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In 2021, 123 farmers in cities within Washington County received a total of $2.9 million in 274 farm subsidies, a 47.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.5 million in 450 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spruill Farms | $517,293 | $333,455 | -35.5% |
| Harris Farms, Inc. | $528,284 | $201,090 | -61.9% |
| Providence Farms East, LLC | $202,334 | $155,892 | -23% |
| Askew Brothers | $153,387 | $114,657 | -25.2% |
| Davenport Family Farms, LLC | $201,027 | $110,214 | -45.2% |
| Darrel W. Davenport | $207,874 | $96,426 | -53.6% |
| Matt Respass | $250,243 | $88,237 | -64.7% |
| William R. Sexton Jr. | $177,984 | $88,234 | -50.4% |
| Elliott Farms, Inc. | $193,957 | $68,299 | -64.8% |
| G & E Farms | $105,249 | $66,340 | -37% |
| Thomas T. Holmes | $78,929 | $65,711 | -16.7% |
| Coastal Carolina Grain, LLC | $152,093 | $64,890 | -57.3% |
| Kendricks Creek Farms, Inc. | $90,775 | $57,731 | -36.4% |
| George Holmes | $126,302 | $56,875 | -55% |
| James K. Edwards | $113,435 | $55,523 | -51.1% |
| Barnes Logging Company, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| E & J Harvesters, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Jack O Barnes, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Jason E Barnes, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Seaboard Timber Company, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Edsel G Barnes III, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Jeremy P. James | $139,422 | $49,688 | -64.4% |
| Archie Ray Spear | $61,016 | $41,333 | -32.3% |
| Linda Spear | $68,323 | $41,030 | -39.9% |
| Scott A. James | $132,094 | $39,499 | -70.1% |
| Kelly W. James | $81,772 | $38,602 | -52.8% |
| J&P Eason Farms, Inc. | $50,320 | $38,385 | -23.7% |
| Michael Todd Phelps | $156,452 | $36,152 | -76.9% |
| Paul Biggs | $61,954 | $34,209 | -44.8% |
| David Leo Davenport Jr. | $109,378 | $34,173 | -68.8% |
| Brittany H Barnes, LLC | $0 | $32,618 | -- |
| Jack White Jr. | $71,496 | $31,839 | -55.5% |
| South Fork Farms, Inc. | $81,821 | $29,171 | -64.3% |
| Ricky D. Phelps | $77,657 | $26,495 | -65.9% |
| Jesse W. Respass | $37,861 | $26,269 | -30.6% |
| Ronald Lee Respass | $110,505 | $25,397 | -77% |
| Triple J, Inc. | $60,498 | $25,055 | -58.6% |
| Hilda F. Bundy | $46,127 | $24,222 | -47.5% |
| Charlie H. Bundy Jr. | $46,125 | $24,219 | -47.5% |
| Mack W. Marrow III | $0 | $23,873 | -- |
| Jerell Belcher | $0 | $18,915 | -- |
| Simpson Trucking | $0 | $18,664 | -- |
| Thomas D. Bailey | $0 | $18,502 | -- |
| Torrey A. Phelps | $84,039 | $17,196 | -79.5% |
| Douglas Maxwell | $48,017 | $16,971 | -64.7% |
| Colby G. Davenport | $26,936 | $16,939 | -37.1% |
| Troy Harold Sutton | $38,598 | $15,275 | -60.4% |
| Askew's Farm, Inc. | $33,926 | $15,014 | -55.7% |
| Eric Garrett Elliott | $38,828 | $13,760 | -64.6% |
| Tony Harrison | $18,442 | $11,767 | -36.2% |
| David A. Davenport | $18,473 | $11,587 | -37.3% |
| Bell Gray Farms, Inc. | $80,780 | $11,526 | -85.7% |
| Neal a Place | $18,790 | $11,079 | -41% |
| Ricky L. Spruill | $15,673 | $9,009 | -42.5% |
| Nevis Leary | $14,758 | $8,425 | -42.9% |
| Megan Amanda S. Spain | $11,580 | $8,026 | -30.7% |
| Dalen F. Holmes | $7,447 | $7,888 | 5.9% |
| Eric Stallings | $4,543 | $7,459 | 64.2% |
| Brock S. Phelps | $20,648 | $7,131 | -65.5% |
| Jack W. White III | $9,669 | $6,319 | -34.6% |
| Dennis L. Bowen | $12,080 | $6,301 | -47.8% |
| Trevar Johnson Eason | $7,316 | $5,914 | -19.2% |
| Myrtle R. Griffin | $9,179 | $5,712 | -37.8% |
| Bobby R. Cabarrus | $5,451 | $5,705 | 4.7% |
| Glenn Spear | $9,726 | $5,318 | -45.3% |
| Joe Gray Beasley | $10,548 | $4,663 | -55.8% |
| Marvin S. Brickhouse | $4,267 | $4,076 | -4.5% |
| Edward E. Craft | $3,990 | $3,990 | 0% |
| Raymond D. Bennett | $5,824 | $3,785 | -35% |
| John Stephen Barnes | $4,709 | $3,658 | -22.3% |
| Joe Christenberry | $5,253 | $3,190 | -39.3% |
| Harry B. Peele | $6,224 | $3,177 | -49% |
| Carolina Pride, Inc. | $5,392 | $3,072 | -43% |
| Edward W. Bateman | $11,451 | $3,064 | -73.2% |
| Glenwood Elliott | $4,724 | $2,712 | -42.6% |
| Mary D. Spruill | $4,940 | $2,662 | -46.1% |
| Christopher H. Hassell | $3,125 | $2,631 | -15.8% |
| Kevin R. Spear | $6,064 | $2,597 | -57.2% |
| Richard West Farms, Inc. | $2,202 | $2,451 | 11.3% |
| Keith Jordan | $2,433 | $2,433 | 0% |
| AL Harrison Farms, Inc. | $9,056 | $2,183 | -75.9% |
| Danny C. Phelps | $3,782 | $2,001 | -47.1% |
| Terry W. Phelps | $3,782 | $2,001 | -47.1% |
| Rhonda B. Biggs | $1,772 | $1,772 | 0% |
| Elizabeth Vanhorn | $1,497 | $1,497 | 0% |
| Scott Chandler | $2,552 | $1,468 | -42.5% |
| Kenneth Franklin Barnes Jr. | $918 | $1,443 | 57.2% |
| Anthony S. Harrison | $3,088 | $1,435 | -53.5% |
| Giles E. Stallings Jr. | $13,440 | $1,394 | -89.6% |
| Lyle Farming | $5,464 | $1,194 | -78.1% |
| Casey Donald Sawyer | $1,783 | $1,135 | -36.3% |
| Bradford D. Alexander | $1,705 | $1,093 | -35.9% |
| Betsy H. Craddock | $1,027 | $1,027 | 0% |
| Marsha H. Williams | $1,027 | $1,027 | 0% |
| Frank E. Wilkins | $1,306 | $996 | -23.7% |
| Patsy Lynn | $987 | $987 | 0% |
| James H. Davenport | $3,960 | $919 | -76.8% |
| Richard A. Evans | $1,306 | $786 | -39.8% |
| Wade M. Elliott | $1,923 | $765 | -60.2% |
| Selvie K. James | $713 | $713 | 0% |
| Sandy Ridge Grain Farm, LLC | $0 | $664 | -- |
| Lloyd Nobles | $1,182 | $649 | -45.1% |
| Alyce C. Furlough | $4,655 | $617 | -86.7% |
| Lisa Ann Davis | $701 | $575 | -18% |
| Brenda D. Midgette | $373 | $542 | 45.3% |
| Denise D. Phelps | $876 | $491 | -43.9% |
| Frank B. Atkinson Jr. | $1,262 | $488 | -61.3% |
| Horace Lee Ambrose | $992 | $485 | -51.1% |
| Jimmy S. Davenport | $927 | $454 | -51% |
| Timothy M. Seitzer | $0 | $353 | -- |
| Virginia O. Grimes | $2,999 | $287 | -90.4% |
| Phyllis B. Faulk | $249 | $249 | 0% |
| Harlin Blake Mixon | $0 | $246 | -- |
| Gregory Ty Rhodes | $445 | $183 | -58.9% |
| Cornelius Swain | $0 | $135 | -- |
| Reginald D. Phelps Jr. | $272 | $133 | -51.1% |
| Israel U Shachia | $0 | $133 | -- |
| Paul J. Spear | $206 | $101 | -51% |
| Lucy G. Spruill | $149 | $72 | -51.7% |
| Rouson Farm Market and Nursery, LLC | $0 | $39 | -- |
| Louise E. Askew | $532 | $29 | -94.5% |
| David H. Rouson Sr. | $0 | $25 | -- |
| Donna G. Swain | $62 | $24 | -61.3% |
| Brandon Clay Phelps | $281 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Laverne Phelps | $810 | $0 | -100% |
| Charlotte B. Maxwell | $702 | $0 | -100% |
| Gregory Davenport | $660 | $0 | -100% |
| John Higginbotham | $515 | $0 | -100% |
| AgCarolina Farm Credit, ACA | $3,694 | $0 | -100% |
| Gerald Dixon | $829 | $0 | -100% |
| Shirleyan Phelps | $6,250 | $0 | -100% |
| Crossroads Honey Farm, Inc. | $1,894 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth H. Foster | $332,935 | $0 | -100% |
| Harlin Mixon | $277 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard J. Small | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Louis Wilkins | $194 | $0 | -100% |
| William G. Gaylord | $428 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,534,746 | $2,924,426 | -47.2% |
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