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In 2021, 61 farmers in cities within Autauga County received a total of $632,901 in 93 farm subsidies, a 55.4% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.4 million in 173 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendland Farms General Partnership | $340,756 | $145,377 | -57.3% |
| Gaines Farm | $213,850 | $89,781 | -58% |
| Alabama Ornamentals, LLC | $0 | $78,371 | -- |
| Robert H Shackelford JR and Sons | $109,475 | $46,342 | -57.7% |
| R. H. Shackelford Jr. | $84,315 | $34,425 | -59.2% |
| Robert R. Shackelford | $87,789 | $34,160 | -61.1% |
| W. C. Weedon | $30,235 | $25,254 | -16.5% |
| Theresa Dunn | $0 | $21,618 | -- |
| Straight Wire Farms, LLC | $59,823 | $17,818 | -70.2% |
| Langford Farms | $35,012 | $14,410 | -58.8% |
| Hallman Farms, LLC | $44,312 | $13,846 | -68.8% |
| D. Logan Trucking, LLC | $0 | $12,568 | -- |
| Gaines S Smith Trust | $13,370 | $8,391 | -37.2% |
| Tommy Rainwater | $7,603 | $7,603 | 0% |
| Winslow Farms, LLC | $22,835 | $7,126 | -68.8% |
| Cook Farms, LLC | $4,439 | $6,462 | 45.6% |
| Autauga Farming Company, Inc. | $32,366 | $6,384 | -80.3% |
| Cleavy T Johnson JR | $25,102 | $5,381 | -78.6% |
| Flint Ridge Holdings, LLC | $0 | $4,538 | -- |
| Leon T. McCord Jr. | $12,538 | $4,493 | -64.2% |
| Kyle Robert Carter | $10,429 | $3,265 | -68.7% |
| Circle R Investments, LLC | $3,249 | $3,249 | 0% |
| Bobby F. Hayes | $10,220 | $3,170 | -69% |
| Faye R. Ousley | $19,056 | $2,734 | -85.7% |
| Shirley A. Hicks | $2,492 | $2,492 | 0% |
| Leslie Elizabeth Carter | $46,552 | $2,164 | -95.4% |
| Justin Brett Sikes | $26,154 | $1,946 | -92.6% |
| Terry Cooper | $8,711 | $1,839 | -78.9% |
| S & W Livestock & Equipment Company, LLC | $7,810 | $1,724 | -77.9% |
| Ronald A. Hand | $8,996 | $1,716 | -80.9% |
| William Samuel Cousins | $5,002 | $1,668 | -66.7% |
| J. J. Menefee | $7,051 | $1,658 | -76.5% |
| Darryl L. Brown | $18,711 | $1,579 | -91.6% |
| Williams Cattle, LLC | $4,719 | $1,507 | -68.1% |
| Josh Wright Jr. | $5,225 | $1,451 | -72.2% |
| Rufus S. Pearson | $861 | $1,405 | 63.2% |
| Martha S. Hughes | $1,132 | $1,330 | 17.5% |
| James V. Wright | $3,894 | $1,327 | -65.9% |
| Lowell L. Strock | $6,980 | $1,268 | -81.8% |
| Dale Forge | $2,508 | $1,096 | -56.3% |
| M & a Farm Ranch, LLC | $5,499 | $985 | -82.1% |
| John Robinson Wood Sr. | $2,032 | $920 | -54.7% |
| Wesley N. Campbell | $5,354 | $867 | -83.8% |
| Solomon A. Smith | $5,982 | $828 | -86.2% |
| Bel-Ru Company, LLC | $458 | $750 | 63.8% |
| Neighbors Farms, LLC | $3,136 | $724 | -76.9% |
| Ricky Lowery | $2,211 | $606 | -72.6% |
| William Joe Byrd | $2,233 | $564 | -74.7% |
| Felicia L. Huffman | $1,386 | $530 | -61.8% |
| Charles E. Thomas | $998 | $488 | -51.1% |
| Charles Brown | $3,168 | $453 | -85.7% |
| Zachary Wilson | $1,925 | $431 | -77.6% |
| Mitchell Edwards | $3,396 | $387 | -88.6% |
| Timothy Caver | $1,474 | $350 | -76.3% |
| Dorothy Harrington | $1,684 | $269 | -84% |
| Sean Lett | $2,997 | $262 | -91.3% |
| Caleb Selfridge | $1,817 | $206 | -88.7% |
| Benjamin J. Parker | $671 | $156 | -76.8% |
| Stanley Kirt Wilson | $583 | $104 | -82.2% |
| Randall Huffman | $50 | $81 | 62% |
| Elizabeth N. Apperson | $2 | $4 | 100% |
| Dianne R. Lawlis | $1,150 | $0 | -100% |
| Jennifer S. Grant | $500 | $0 | -100% |
| Otis Ryans | $13,578 | $0 | -100% |
| Cooper's Farm | $1,953 | $0 | -100% |
| George D. Johnson Jr. | $945 | $0 | -100% |
| Patrick Williams | $30,960 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,419,714 | $632,901 | -55.4% |
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