browning | $17,287 | $11,147 | -35.5% |
| Larry Arnold | $16,342 | $10,687 | -34.6% |
| William Parrish | $3,583 | $10,278 | 186.9% |
| Terry Danforth | $508,261 | $9,780 | -98.1% |
| New River Cattle, LLC | $28,909 | $9,772 | -66.2% |
| Austin Payne Bloser | $92,766 | $8,757 | -90.6% |
| Margaret Faye Rountree | $8,963 | $8,358 | -6.7% |
| Frank J. Alley | $26,925 | $8,243 | -69.4% |
| Bradley A. McDaniel | $11,767 | $8,047 | -31.6% |
| Joseph D. Hester | $8,012 | $8,012 | 0% |
| Long Bridge Farms, LLC | $13,329 | $6,173 | -53.7% |
| William Dale Clements | $9,977 | $6,171 | -38.1% |
| Renee Cannington | $8,111 | $6,021 | -25.8% |
| VRB Investments, LLC | $5,675 | $5,675 | 0% |
| Charlie Whit Harper | $16,412 | $5,505 | -66.5% |
| Fred Eugene Purvis | $26,010 | $5,146 | -80.2% |
| Andrell Joe Drawdy | $6,358 | $4,788 | -24.7% |
| Christi C. Clements | $4,728 | $4,728 | 0% |
| Preston Williams | $6,245 | $4,632 | -25.8% |
| Jimmie F. Hinson | $5,433 | $4,291 | -21% |
| Robert Green | $11,036 | $4,272 | -61.3% |
| Mark F. Paulk | $8,465 | $4,032 | -52.4% |
| Donald E. Simmons | $13,155 | $4,010 | -69.5% |
| William Chad Bush | $3,946 | $3,946 | 0% |
| Selmon Dewade Bostic | $14,074 | $3,939 | -72% |
| Michael Lorne Rountree | $8,192 | $3,510 | -57.2% |
| Hunter Michael Folsom | $870 | $2,931 | 236.9% |
| Carey L. Norton | $5,140 | $2,919 | -43.2% |
| William D. Hester | $2,911 | $2,911 | 0% |
| Harold Simpson | $2,877 | $2,877 | 0% |
| Cynthia Holt Moore | $2,849 | $2,849 | 0% |
| Phillip Guy Williams | $5,057 | $2,840 | -43.8% |
| Edward F. Allen | $10,293 | $2,833 | -72.5% |
| Robert F. Rogers | $3,080 | $2,833 | -8% |
| Allison Lyn Baker | $967 | $2,750 | 184.4% |
| Jim Newberry | $2,941 | $2,546 | -13.4% |
| Jordon T. Hester | $2,533 | $2,533 | 0% |
| Harry Whiddon Family Trust | $2,822 | $2,333 | -17.3% |
| Cora Mae Sumner | $9,702 | $2,308 | -76.2% |
| Michael Benefield | $3,824 | $2,163 | -43.4% |
| Thomas Lindsey Parrish Farm Trust | $4,375 | $2,131 | -51.3% |
| Steven J. Shealey | $12,926 | $2,118 | -83.6% |
| Gene A. Sumner | $4,066 | $2,092 | -48.5% |
| Jane Davis | $3,898 | $1,764 | -54.7% |
| Deborah S. Lindsey | $1,762 | $1,762 | 0% |
| Becky Pitts Hester | $1,713 | $1,713 | 0% |
| Tanner Carlton Bennett | $5,965 | $1,710 | -71.3% |
| Alan R. Dukes | $7,568 | $1,661 | -78.1% |
| Terry Pafford | $7,590 | $1,642 | -78.4% |
| Lenton Chase Daughtrey | $6,947 | $1,559 | -77.6% |
| Laura Renee Stone | $6,380 | $1,510 | -76.3% |
| Jennifer Wetherington | $1,284 | $1,284 | 0% |
| James Daniel Parrish | $1,242 | $1,242 | 0% |
| RLA Family, LLC | $5,228 | $1,160 | -77.8% |
| Dale V. Boone | $4,103 | $999 | -75.7% |
| Ronnie Hodges | $8,998 | $995 | -88.9% |
| Jeremy Scott Thompson | $7,786 | $994 | -87.2% |
| William H. Godwin Jr. | $6,976 | $889 | -87.3% |
| Robert E. Lindsey | $3,091 | $846 | -72.6% |
| Gerold Ray Peele Sr. | $0 | $835 | -- |
| J. S. Simmons Jr. | $4,501 | $813 | -81.9% |
| David Ross Purvis | $4,846 | $811 | -83.3% |
| Stanley Castleberry | $3,733 | $777 | -79.2% |
| Rachel Hiers Betts | $5,080 | $765 | -84.9% |
| Ricky E. Gandy | $3,477 | $761 | -78.1% |
| Shannan Walker | $743 | $743 | 0% |
| Gerald Green | $1,413 | $738 | -47.8% |
| Sue Wall | $4,430 | $724 | -83.7% |
| Edward J. Giddens | $2,118 | $717 | -66.1% |
| Irving Jerome Lewis | $3,215 | $676 | -79% |
| Wayne Hiers | $662 | $662 | 0% |
| David R. Baker | $4,158 | $634 | -84.8% |
| Royce Kendrick | $2,827 | $605 | -78.6% |
| John E. Gaskins | $2,802 | $572 | -79.6% |
| Stephanie Jackson | $2,024 | $568 | -71.9% |
| Joseph Mitchel Bennett | $0 | $533 | -- |
| Rodney Myers | $1,023 | $529 | -48.3% |
| David Gregory Folsom | $3,115 | $512 | -83.6% |
| Elmer Ed Bryan | $1,825 | $502 | -72.5% |
| Rachael S. Vanbrackle | $2,877 | $463 | -83.9% |
| Thomas P. Parrish | $2,002 | $429 | -78.6% |
| Brian F. Kelly | $754 | $414 | -45.1% |
| Hope Arnold Betts | $1,155 | $399 | -65.5% |
| John Jacob Robinson | $1,529 | $380 | -75.1% |
| Dennis Roberts | $2,112 | $371 | -82.4% |
| Ronnie J Sumner Estate | $80 | $340 | 325% |
| Brandon Lee Rutland | $305 | $305 | 0% |
| David Lee Rutland | $305 | $305 | 0% |
| Jeffrey Rutland | $305 | $305 | 0% |
| Kevin Weeks | $957 | $287 | -70% |
| Lowell T. Hiers | $1,637 | $277 | -83.1% |
| Hugh James Lewis | $1,310 | $276 | -78.9% |
| Charla Hilliard | $1,200 | $242 | -79.8% |
| John Wm Twomey | $968 | $232 | -76% |
| Zane Perry Folsom | $1,001 | $230 | -77% |
| Gary Godwin | $880 | $218 | -75.2% |
| Chase Harrell | $2,002 | $196 | -90.2% |
| Donival Brown | $1,309 | $194 | -85.2% |
| Guy A. Daughtrey | $1,298 | $145 | -88.8% |
| Crumley & Son Contracting, LLC | $1,055 | $140 | -86.7% |
| Edwin Earl Joiner Jr. | $324 | $110 | -66% |
| Julian Jack Joiner III | $324 | $110 | -66% |
| Jared Howell | $74 | $99 | 33.8% |
| Lowell Dan Hiers | $275 | $92 | -66.5% |
| Troy Philpot | $396 | $90 | -77.3% |
| Brittany Ellis Betts | $231 | $90 | -61% |
| Jimmy L. Parker | $50 | $23 | -54% |
| Bruce Howell | $356 | $20 | -94.4% |
| Alana Jade Bloser | $55,443 | $0 | -100% |
| Brent Bloser Farms, LLC | $74,480 | $0 | -100% |
| George M. Fiveash | $1,320 | $0 | -100% |
| James C. Hancock | $356 | $0 | -100% |
| Julian Leroy Howell | $1,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth Allen Baldree | $2,750 | $0 | -100% |
| Mattie E. Whitman | $3,216 | $0 | -100% |
| Paul Witherspoon | $258 | $0 | -100% |
| Ray Evelyn Bloser | $7,929 | $0 | -100% |
| Russell A. Acree | $4,245 | $0 | -100% |
| Slade Mercer | $6,054 | $0 | -100% |
| Betty Sutton | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Doris F. Arnold | $2,640 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth Rutland | $14,010 | $0 | -100% |
| Elmer C. Sumner | $18,172 | $0 | -100% |
| Glady's Louise Williams | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Howard Austin Woodall | $1,406 | $0 | -100% |
| James Cook | $384 | $0 | -100% |
| John F. Davis | $156,183 | $0 | -100% |
| John William Baker Jr. | $13,671 | $0 | -100% |
| Kane Matthew Staines | $208 | $0 | -100% |
| Regina C. Bryant | $715 | $0 | -100% |
| Ricky D. Nugent | $244 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronnie Joe Sumner | $259 | $0 | -100% |
| Roy G. Lynch | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandra R. Sumner | $359 | $0 | -100% |
| Sarah Wood | $220 | $0 | -100% |
| Sylvia Rosas | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Bee Lieve Apiaries | $38,378 | $0 | -100% |
| Eddy Gutierrez | $161 | $0 | -100% |
| Joshua Thomas Bryan | $915 | $0 | -100% |
| Shane Allen May | $6,510 | $0 | -100% |
| Wendy Gaskins | $12,778 | $0 | -100% |
| William H. Bush | $4,245 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $12,056,340 | $6,114,278 | -49.3% |
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