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In 2021, 81 farmers in cities within Richmond city received a total of $226,886 in 117 farm subsidies, a 42.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $397,276 in 220 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beardog, LLC | $0 | $65,718 | -- |
| Colonial Acres Farm, LLC | $95,160 | $36,435 | -61.7% |
| Cameron Family Trust | $0 | $18,834 | -- |
| Steven F. Lanman | $9,779 | $9,779 | 0% |
| Linda R. Fleming | $64,607 | $7,675 | -88.1% |
| Allen Farm, LLC | $8,556 | $6,122 | -28.4% |
| Randolph Howard Black | $10,968 | $4,692 | -57.2% |
| Burrus Family, LLC | $3,939 | $3,939 | 0% |
| Jean Parker Harrell | $4,331 | $3,508 | -19% |
| W. D. Gorsline | $3,919 | $3,403 | -13.2% |
| Virginia Perfection Farm, Inc. | $0 | $3,338 | -- |
| Rosalyn B Anderson Family, LLC | $12,612 | $3,245 | -74.3% |
| Garrison Farms, LLC | $5,411 | $3,045 | -43.7% |
| Robley D. Bates III | $3,041 | $2,351 | -22.7% |
| Bobby Abernathy | $6,127 | $2,230 | -63.6% |
| Hazel P. Perkins | $2,230 | $2,230 | 0% |
| VA Department of Conservation & Recreation | $0 | $2,181 | -- |
| Pamela J Board | $8,017 | $2,149 | -73.2% |
| Scott Swanjord | $3,270 | $2,124 | -35% |
| Mountaineer Properties, Inc. | $1,943 | $1,943 | 0% |
| Donna Frydrych | $1,577 | $1,885 | 19.5% |
| Sid-Cor Turner Farms, LLC | $2,484 | $1,816 | -26.9% |
| Nancy Jane Dawe | $4,396 | $1,794 | -59.2% |
| Janet M. Brooking | $1,772 | $1,772 | 0% |
| Lee Mares | $4,530 | $1,721 | -62% |
| Aggie Marie Abernathy | $0 | $1,689 | -- |
| Lockett W. Garnett | $1,521 | $1,521 | 0% |
| Floyd Lee Englehart Sr. | $3,080 | $1,420 | -53.9% |
| Peter W. Powell | $797 | $1,395 | 75% |
| Frank B. Gibb III | $10,455 | $1,373 | -86.9% |
| Joseph F. Moore | $747 | $1,329 | 77.9% |
| Ampthill Farm, LLC | $4,268 | $1,300 | -69.5% |
| Andrew V. Beale | $1,918 | $1,202 | -37.3% |
| Louise Tull | $5,481 | $1,182 | -78.4% |
| Evelyn V. Winns | $1,333 | $1,147 | -14% |
| Frances B. Irons | $1,048 | $1,048 | 0% |
| E. R. Hines | $1,563 | $1,034 | -33.8% |
| Debra W. Shea | $2,772 | $1,030 | -62.8% |
| Noel E. Nichols | $1,958 | $930 | -52.5% |
| Jane C. Edwards | $570 | $828 | 45.3% |
| Ethel B. Powell | $797 | $797 | 0% |
| Millicent A. Lilley | $424 | $790 | 86.3% |
| Jack Ray Farm, LLLP | $5,800 | $769 | -86.7% |
| Ua Sharon D Garrett Dated 4/15/2002 MRTL Trust | $2,490 | $747 | -70% |
| Burke H Howell Irrevocable Trust | $719 | $719 | 0% |
| Marilyn W Thalhimer | $2,877 | $704 | -75.5% |
| Brenda W. Nesmith | $691 | $691 | 0% |
| Edythe Ann Neiswander Trust | $1,850 | $664 | -64.1% |
| Richard H. Neiswander | $1,646 | $552 | -66.5% |
| Emily P. Boddy | $0 | $530 | -- |
| Sarah H. Studebaker | $1,384 | $512 | -63% |
| Thomas M. Shea Jr. | $1,384 | $512 | -63% |
| Douglas Cleveland Fisher | $2,542 | $490 | -80.7% |
| Tuckahoe Plantation Enterprises L | $783 | $488 | -37.7% |
| Judith King | $0 | $479 | -- |
| The Wilson Family Partnership | $916 | $458 | -50% |
| Remington G Pomaranski | $585 | $429 | -26.7% |
| Emily Huffman McLeod | $1,109 | $409 | -63.1% |
| Joyce B. Melchert | $372 | $372 | 0% |
| James Warns Jr. | $615 | $353 | -42.6% |
| Margaret Mary Antoine | $1,063 | $318 | -70.1% |
| J H Binford Farms, Inc. | $285 | $313 | 9.8% |
| Randolph O. Rollins | $1,155 | $253 | -78.1% |
| Dean Goplerud | $244 | $244 | 0% |
| George Miller | $846 | $229 | -72.9% |
| Herbert Fitzgerald | $311 | $224 | -28% |
| Elizabeth K. Dalton | $181 | $181 | 0% |
| Debra L Dekeuster | $1,069 | $125 | -88.3% |
| Nancy A. Whisler | $1,069 | $125 | -88.3% |
| Ruth F. Medley | $0 | $124 | -- |
| Anna R. Fogg | $635 | $120 | -81.1% |
| Benny M. Hambright | $5,743 | $118 | -97.9% |
| Earl E Patterson Irrevocable Living Trust | $0 | $117 | -- |
| Larry Lee Stith | $0 | $110 | -- |
| Penny G. Gough | $101 | $101 | 0% |
| Stephen C. Fuller | $559 | $83 | -85.2% |
| Betty McTighe | $38 | $82 | 115.8% |
| Rebecca L. Ripley | $76 | $76 | 0% |
| Sandra W. Burwell | $114 | $46 | -59.6% |
| Lois Elaine Parker | $134 | $38 | -71.6% |
| Leonard S. Lambert | $37 | $37 | 0% |
| Agnes L. Parrett | $202 | $0 | -100% |
| Capital One Bank National Associa | $45,755 | $0 | -100% |
| Dea Markley | $562 | $0 | -100% |
| Earl E Patterson Irrevocable Livi | $481 | $0 | -100% |
| Estate of Kenneth Norman Easley | $1,407 | $0 | -100% |
| Floyd Lee Engelhart Sr. | $3,279 | $0 | -100% |
| John B. Lewis | $558 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph F Borzelleca JR | $724 | $0 | -100% |
| Kathleen Martinson | $34 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Vignes Long | $120 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Herrell | $332 | $0 | -100% |
| Rachel W. Williams | $3,022 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond H. Johnson | $70 | $0 | -100% |
| Raymond L. Spence Jr. | $777 | $0 | -100% |
| Robin C Salzberg-Greene | $229 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas E. King Jr. | $221 | $0 | -100% |
| VA Department of Conservation & Recreat | $2,181 | $0 | -100% |
| William E. Hardy | $498 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $397,276 | $226,886 | -42.9% |
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