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In 2021, 67 farmers in cities within Magoffin County received a total of $120,344 in 72 farm subsidies, a 23.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $156,709 in 222 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Russell | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Robert Michael Vanhoose | $2,688 | $36,222 | 1,247.5% |
| Rondal Reed | $4,697 | $3,135 | -33.3% |
| James E. Ratliff II | $7,970 | $1,711 | -78.5% |
| Scotty McCarty | $9,666 | $1,690 | -82.5% |
| Christopher Allen Reed | $6,325 | $1,646 | -74% |
| William Henry Howes | $1,860 | $1,422 | -23.5% |
| Custer Allen Jr. | $6,268 | $1,394 | -77.8% |
| Patricia A. Frazier | $4,708 | $1,162 | -75.3% |
| Patrick Neal Prater | $4,092 | $899 | -78% |
| Dwayne Skaggs | $0 | $825 | -- |
| Jeremy Lovely | $4,292 | $785 | -81.7% |
| Brandon Holliday | $4,551 | $578 | -87.3% |
| Malcolm Howard | $1,596 | $570 | -64.3% |
| Lynn Reed | $5,209 | $568 | -89.1% |
| Carroll Edison McCarty | $2,893 | $532 | -81.6% |
| Jerry R. McCarty | $1,059 | $530 | -50% |
| Jeffrey Howard | $1,663 | $528 | -68.3% |
| Noah Patrick | $2,773 | $528 | -81% |
| Donald Ray Gardner | $4,494 | $520 | -88.4% |
| Alex Patrick | $2,203 | $506 | -77% |
| Danny McCarty | $2,508 | $502 | -80% |
| Nicholas D. Stephens | $2,646 | $468 | -82.3% |
| Carter Whitaker | $1,936 | $462 | -76.1% |
| Ryan Wesley Gilliland | $2,188 | $450 | -79.4% |
| B. F. Gardner | $1,086 | $430 | -60.4% |
| Lowell Arnett | $2,565 | $419 | -83.7% |
| Barbara A. Gilliland | $1,697 | $411 | -75.8% |
| Beecher McCarty Jr. | $1,474 | $366 | -75.2% |
| Johnie Green | $9,330 | $350 | -96.2% |
| Paul E. Marsillett | $1,481 | $346 | -76.6% |
| Dustin L. Risner | $2,944 | $339 | -88.5% |
| Cora Rose Bolen | $1,439 | $338 | -76.5% |
| Anthony Gil Howard | $0 | $330 | -- |
| Grover Arnett | $2,103 | $322 | -84.7% |
| Keith Hoskins | $1,309 | $321 | -75.5% |
| Pamela Sue Williams | $2,261 | $315 | -86.1% |
| Kevin Holderby | $1,397 | $312 | -77.7% |
| Adam L. Collinsworth | $1,188 | $301 | -74.7% |
| Joseph K. Binkowski | $1,205 | $298 | -75.3% |
| Ressie Joseph | $2,469 | $287 | -88.4% |
| Katherine Williams | $887 | $280 | -68.4% |
| Maurine Arnett | $1,384 | $276 | -80.1% |
| Avavan a Deaton | $1,530 | $246 | -83.9% |
| Elton Shannon O'Neal | $1,401 | $246 | -82.4% |
| Marvin Bailey | $968 | $239 | -75.3% |
| James F. Arnett | $682 | $236 | -65.4% |
| Garth Risner | $1,056 | $232 | -78% |
| Jennifer Tackett | $1,001 | $232 | -76.8% |
| Philip Whitley | $1,089 | $231 | -78.8% |
| Freda McNew | $1,603 | $228 | -85.8% |
| Pitt Connelley | $1,177 | $225 | -80.9% |
| Jenna Mullins | $0 | $220 | -- |
| Jeremy Collett | $891 | $188 | -78.9% |
| Jackie L. Minix | $473 | $176 | -62.8% |
| Andy Arnett | $359 | $140 | -61% |
| Carolyn Ward | $484 | $137 | -71.7% |
| Dallas Howard | $948 | $132 | -86.1% |
| Jackie Prater | $429 | $124 | -71.1% |
| Charles Rex Ward | $704 | $121 | -82.8% |
| Robert Earl Beller | $0 | $110 | -- |
| Stanley Holbrook | $553 | $90 | -83.7% |
| Bobby Blanton | $363 | $83 | -77.1% |
| Kenneth Blake Isaac | $462 | $57 | -87.7% |
| Kenny R. Isaac | $154 | $42 | -72.7% |
| Peggy Howard | $0 | $42 | -- |
| Eleanor Whitt | $0 | $18 | -- |
| Annis Keeth | $46 | $0 | -100% |
| Beneita Adams | $35 | $0 | -100% |
| Betty Jenkins | $20 | $0 | -100% |
| Bobby Bailey | $495 | $0 | -100% |
| Brenda McCarty | $37 | $0 | -100% |
| Buretta Arnett | $53 | $0 | -100% |
| Callie S. Stephens | $32 | $0 | -100% |
| Charlotte Howard | $5,407 | $0 | -100% |
| Clifford Bolen | $286 | $0 | -100% |
| Darrel D. Keeth | $92 | $0 | -100% |
| David Lykins | $323 | $0 | -100% |
| Denzil Patrick | $81 | $0 | -100% |
| Devin R. Rice | $120 | $0 | -100% |
| Donnie Ray Wireman | $330 | $0 | -100% |
| Douglas Mullins | $65 | $0 | -100% |
| Emily Marsillett | $21 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric Patrick | $40 | $0 | -100% |
| Eva Bailey Howard | $35 | $0 | -100% |
| Garry D. Oney | $258 | $0 | -100% |
| Gwendolyn Arnett | $165 | $0 | -100% |
| Helen Bailey | $20 | $0 | -100% |
| James J. Howard | $17 | $0 | -100% |
| Jennifer Wireman | $11 | $0 | -100% |
| Johnny Neil Minix | $3,128 | $0 | -100% |
| Leroy Wisecup | $13 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Faye Howard | $35 | $0 | -100% |
| Lorraine Cheek | $21 | $0 | -100% |
| Louis Mann | $36 | $0 | -100% |
| Louis Powers | $62 | $0 | -100% |
| Lowell S. May | $130 | $0 | -100% |
| Luster Howard | $75 | $0 | -100% |
| Marvin McCarty | $652 | $0 | -100% |
| Miltilda Adams | $84 | $0 | -100% |
| Nella J. Spurlock | $56 | $0 | -100% |
| Pamela Green | $39 | $0 | -100% |
| Phyllis Whitaker | $24 | $0 | -100% |
| R. C. May | $270 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert B. Arnett | $429 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Blanton | $1,072 | $0 | -100% |
| Roby Gullett | $2 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronnie P. Collett | $1,379 | $0 | -100% |
| Rouie L Reed | $10 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandra H Rowe-Back | $2 | $0 | -100% |
| Sheila Salyer | $47 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas W. Green | $266 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy Jenkins | $57 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $156,709 | $120,344 | -23.2% |
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