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In 2021, 217 farmers in cities within Sumter County received a total of $3.9 million in 371 farm subsidies, a 45.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $7.3 million in 610 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 Sumter County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Farms, LLC | $399,872 | $611,636 | 53% |
| Modern Turf, Inc. | $0 | $375,350 | -- |
| Lee Newman | $392,390 | $149,897 | -61.8% |
| Riverdale Farms, Inc. | $335,292 | $134,993 | -59.7% |
| Triple C Farms of Sumter, Inc. | $77,937 | $118,040 | 51.5% |
| K D W Farms, LLC | $300,713 | $112,375 | -62.6% |
| Caughman and Son Farms, LLC | $390,810 | $109,434 | -72% |
| J-Ray Farms of South Carolina General Partnership | $0 | $107,994 | -- |
| Four J Family Farms | $272,074 | $101,462 | -62.7% |
| Tuan Q. Nguyen | $0 | $100,708 | -- |
| G. M. McLeod | $327,078 | $98,438 | -69.9% |
| Debra Mims | $0 | $97,964 | -- |
| Triple J Farm | $207,951 | $87,059 | -58.1% |
| Duckford Plantation, Inc. | $172,990 | $73,845 | -57.3% |
| David L Tindal Farms, LLC | $194,816 | $72,457 | -62.8% |
| Ashwood Gin, Inc. | $286,158 | $70,357 | -75.4% |
| Gerald G. Connor | $150,745 | $68,430 | -54.6% |
| Brogdon Farms Brogdon W. T. Farms Jr. | $0 | $60,304 | -- |
| Charles A. Beasley Sr. | $155,450 | $59,412 | -61.8% |
| Everett Farms | $121,390 | $58,660 | -51.7% |
| William Richard McLeod Sr. | $28,397 | $55,643 | 95.9% |
| Reginald W. Caughman | $64,876 | $54,926 | -15.3% |
| Paul A. Hawkins | $219,009 | $53,273 | -75.7% |
| James O. Brailsford | $0 | $52,374 | -- |
| Southern Poultry Operations | $0 | $51,990 | -- |
| Charles A. Beasley Jr. | $132,070 | $51,576 | -60.9% |
| Douglas Paul Newman Jr. | $0 | $50,767 | -- |
| Ricky Atkinson Farm, LLC | $86,547 | $48,690 | -43.7% |
| William J. Singleton Jr. | $46,656 | $48,427 | 3.8% |
| McIntosh Brothers | $223,238 | $47,513 | -78.7% |
| Beasley Farms, Inc. | $124,031 | $45,953 | -63% |
| David S. Atkinson | $66,713 | $45,181 | -32.3% |
| Johnette Caughman | $0 | $40,789 | -- |
| Jermaine H. Walker | $9,311 | $35,049 | 276.4% |
| Wade C. Atkinson | $59,461 | $30,910 | -48% |
| David L. Tindal IV | $44,992 | $30,336 | -32.6% |
| William R. Marsh | $93,385 | $27,612 | -70.4% |
| J Lynwood Davis & Sons, Inc. | $76,087 | $25,697 | -66.2% |
| Cotton Patch Farms, Inc. | $64,986 | $23,611 | -63.7% |
| Neil L Quitsch | $19,031 | $21,753 | 14.3% |
| K & J Enterprises | $80,932 | $18,396 | -77.3% |
| Lake Vue Precision Agent, LLC | $51,012 | $18,336 | -64.1% |
| Synovus Bank | $0 | $17,578 | -- |
| McNair Farms | $43,173 | $14,146 | -67.2% |
| Ashlee Rebecca Newman Hutto | $23,033 | $12,480 | -45.8% |
| DL Chapman Farms, LLC | $41,506 | $11,980 | -71.1% |
| Dixie Plantation Limited Partnership | $0 | $11,885 | -- |
| Victoria S. Elmore | $17,293 | $11,276 | -34.8% |
| Red Top Farms, LLC | $25,348 | $11,032 | -56.5% |
| Two D Farms, LLC | $51,975 | $10,220 | -80.3% |
| Lewis Walker | $16,334 | $8,722 | -46.6% |
| R & M Farms, LLC | $0 | $8,588 | -- |
| Leroy Smith | $20,920 | $8,510 | -59.3% |
| Claire W. Jameson | $8,180 | $8,180 | 0% |
| Jeffrey S. Brogdon | $0 | $7,801 | -- |
| Melvin E. Brown Jr. | $20,888 | $7,518 | -64% |
| Bernell Ransom | $16,484 | $7,448 | -54.8% |
| Catherine Pate Tr B. B. Uw | $7,390 | $7,390 | 0% |
| Justin M. Wooten | $7,388 | $7,388 | 0% |
| John D. Brunson III | $24,572 | $7,114 | -71% |
| Irvin Fortune | $7,895 | $6,895 | -12.7% |
| Fort Farms of Horatio, LLC | $12,879 | $6,728 | -47.8% |
| James F. Bland III | $6,416 | $6,416 | 0% |
| Richard Lewis McDaniel Jr. | $15,479 | $6,096 | -60.6% |
| Don P. Shirer | $10,001 | $5,905 | -41% |
| Eugene A. Jackson | $18,470 | $5,743 | -68.9% |
| Alvis J Bynum Marital Trust | $6,424 | $5,550 | -13.6% |
| Earle T. Gardner Jr. | $12,078 | $5,387 | -55.4% |
| David Colclough Dubose | $8,582 | $5,040 | -41.3% |
| Creechwood, LLC | $19,548 | $4,887 | -75% |
| Mclaurin Family Partnership, Ltd. | $4,577 | $4,773 | 4.3% |
| Katherine L. McCaskill | $2,682 | $4,567 | 70.3% |
| Terrald Johnson | $71,870 | $4,370 | -93.9% |
| Neverdun Farms, LLC | $21,703 | $4,157 | -80.8% |
| R N Johnson, Inc. | $9,392 | $3,975 | -57.7% |
| John H. Spann | $10,680 | $3,967 | -62.9% |
| South Carolina Department of Corrections | $0 | $3,854 | -- |
| Jareth Lane Unruh | $0 | $3,852 | -- |
| Whiteford Farms | $11,018 | $3,802 | -65.5% |
| Thomas P. Jones | $3,431 | $3,230 | -5.9% |
| Rogers E. Reynolds | $3,126 | $3,166 | 1.3% |
| Lindsay J. Guy | $0 | $3,095 | -- |
| Gwen G. Jones | $2,785 | $2,980 | 7% |
| Ethan A. Lewis | $11,195 | $2,942 | -73.7% |
| Richard Espelien | $2,921 | $2,921 | 0% |
| John Henry Farms | $12,479 | $2,884 | -76.9% |
| Edward Alston | $0 | $2,877 | -- |
| Coastal Plains Farms, LLC | $0 | $2,791 | -- |
| Fredrica M Brailsford | $2,477 | $2,477 | 0% |
| Barry L. Addison | $6,430 | $2,218 | -65.5% |
| Denise Weeks | $4,787 | $2,160 | -54.9% |
| Harvin Family Partnership, Ltd. | $2,160 | $2,159 | -0% |
| William H. Wilson III | $0 | $2,030 | -- |
| James H. Strong III | $2,147 | $1,949 | -9.2% |
| William R. McLeod Jr. | $8,404 | $1,949 | -76.8% |
| Martin Farms | $15,698 | $1,928 | -87.7% |
| Sumpter & Associates, LLC | $8,606 | $1,913 | -77.8% |
| Patrice S. Sanders | $0 | $1,870 | -- |
| Sans Souci Farm, LLC | $8,931 | $1,811 | -79.7% |
| David F. Decker | $1,331 | $1,793 | 34.7% |
| Perry Loyd Jr. | $0 | $1,736 | -- |
| Marcia B. Jones | $1,697 | $1,697 | 0% |
| Spring Hill Timber Farms, LLC | $346 | $1,696 | 390.2% |
| Clarence Michael Sangster II | $1,686 | $1,686 | 0% |
| Robert L. Wilson Sr. | $1,901 | $1,679 | -11.7% |
| Wayne Link | $1,587 | $1,587 | 0% |
| Thomas S. Laney | $5,711 | $1,576 | -72.4% |
| E. B. McLeod Jr. | $1,453 | $1,453 | 0% |
| Jesse Walker | $6,211 | $1,448 | -76.7% |
| Rowland P. Alston | $780 | $1,427 | 82.9% |
| Richard N. Atkinson Jr. | $10,574 | $1,387 | -86.9% |
| Michael C. Watson | $1,355 | $1,355 | 0% |
| Gregory A. Hopkins | $1,348 | $1,351 | 0.2% |
| William H. McLaughlin | $2,119 | $1,349 | -36.3% |
| H. P. Lee III | $1,292 | $1,292 | 0% |
| Jessica M. Lee | $1,292 | $1,292 | 0% |
| James W. Ross | $0 | $1,265 | -- |
| Jon S. Bethune | $3,855 | $1,242 | -67.8% |
| Hawkins Farms, LLC | $69,442 | $1,233 | -98.2% |
| Ann H. Gore | $1,175 | $1,175 | 0% |
| Jennie Linn Duffie | $1,154 | $1,154 | 0% |
| Lawrance Lasseigne | $5,184 | $1,148 | -77.9% |
| George W. Hicks Jr. | $6,712 | $1,139 | -83% |
| Garden Fresh | $0 | $1,106 | -- |
| Daryle A. Walker | $4,979 | $1,095 | -78% |
| Carolyn D. Putnam | $1,071 | $1,071 | 0% |
| William E. Lindler | $2,328 | $1,062 | -54.4% |
| Phyllis E. Dubose | $0 | $1,052 | -- |
| Richard Pinckney Jr. | $2,981 | $1,030 | -65.4% |
| Peter Gilbert | $6,000 | $1,017 | -83.1% |
| Janice E. Breitwieser | $2,112 | $974 | -53.9% |
| Danny Burke | $920 | $968 | 5.2% |
| JCW Family Limited Partnership | $952 | $952 | 0% |
| Harry Washington Spann Jr. | $6,024 | $943 | -84.3% |
| Marie S. Hill | $924 | $924 | 0% |
| Barbara G. Hudson | $0 | $898 | -- |
| Charles R. Allen | $891 | $891 | 0% |
| Harrison Butler Jr. | $2,463 | $828 | -66.4% |
| Panola Properties, LLC | $1,389 | $779 | -43.9% |
| Timothy A. Williams | $3,836 | $763 | -80.1% |
| Salters Plantation | $754 | $754 | 0% |
| Trust Agreement of Marilyn Winkles Ham | $0 | $731 | -- |
| Katherine Howard | $719 | $719 | 0% |
| Gary Roberson | $8,554 | $698 | -91.8% |
| K D W Properties, LLC | $664 | $664 | 0% |
| Debra L. Fisher | $3,080 | $651 | -78.9% |
| Arthur W. Baker Jr. | $542 | $643 | 18.6% |
| Russell Williams | $1,398 | $632 | -54.8% |
| Gregory Alan Wheeler | $569 | $624 | 9.7% |
| William H. Johnson | $581 | $581 | 0% |
| Gail G. Singleton | $578 | $578 | 0% |
| Larry Wayne Rodgers Jr. | $571 | $571 | 0% |
| David D. Peeples | $771 | $570 | -26.1% |
| Shirley M. Walton | $0 | $557 | -- |
| James McCoy | $869 | $543 | -37.5% |
| Abraham Perry | $4,153 | $533 | -87.2% |
| Salvatore J. Collura | $519 | $519 | 0% |
| Everette H. Harrington | $5,329 | $513 | -90.4% |
| Dustin Donald Poplin | $6,028 | $491 | -91.9% |
| Brenda M. Morris | $0 | $479 | -- |
| Amy M. Squires | $476 | $478 | 0.4% |
| Patrick Pearson | $8,525 | $462 | -94.6% |
| Angelyn B. Bland | $438 | $438 | 0% |
| Paul A. Smith | $193 | $430 | 122.8% |
| Robert W. Flagler | $400 | $400 | 0% |
| John P. Miller | $659 | $398 | -39.6% |
| Wanda S. Copeland | $0 | $380 | -- |
| Henry C. Boyd | $3,147 | $372 | -88.2% |
| William Clay Smith | $693 | $362 | -47.8% |
| John B. Hilton Jr. | $963 | $350 | -63.7% |
| Dewayne Loyd | $0 | $344 | -- |
| William W. McCants | $824 | $333 | -59.6% |
| The Adville W Weatherford Revocable Trust | $0 | $321 | -- |
| Milford Limited Liability Company | $0 | $313 | -- |
| Charles H. Watson | $0 | $295 | -- |
| Rubin N. Morris Jr. | $0 | $289 | -- |
| LC Properties of Sumter, LLC | $1,496 | $283 | -81.1% |
| Thomas Allen Newman | $4,357 | $274 | -93.7% |
| Margaret K. Barrineau | $0 | $266 | -- |
| Tommy Mccants | $0 | $255 | -- |
| John D. Tillman Sr. | $0 | $251 | -- |
| Vera Meree Strange | $1,223 | $249 | -79.6% |
| Romeo Richardson | $0 | $240 | -- |
| George E. Dempsey | $234 | $234 | 0% |
| Mary H. Goff | $220 | $220 | 0% |
| Harrison B. Grant | $0 | $220 | -- |
| Karen S. Hitchcock | $0 | $217 | -- |
| Janice T. Spann | $213 | $213 | 0% |
| Bud Lee Elmore | $709 | $212 | -70.1% |
| Maxcy C. Frye | $4,383 | $207 | -95.3% |
| Diane R. Champion | $205 | $205 | 0% |
| Donnie R. Beard | $185 | $185 | 0% |
| Linda T. Beard | $185 | $185 | 0% |
| Albert R. McKnight | $1,401 | $183 | -86.9% |
| Ann B. Hemingway | $174 | $174 | 0% |
| James W. Kendall Jr. | $171 | $171 | 0% |
| Ann G. Geddings | $170 | $170 | 0% |
| Roachell Martin Jr. | $1,729 | $155 | -91% |
| Harris Farms, LLC | $3,062 | $143 | -95.3% |
| Newman Farms | $0 | $143 | -- |
| Tisdale Family Limited Partnership | $0 | $138 | -- |
| J T Rivers & Son | $132 | $132 | 0% |
| David Osteen | $0 | $121 | -- |
| David McClearn | $528 | $116 | -78% |
| Alan Kent Moore | $111 | $111 | 0% |
| Virginia R. Burrows | $778 | $107 | -86.2% |
| William M. Tisdale Jr. | $0 | $106 | -- |
| Loretta G. Baird | $0 | $84 | -- |
| Mark C. Myers | $0 | $81 | -- |
| Triple C Farms | $165,828 | $81 | -100% |
| Raymond C. Maple | $45 | $60 | 33.3% |
| Ruth Bennett | $779 | $47 | -94% |
| Chad A. Hays | $63 | $43 | -31.7% |
| Robert E. Stafford Jr. | $21 | $21 | 0% |
| James A. Hawthorne | $0 | $16 | -- |
| Dixon and Sons | $0 | $14 | -- |
| Bradford Watermelon Company, LLC | $13,267 | $9 | -99.9% |
| Blake Pearson | $1,754 | $0 | -100% |
| Cherie W. Johnston | $1,917 | $0 | -100% |
| Traci Sweeney | $2,155 | $0 | -100% |
| Treehouse Nursery, Inc. | $43,389 | $0 | -100% |
| Annette C. Tiller | $3,844 | $0 | -100% |
| Bluefields Nursery Company, LLC | $9,488 | $0 | -100% |
| Erica Goza | $1,057 | $0 | -100% |
| J-Ray Farms of South Carolina Gen | $318,863 | $0 | -100% |
| David Wayne Milam | $505 | $0 | -100% |
| Benjamin Bennett | $122 | $0 | -100% |
| David A. Trimnal | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| Edward G. Fort | $302 | $0 | -100% |
| Jimmie Dennis | $310 | $0 | -100% |
| John Frank Baker | $6,885 | $0 | -100% |
| Judith S. Chapman | $379 | $0 | -100% |
| Martin S. Howell | $739 | $0 | -100% |
| Maxcy Farms | $384 | $0 | -100% |
| Anthony L. Baldwin | $2,200 | $0 | -100% |
| Arthuree G Johnson | $3,744 | $0 | -100% |
| Billy L. Davis Sr. | $665 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles D. Harris | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles W. Turk | $2,119 | $0 | -100% |
| Clarence Rogers | $1,590 | $0 | -100% |
| Elwyn M. Watt III | $1,100 | $0 | -100% |
| Farm Service Agency/Commodity CRE | $6,755 | $0 | -100% |
| Frances H Betchman | $939 | $0 | -100% |
| Francis L. Newman | $3,716 | $0 | -100% |
| Gayla R. Carle | $644 | $0 | -100% |
| Glenn Rogers Greenhouses | $93,995 | $0 | -100% |
| Harley Farms, LLC | $1,364 | $0 | -100% |
| James Edward Boone | $338 | $0 | -100% |
| Janice W. Poplin | $840 | $0 | -100% |
| Jessie Melton Christmas | $823 | $0 | -100% |
| Julian Donnell Harris | $1,293 | $0 | -100% |
| Julian R. Hynes | $1,097 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin T. Rickard | $1,821 | $0 | -100% |
| Lauren Newman Brown | $1,007 | $0 | -100% |
| Letroy Woods | $770 | $0 | -100% |
| Lynda D. Burress | $222 | $0 | -100% |
| Marjorie F. Bynum | $94 | $0 | -100% |
| Melody Farm, LLC | $800 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael W. Barkley | $3,430 | $0 | -100% |
| Robin H. Dollard | $284 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger B. Scott III | $1,173 | $0 | -100% |
| Shaheed Harris | $71,815 | $0 | -100% |
| The Adville W Weatherford Revocab | $321 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy D. Newman | $213 | $0 | -100% |
| Trust Agreement of Marilyn Winkle | $731 | $0 | -100% |
| W. R. McLeod | $80,151 | $0 | -100% |
| W T Brogdon JR Farms Brogdon Farm | $199,538 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Rodgers | $2,976 | $0 | -100% |
| Dixie Plantation Limited Partners | $9,765 | $0 | -100% |
| Marvin C. Burress Jr. | $903 | $0 | -100% |
| South Carolina Forestry Commissio | $3,936 | $0 | -100% |
| Stirling Farms, LLC | $5,882 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $7,266,923 | $3,947,058 | -45.7% |
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