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The state of taxpayer-funded farm subsidies in Pittsboro in 2021
In 2021, 58 farmers in Pittsboro received a total of $514,117 in 105 farm subsidies, a 51.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.1 million in 194 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 lead 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 | Subsidy Received in 2021 | Subsidy Received in 2020 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| C D Smith Family Farms, Inc. | $70,217 | $69,170 | 1.5% |
| B & B Farms of Pittsboro, Inc. | $53,794 | $162,799 | -67% |
| Garry R. Morgan | $48,513 | $65,770 | -26.2% |
| Billy Ray Alexander | $34,276 | $61,413 | -44.2% |
| Truax Farms, Inc. | $31,888 | $73,372 | -56.5% |
| J. D. Love | $31,254 | $73,480 | -57.5% |
| Seth M. Bernhardt | $26,830 | $80,465 | -66.7% |
| Daniel J. Searcy | $23,104 | $67,083 | -65.6% |
| Thomas J. Gentry | $20,858 | $74,230 | -71.9% |
| Michael B. Dickerson | $18,822 | $20,329 | -7.4% |
| Evan S. Schenck | $17,466 | $27,528 | -36.6% |
| Matthew J. Morgan | $16,548 | $47,555 | -65.2% |
| Justin Coleman | $12,464 | $31,681 | -60.7% |
| Richard Griffith | $12,011 | $26,109 | -54% |
| D Matthew Waters | $8,890 | $4,266 | 108.4% |
| TLG Farms, LLC | $7,387 | $16,426 | -55% |
| Alberta Broyles | $5,753 | $3,565 | 61.4% |
| Elwood Simmons | $5,364 | $5,364 | 0% |
| Steve Lindley | $5,230 | $5,230 | 0% |
| Terrel B. Wilson | $5,051 | $8,463 | -40.3% |
| Ruth I Hatfield Living Trustee | $4,951 | $6,116 | -19% |
| Kizer Family Farms LP | $4,598 | $26,085 | -82.4% |
| William H Fritchley SR Revocable Living Trust | $4,366 | $4,900 | -10.9% |
| Terry O'Donnell | $3,754 | $6,831 | -45% |
| Roberson Farms | $3,615 | $5,368 | -32.7% |
| Tommy Smith | $3,241 | $4,471 | -27.5% |
| Lincoln Park of Brownsburg, LLC | $3,114 | $0 | -- |
| Ragsdale Home Place, LLC | $3,014 | $8,329 | -63.8% |
| Dan J. Gibbs | $2,755 | $23,946 | -88.5% |
| Wayne Reynolds | $2,330 | $8,236 | -71.7% |
| Rick D. Tanner | $2,202 | $2,202 | 0% |
| Donna S. Herring | $1,973 | $4,686 | -57.9% |
| Thomas H Love Family Trust | $1,882 | $1,882 | 0% |
| Janet E Love Trust | $1,650 | $1,650 | 0% |
| Ronald A. Perkins | $1,554 | $1,240 | 25.3% |
| Dye Farms, LLC | $1,431 | $2,166 | -33.9% |
| Oak View Farm, Inc. | $1,416 | $1,416 | 0% |
| Fisher Hill Family Farms | $1,172 | $1,172 | 0% |
| Philip Healey | $1,168 | $2,332 | -49.9% |
| Holly Hays L. Jones | $1,095 | $1,663 | -34.2% |
| Dale Toole | $915 | $915 | 0% |
| Donald Waters | $755 | $1,597 | -52.7% |
| Dorothy A. Murray | $729 | $1,188 | -38.6% |
| Michael Crowder | $682 | $1,331 | -48.8% |
| Phyllis A. Jackson | $624 | $1,776 | -64.9% |
| Shelby Frey | $579 | $2,209 | -73.8% |
| Salyers Family Farms, LLC | $466 | $1,410 | -67% |
| Elizabeth A. Priller | $465 | $1,231 | -62.2% |
| Ruey Strubinger | $390 | $1,356 | -71.2% |
| Tom Umbanhowar | $270 | $270 | 0% |
| Cindy Emberton | $250 | $780 | -67.9% |
| Susan M. Pearcy | $237 | $0 | -- |
| Andrew Sollars | $158 | $158 | 0% |
| Karen Hiland | $146 | $326 | -55.2% |
| Martin T Summers & Mary C Summers Revocable Trust | $140 | $0 | -- |
| Elizabeth A. Hopkins | $134 | $134 | 0% |
| Melvin Oing Secondary Trust | $108 | $271 | -60.1% |
| T & T, LLC | $68 | $68 | 0% |
| Donald Tanselle | $0 | $156 | -100% |
| James a Beckley Trust | $0 | $9,795 | -100% |
| Kimberly Diane Barker | $0 | $2 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $514,117 | $1,063,962 | -51.7% |