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In 2021, 150 farmers in cities within Union Parish received a total of $2.2 million in 172 farm subsidies, a 70.3% increase from 2020, when the total was $1.3 million in 276 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmie Lane Johnson Jr. | $2,631 | $131,224 | 4,887.6% |
| Anthony Yakaboski | $56,142 | $117,074 | 108.5% |
| Bridget Buchanan | $0 | $116,576 | -- |
| Jeff S. Foster | $9,538 | $92,358 | 868.3% |
| Willie T. Sensley Jr. | $108,682 | $83,748 | -22.9% |
| County Line Farms | $0 | $82,814 | -- |
| DE Loutre View Farms | $77,847 | $80,236 | 3.1% |
| Kent Halley Farms | $0 | $68,735 | -- |
| Dylan Laster | $0 | $54,413 | -- |
| Lannan Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Aimwell Timber Company, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| D J Timber, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Dodd Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Halley Timber Company | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Halley Wood Products, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| North Louisiana Equipment Services | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Terral Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Joel Ball | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| TJ Miller, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Washington Brothers Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Angelia D. Harty | $0 | $49,511 | -- |
| W W Hogg Farm | $169,515 | $45,164 | -73.4% |
| J & K Trucking of Spearsville, LLC | $0 | $40,154 | -- |
| Benny Archie | $26,330 | $36,550 | 38.8% |
| Anne Binford Anderson | $10,626 | $33,395 | 214.3% |
| Thomas B. Wade | $0 | $31,704 | -- |
| Patricia Avery | $0 | $31,387 | -- |
| Meriman & Son, LLC | $0 | $24,425 | -- |
| Stephen L. Wade | $0 | $24,241 | -- |
| Evan Stanley Redden | $0 | $23,845 | -- |
| S & D Charles Trucking | $0 | $23,406 | -- |
| Jo Ellen Stevens | $24,927 | $21,655 | -13.1% |
| JTS Express | $0 | $19,902 | -- |
| Bobby Steve Elkins | $65,947 | $18,819 | -71.5% |
| Timothy A. Murphy | $0 | $18,753 | -- |
| Stanley Heath Redden | $0 | $18,707 | -- |
| Elvin G. Futch | $0 | $17,926 | -- |
| Boogity's Trucking, LLC | $0 | $17,440 | -- |
| Angel White Robertson | $9,499 | $16,615 | 74.9% |
| Rileys Trucking | $0 | $16,297 | -- |
| Nathan A. Futch | $0 | $14,353 | -- |
| Malcom Lee Trucking | $0 | $13,520 | -- |
| Thomas R. Hammons | $6,798 | $10,817 | 59.1% |
| Malcom Taylor | $0 | $10,279 | -- |
| Thomas & Stephen Wade Farm, LLC | $59,361 | $8,500 | -85.7% |
| Reyes Farm, LLC | $0 | $8,221 | -- |
| Zach H. Alford | $20,405 | $5,425 | -73.4% |
| Nick Andrews | $0 | $5,172 | -- |
| James L. Fortenberry | $4,766 | $4,925 | 3.3% |
| Deloutre Property Rentals, LLC | $15,961 | $4,723 | -70.4% |
| Robert Russell Wade | $29,064 | $4,585 | -84.2% |
| John Jacob Wade | $17,681 | $4,463 | -74.8% |
| Betty Jo Farley | $4,460 | $4,460 | 0% |
| Marvin Lee Moon II | $18,876 | $4,375 | -76.8% |
| Kenneth D. Auger | $32,945 | $4,253 | -87.1% |
| Robert E. Stevens | $12,238 | $3,772 | -69.2% |
| Jeri V. Hearn | $22,205 | $2,838 | -87.2% |
| Double T Farms of Union, LLC | $44,674 | $2,824 | -93.7% |
| Keith Laster | $8,888 | $2,636 | -70.3% |
| John H. Rosa | $2,631 | $2,631 | 0% |
| Kathy Joyce McAdams | $5,917 | $2,568 | -56.6% |
| Valerie Elkins | $5,917 | $2,568 | -56.6% |
| Phoenix Four, LLC | $6,825 | $2,478 | -63.7% |
| Stowe Creek Land Company | $2,458 | $2,458 | 0% |
| Carolyn Bunch | $1,915 | $2,416 | 26.2% |
| Perry K. Bunch | $1,915 | $2,416 | 26.2% |
| Percy G. Wade Jr. | $16,121 | $2,396 | -85.1% |
| Richard D. Elkins | $11,371 | $2,280 | -79.9% |
| Gloria Jean Kenly | $6,930 | $2,279 | -67.1% |
| Joiner Lane Risinger | $11,255 | $2,169 | -80.7% |
| Melton Gray Edwards III | $11,781 | $2,094 | -82.2% |
| Jimmie L. Johnson | $4,290 | $2,047 | -52.3% |
| Lois C. Redd | $4,199 | $1,929 | -54.1% |
| Donnette W. Bennett | $9,539 | $1,888 | -80.2% |
| Donald R. Riggins | $10,098 | $1,879 | -81.4% |
| Steven M. Dixon | $8,510 | $1,841 | -78.4% |
| Sandra J. Frederick | $8,217 | $1,764 | -78.5% |
| Tommy J. Bennett | $10,622 | $1,687 | -84.1% |
| Stanley William Jiles | $5,423 | $1,680 | -69% |
| Jason Bradley Futch | $7,876 | $1,674 | -78.7% |
| Patrick Risinger | $7,733 | $1,618 | -79.1% |
| Paul Hutto | $6,886 | $1,588 | -76.9% |
| Marcus Grier | $8,880 | $1,570 | -82.3% |
| Tiger Bayou Land, LLC | $1,568 | $1,568 | 0% |
| Dusty Adcock | $6,776 | $1,563 | -76.9% |
| Harry Cook Jr. | $3,630 | $1,518 | -58.2% |
| Barbara Risinger | $5,500 | $1,443 | -73.8% |
| Mickey Thurman | $8,160 | $1,430 | -82.5% |
| Chris E. Hightower | $8,332 | $1,397 | -83.2% |
| Ryan F. Broussard | $7,187 | $1,360 | -81.1% |
| Brandon Lee Dixon | $6,655 | $1,356 | -79.6% |
| Leland Rawls | $1,353 | $1,353 | 0% |
| Paul Hayes | $6,127 | $1,343 | -78.1% |
| Bruce Hampton | $1,753 | $1,284 | -26.8% |
| Hez N Elkins | $6,550 | $1,282 | -80.4% |
| Kenneth Lane Nelson | $6,043 | $1,263 | -79.1% |
| Chad L Towns | $3,168 | $1,231 | -61.1% |
| William S. Lemoine | $5,302 | $1,230 | -76.8% |
| Richard Towns | $3,223 | $1,207 | -62.6% |
| Marvin R. Neal | $3,432 | $1,202 | -65% |
| Casey E Towns | $3,157 | $1,172 | -62.9% |
| Matthew B. Wade | $5,275 | $1,103 | -79.1% |
| Jared Bowen | $5,594 | $1,082 | -80.7% |
| Brad Risinger | $7,069 | $1,032 | -85.4% |
| Kane R. Auger | $3,333 | $1,023 | -69.3% |
| Samuel Mack Thurman | $5,336 | $999 | -81.3% |
| Charles Cater Jr. | $3,705 | $976 | -73.7% |
| Don J. Auger | $4,653 | $962 | -79.3% |
| James David Bennett | $6,458 | $927 | -85.6% |
| Sandra B. Cooper | $3,003 | $876 | -70.8% |
| Lanny S. Parker | $4,235 | $859 | -79.7% |
| Karen Allen Lemoine | $3,427 | $847 | -75.3% |
| William Laster | $3,938 | $847 | -78.5% |
| Gerald Randal Post | $4,279 | $845 | -80.3% |
| Walter Wainwright | $4,612 | $833 | -81.9% |
| Randall Bowen | $4,651 | $830 | -82.2% |
| Phillip Lee Whitlock | $3,696 | $813 | -78% |
| Douglas Cooper | $2,871 | $772 | -73.1% |
| Shannon Stewart | $4,523 | $760 | -83.2% |
| David Henderson | $3,190 | $740 | -76.8% |
| James G. Thurston | $3,443 | $693 | -79.9% |
| Michael G. Holley | $2,959 | $687 | -76.8% |
| Ginger Kaye Netherland | $686 | $686 | 0% |
| Robert W. Prince | $1,421 | $656 | -53.8% |
| Andy Bush | $3,182 | $640 | -79.9% |
| Chad J. Verdin | $3,339 | $621 | -81.4% |
| Joshua Cade Rockett | $3,069 | $617 | -79.9% |
| Rodney Smith | $1,683 | $545 | -67.6% |
| Joan Atwell | $1,881 | $540 | -71.3% |
| Mannie Rockett | $2,387 | $488 | -79.6% |
| Cecilia P Robian | $470 | $470 | 0% |
| Douglas Upshaw | $2,485 | $460 | -81.5% |
| Cecil W. Jones | $1,642 | $401 | -75.6% |
| Trinidad J. Medina | $1,804 | $399 | -77.9% |
| Darren Ray Cooper | $1,989 | $386 | -80.6% |
| Christopher Riley Johnson | $3,263 | $380 | -88.4% |
| Verdell W Ventroy | $2,143 | $357 | -83.3% |
| James M. Leggett | $1,752 | $323 | -81.6% |
| J. L. Williams | $1,540 | $318 | -79.4% |
| Charles L. Jones | $1,034 | $294 | -71.6% |
| Quaniece Andrews | $0 | $275 | -- |
| Joel Williams | $1,749 | $274 | -84.3% |
| Cynthia C. Aaron | $494 | $257 | -48% |
| James F. Wicker | $968 | $250 | -74.2% |
| JRN Farms, LLC | $1,662 | $249 | -85% |
| Arnold Lee | $1,012 | $242 | -76.1% |
| L. J. Laster | $913 | $204 | -77.7% |
| Bobby McCullin | $446 | $169 | -62.1% |
| MacY Hughes | $633 | $107 | -83.1% |
| Tracey Ivy Brock | $118 | $31 | -73.7% |
| John Drury Cook | $2,475 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry Allen | $2,484 | $0 | -100% |
| Tony C Robian | $1,442 | $0 | -100% |
| Frances Dereuisseaux | $1,163 | $0 | -100% |
| Gene a Dereuisseaux | $2,326 | $0 | -100% |
| Randall Alexander | $385 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,269,521 | $2,162,105 | 70.3% |
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