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In 2021, 51 farmers in cities within Berkeley County received a total of $469,262 in 101 farm subsidies, a 0.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $469,634 in 132 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmetto State Rice Company, LLC | $11,919 | $59,347 | 397.9% |
| Richard N. Dennis | $43,881 | $57,153 | 30.2% |
| R. C. Dennis III | $64,591 | $55,996 | -13.3% |
| B and K Forest Products, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Nole Boys Logging, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Site Prep Development | $0 | $45,291 | -- |
| Donald Eugene Berry Jr. | $44,757 | $33,335 | -25.5% |
| Sherry L. Dennis | $34,843 | $13,953 | -60% |
| Richard E. Nole | $0 | $12,225 | -- |
| Zabrina R. Dennis | $26,047 | $11,969 | -54% |
| Willie J. Matthews | $7,962 | $7,497 | -5.8% |
| Robert C. Dehay Sr. | $5,082 | $6,031 | 18.7% |
| Alden Nole | $6,590 | $5,726 | -13.1% |
| R & R Acres | $0 | $5,643 | -- |
| Dairy Farm Stable, LLC | $3,770 | $5,628 | 49.3% |
| Richard N. Dennis II | $3,313 | $5,134 | 55% |
| Eugene O. Miller | $0 | $4,265 | -- |
| Johnnie C. Phillips Jr. | $10,162 | $4,004 | -60.6% |
| Willson of Berkeley County, LLC | $799 | $3,999 | 400.5% |
| Harry S. Dupree | $14,005 | $3,132 | -77.6% |
| Art B. Nichols | $4,004 | $2,459 | -38.6% |
| Chaplin Farms Mill Branch, LLC | $3,383 | $2,379 | -29.7% |
| Mike Brown | $4,334 | $2,285 | -47.3% |
| Otto L. Carr | $2,748 | $1,889 | -31.3% |
| Chris S. McMakin Jr. | $3,400 | $1,731 | -49.1% |
| Beverly Bull Evans Estate | $1,701 | $1,701 | 0% |
| Circle M Farm, LLC | $6,556 | $1,604 | -75.5% |
| Richard Neil Dennis III | $0 | $1,146 | -- |
| Elizabeth Mccormick Shepherd | $2,051 | $1,129 | -45% |
| Aaron D. Cooper | $1,770 | $1,064 | -39.9% |
| Thomas L. Stever | $798 | $798 | 0% |
| Linda K Versprille | $1,988 | $696 | -65% |
| Linda Williams | $1,362 | $578 | -57.6% |
| Harry C. Strock | $1,068 | $534 | -50% |
| Barbara T. Perry | $0 | $532 | -- |
| Karen M. Sanders | $1,094 | $511 | -53.3% |
| Matthew C. Cannon III | $619 | $274 | -55.7% |
| Guy Lee Mushrush | $249 | $251 | 0.8% |
| Earl Dion Stansbury | $222 | $222 | 0% |
| Lynna Kae Stansbury | $222 | $222 | 0% |
| Mark A. Shepherd | $1,143 | $205 | -82.1% |
| William F. Brunson | $150 | $200 | 33.3% |
| Robert M. Carr | $1,849 | $198 | -89.3% |
| Deborah a Davis-Cummings | $0 | $144 | -- |
| John David Steedly | $0 | $123 | -- |
| Bennie Young Kearney | $0 | $71 | -- |
| William Michael Kearney | $0 | $71 | -- |
| Jeanne Bourne C. Norris | $0 | $61 | -- |
| Blane Hilary Braud | $114 | $54 | -52.6% |
| Marilyn G. Rusch | $0 | $26 | -- |
| Wilson L. Mixson | $299 | $26 | -91.3% |
| Jason Schleizer | $19,665 | $0 | -100% |
| FSA | $1,080 | $0 | -100% |
| Edward M. Thornley III | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| James R Fiddie | $307 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Meyer | $2,809 | $0 | -100% |
| Mepkin Abbey, Inc. | $39,926 | $0 | -100% |
| Pamela F. Fitzpatrick | $2,116 | $0 | -100% |
| Ralph S. Bruhn | $80 | $0 | -100% |
| Susan B. Simmons | $80 | $0 | -100% |
| FSA | $32,536 | $0 | -100% |
| Lee's Nursery, Inc. | $51,750 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $469,634 | $469,262 | -0.1% |
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