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In 2021, 139 farmers in cities within Spartanburg County received a total of $639,280 in 177 farm subsidies, a 66.6% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.9 million in 435 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 Spartanburg County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| William G. Sarratt | $181,439 | $107,029 | -41% |
| Sarratt Farm Poultry, LLC | $0 | $63,346 | -- |
| Charles F Harlan Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Emery Brothers Timber, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Steve Lawter | $34,739 | $24,903 | -28.3% |
| AGF, LLC | $11,049 | $22,098 | 100% |
| Del Valle Fresh NC, Inc. | $4,526 | $21,556 | 376.3% |
| Del Valle Fresh School, Inc. | $7,958 | $20,710 | 160.2% |
| Nathan B. Williams | $26,552 | $18,470 | -30.4% |
| J L Belue Farms, LLC | $167,219 | $18,230 | -89.1% |
| Abbott Farms, Inc. | $39,329 | $15,664 | -60.2% |
| Cornerstone Farms, LLC | $22,485 | $14,802 | -34.2% |
| Fowlers Peaches & Vegetables, LLC | $58,086 | $10,748 | -81.5% |
| Ben E. Walters | $8,825 | $8,825 | 0% |
| Kenneth F. Davis | $32,322 | $7,891 | -75.6% |
| Winfield S. Worrall III | $6,507 | $6,507 | 0% |
| Sunny Slope Farms | $8,913 | $6,334 | -28.9% |
| The Mabel H Hospital Revocable Trust | $17,722 | $5,749 | -67.6% |
| Hyder Farms, Inc. | $47,339 | $5,444 | -88.5% |
| Kenneth V. Poteat | $10,514 | $5,405 | -48.6% |
| Hunter Bruce | $10,111 | $4,976 | -50.8% |
| Philip G. Smith | $29,001 | $4,908 | -83.1% |
| Michael R. Vaughn | $41,202 | $4,876 | -88.2% |
| Rebecca K. Stuart | $4,703 | $4,703 | 0% |
| Dennis Smith | $19,358 | $4,538 | -76.6% |
| Adrian G. Jolley | $17,736 | $3,988 | -77.5% |
| Anthony W. Owens | $36,588 | $3,764 | -89.7% |
| Jackie T. Rogers | $3,567 | $3,649 | 2.3% |
| Paul B. Wilkie | $14,187 | $3,494 | -75.4% |
| Circle F Farms, LLC | $17,902 | $3,348 | -81.3% |
| Susan K Burnside Rev Trustee | $3,301 | $3,301 | 0% |
| Mountain View Farms of Spartanburg, LLC | $0 | $3,244 | -- |
| Ges Farms, LLC | $13,426 | $3,241 | -75.9% |
| Walnut Grove Auction & Realty Company, Inc. | $0 | $3,209 | -- |
| Charles Woodruff | $22,216 | $3,170 | -85.7% |
| Gerald D. Fowler | $5,080 | $3,162 | -37.8% |
| Preston S. Skinner | $2,874 | $2,868 | -0.2% |
| Charles Harlan | $0 | $2,860 | -- |
| Barbed H Land and Cattle Company, LLC | $0 | $2,707 | -- |
| Redland, LLC | $3,532 | $2,664 | -24.6% |
| Tina Ledford | $2,549 | $2,549 | 0% |
| Walter Tim Caldwell | $16,007 | $2,229 | -86.1% |
| Bruce Davidson | $18,447 | $2,169 | -88.2% |
| Abbott Gas, Inc. | $22,375 | $2,013 | -91% |
| W. R. Ridgeway | $3,147 | $1,985 | -36.9% |
| Duane M. Thompson | $5,667 | $1,871 | -67% |
| Walker Farm, LLC | $1,663 | $1,833 | 10.2% |
| Edna S West | $1,918 | $1,800 | -6.2% |
| Wayne H. Thackston | $23,568 | $1,765 | -92.5% |
| Ray A. Hatchett | $12,885 | $1,759 | -86.3% |
| Michael Randolph Montjoy | $6,699 | $1,683 | -74.9% |
| Angus mac Stewart | $7,722 | $1,629 | -78.9% |
| Stumpy Hill Farm, LLC | $9,459 | $1,571 | -83.4% |
| Andrew Williams | $2,072 | $1,485 | -28.3% |
| Vithaya Senchantixay | $0 | $1,485 | -- |
| Ben C. Harrison Sr. | $3,010 | $1,435 | -52.3% |
| Thicketty Mountain Farms, LLC | $12,107 | $1,432 | -88.2% |
| Asbjorn Kvammen | $1,406 | $1,406 | 0% |
| Joan E. Strong | $1,404 | $1,404 | 0% |
| Timothy W. Elmore | $11,000 | $1,383 | -87.4% |
| John D. Millwood | $8,708 | $1,226 | -85.9% |
| Glenn D. Blackwell | $11,545 | $1,207 | -89.5% |
| Connie Hyatt | $17,430 | $1,174 | -93.3% |
| Family Time Land & Farm, LLC | $0 | $1,136 | -- |
| Charles E. Montgomery | $8,073 | $1,118 | -86.2% |
| Larry Wayne Tomlin | $4,426 | $1,114 | -74.8% |
| Wilber Kennedy | $10,446 | $1,113 | -89.3% |
| Brian L. Blackwell | $6,439 | $1,110 | -82.8% |
| Timothy Gibson | $6,297 | $1,012 | -83.9% |
| Alfred Holden | $11,485 | $1,008 | -91.2% |
| Dotsy, LLC | $1,750 | $976 | -44.2% |
| Edward E. Brown | $3,971 | $962 | -75.8% |
| Douglas A. Stacey | $952 | $952 | 0% |
| Howard R. Rollins | $16,758 | $934 | -94.4% |
| Glen J. Bauer | $931 | $931 | 0% |
| Angrus Lamar Fowler | $8,765 | $922 | -89.5% |
| William C. Cash Jr. | $4,341 | $918 | -78.9% |
| Joseph D. McElrath | $6,020 | $911 | -84.9% |
| Sarah Smith | $0 | $901 | -- |
| Robert E Ivey Trust | $11,729 | $889 | -92.4% |
| Allen L. Newman | $3,465 | $883 | -74.5% |
| Longview Stock Farm, Inc. | $9,689 | $858 | -91.1% |
| Richard G. Carr | $694 | $796 | 14.7% |
| Glenn Alton Brumfield | $795 | $795 | 0% |
| Lee Farms | $9,811 | $784 | -92% |
| Terry R. McDowell | $6,350 | $768 | -87.9% |
| James Kelly Beeler | $1,496 | $713 | -52.3% |
| Richard Ledbetter Jr. | $2,783 | $646 | -76.8% |
| Jerry D. McDowell | $3,058 | $609 | -80.1% |
| Rufus Johnson | $3,645 | $594 | -83.7% |
| Charles M. Bobo | $3,103 | $553 | -82.2% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity Credit Corporation | $0 | $552 | -- |
| Shelton Ray White | $0 | $550 | -- |
| William David Fowler | $1,507 | $517 | -65.7% |
| Samuel A. McCraw | $4,059 | $477 | -88.2% |
| Nigel K. Cox | $3,449 | $469 | -86.4% |
| F. E. Hendrix | $452 | $452 | 0% |
| Lewis E. Taylor | $3,071 | $446 | -85.5% |
| Julie M. McCraw | $990 | $446 | -54.9% |
| Daniel W. Waddell | $6,170 | $436 | -92.9% |
| William L. Turner | $3,920 | $402 | -89.7% |
| Preston Edmonds | $3,137 | $402 | -87.2% |
| Daniel Spencer | $2,551 | $394 | -84.6% |
| Lynne C. McAbee | $2,628 | $393 | -85% |
| Cecil Atkins | $8,001 | $381 | -95.2% |
| Bobby D. Page | $2,402 | $377 | -84.3% |
| Marie T. Heatley | $1,857 | $361 | -80.6% |
| Jeffrey H. Smith | $345 | $345 | 0% |
| Timothy E. Smith | $345 | $345 | 0% |
| Eric Finch | $3,341 | $345 | -89.7% |
| Eudora W. Graham | $739 | $332 | -55.1% |
| Angela F. Smith | $1,064 | $323 | -69.6% |
| Barry Rogers | $1,441 | $314 | -78.2% |
| Louie W. Blanton | $2,058 | $310 | -84.9% |
| Rubie H. Yonce | $0 | $303 | -- |
| Kenneth Scott Lee | $521 | $300 | -42.4% |
| Hilary Alton Fisher III | $1,562 | $291 | -81.4% |
| Thomas Bulman | $2,287 | $270 | -88.2% |
| Jeff Taylor | $1,252 | $265 | -78.8% |
| Joe Howard | $251 | $251 | 0% |
| William P. Howard | $251 | $251 | 0% |
| Joseph Hilliard | $627 | $236 | -62.4% |
| Mary V. Lipscomb | $1,064 | $228 | -78.6% |
| James Edward Campbell Jr. | $1,860 | $227 | -87.8% |
| Brian Hart | $0 | $221 | -- |
| Michael P. Belue | $986 | $217 | -78% |
| Bethany Morin | $87 | $199 | 128.7% |
| Martin T. Martin | $780 | $173 | -77.8% |
| Sally W. Hiers | $651 | $163 | -75% |
| Charles E. Hayes | $262 | $160 | -38.9% |
| Brian Mitchell Campbell | $2,036 | $142 | -93% |
| Michael Todd Hunter | $638 | $138 | -78.4% |
| Carl E. Landrum | $0 | $110 | -- |
| US Treasury | $0 | $48 | -- |
| Nona M. Morgan | $749 | $47 | -93.7% |
| Helen Bass Bourgoyne | $93 | $45 | -51.6% |
| Luci W. Daley | $100 | $43 | -57% |
| Rita B. Mathis | $0 | $42 | -- |
| Flora R. Nodine | $1,451 | $11 | -99.2% |
| Mary K. Buckalew | $34 | $0 | -100% |
| Ricky W. Hammett | $830 | $0 | -100% |
| Danny M. Bruce | $5,425 | $0 | -100% |
| Geary C. Jolley | $66,955 | $0 | -100% |
| Joe Dean Smith | $5,696 | $0 | -100% |
| Tim Goodman | $13,118 | $0 | -100% |
| Cynthia F. Sanders | $40 | $0 | -100% |
| Davidson Farms, Inc. | $87,604 | $0 | -100% |
| Tyger River Smart Farm, Inc. | $29,764 | $0 | -100% |
| William a Leonard Bypass Trust | $926 | $0 | -100% |
| Stewart Farms and Greenhouses, LL | $32,196 | $0 | -100% |
| Blackwell Farms of Inman, LLC | $4,624 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian E. Reid | $2,315 | $0 | -100% |
| Carolyn H. Zimmerman | $83 | $0 | -100% |
| Craig Sims | $1,442 | $0 | -100% |
| Douglas H. Mock | $284 | $0 | -100% |
| James Douglas McCraw | $42 | $0 | -100% |
| Jesse Rhodes | $1,568 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruben E. Reid | $2,315 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas Ragan | $31,737 | $0 | -100% |
| Barbed H Land and Cattle Company | $12,980 | $0 | -100% |
| Hope M. Lewis | $1,573 | $0 | -100% |
| Mcmakin Farms, Inc. | $111,913 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert E. Jackson II | $4,313 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen J. Shankle | $829 | $0 | -100% |
| Vernon Scherer | $107 | $0 | -100% |
| Patrick D. Moore | $1,210 | $0 | -100% |
| Nicholas Pettit | $2,023 | $0 | -100% |
| Walnut Grove Auction & Realty Company | $36,498 | $0 | -100% |
| Ben C. Harrison Sr. | $2,798 | $0 | -100% |
| David L. Wilkins | $708 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Lowell Wise | $1,282 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Loan Programs | $765 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $16,413 | $0 | -100% |
| J&H Agricultural Enterprises, LLC | $4,975 | $0 | -100% |
| Janet Bagby | $311 | $0 | -100% |
| Landa Investments, LLC | $18,200 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary Ann Morrison | $418 | $0 | -100% |
| Mountain View Farms of Spartanbur | $10,791 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan M. Dunagin | $2,120 | $0 | -100% |
| Sean Blue | $495 | $0 | -100% |
| Amanda Elizabeth Felty 2012 Irrevocable Trust | $2,356 | $0 | -100% |
| Blue Ridge Rabbit Meat Company | $16,397 | $0 | -100% |
| Harp & Shamrock Croft, LLC | $4,206 | $0 | -100% |
| Pacific East Nursery, Inc. | $13,681 | $0 | -100% |
| Gene H. Bridwell | $877 | $0 | -100% |
| James A. Trammel | $3,973 | $0 | -100% |
| Judy Bishop Trust | $229 | $0 | -100% |
| Justin Ryan Theo | $660 | $0 | -100% |
| Karl M. Kelly | $550 | $0 | -100% |
| Mitchell Farms | $2,012 | $0 | -100% |
| Russell Vinson | $2,807 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,914,871 | $639,280 | -66.6% |
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