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In 2021, 58 farmers in cities within West Baton Rouge Parish received a total of $567,918 in 83 farm subsidies, a 41.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $977,899 in 134 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarreau Farms, LLC | $15,903 | $91,444 | 475% |
| Keith E. Morris | $8,277 | $73,833 | 792% |
| Schexnayder Planting & Manufactur | $246,808 | $67,823 | -72.5% |
| Leblanc Agri-Cane, LLC | $16,173 | $64,906 | 301.3% |
| Louisiana Wood Products, LLC | $0 | $49,494 | -- |
| Sugar West, Inc. | $25,705 | $46,597 | 81.3% |
| Westbank Planting Company, LLC | $67,582 | $45,065 | -33.3% |
| Morris Farms Partnership, LLC | $36,029 | $41,160 | 14.2% |
| Gros Farms, LLC | $11,415 | $15,221 | 33.3% |
| David Jarreau | $0 | $12,273 | -- |
| Leblanc Farms Partnership, LLC | $24,530 | $7,421 | -69.7% |
| Maj Kissner, LLC | $11,749 | $5,001 | -57.4% |
| Double a Holdings, LLC | $10,385 | $4,945 | -52.4% |
| Brad Joseph Antie | $4,342 | $4,342 | 0% |
| Gerard Smith | $4,342 | $4,342 | 0% |
| Diamond Cattle, LLC | $21,600 | $4,332 | -79.9% |
| Delapasse Farms, LLC | $3,009 | $4,013 | 33.4% |
| Richard B Bertinot | $22,403 | $3,996 | -82.2% |
| Chad Davis | $25,615 | $3,272 | -87.2% |
| John G. Tilton III | $10,692 | $2,917 | -72.7% |
| Triple B Ranch, LLC | $7,106 | $1,596 | -77.5% |
| Envie Farms, LLC | $0 | $1,226 | -- |
| Leo Ryan Wallace | $0 | $1,100 | -- |
| Michael L Keowen | $3,509 | $1,087 | -69% |
| Joshua Jones | $4,796 | $1,056 | -78% |
| John E. Simon | $1,312 | $897 | -31.6% |
| Charles Gremillion | $2,662 | $863 | -67.6% |
| Lynn Michael Noble | $852 | $852 | 0% |
| David Blocker Corkern | $768 | $768 | 0% |
| John F. Chustz | $3,212 | $675 | -79% |
| Harrison John-Louis | $1,951 | $608 | -68.8% |
| Merrick P. Aucoin | $2,199 | $592 | -73.1% |
| Roderick Washington | $2,633 | $520 | -80.3% |
| Linus C. Harleaux | $1,738 | $402 | -76.9% |
| Patterson Decuir | $743 | $362 | -51.3% |
| Audrey Crochet | $521 | $254 | -51.2% |
| Patrick K. Bollich | $239 | $239 | 0% |
| Lionell a Matthews | $736 | $233 | -68.3% |
| Francis Keith Chustz | $386 | $214 | -44.6% |
| Gordon J. Millien Jr. | $1,496 | $203 | -86.4% |
| Quin Kinler | $172 | $198 | 15.1% |
| Johnny Louis Payne II | $2,926 | $195 | -93.3% |
| Gerald Horner | $61 | $191 | 213.1% |
| Lucas Decuir | $2,846 | $154 | -94.6% |
| Kelson Zaunbrecher Swancy | $325 | $143 | -56% |
| Robert Morris | $296 | $126 | -57.4% |
| Roy Sirmon Baker Jr. | $0 | $94 | -- |
| Guy P. Purpera Jr. | $125 | $89 | -28.8% |
| Breann M Keowen | $165 | $86 | -47.9% |
| Sam Joseph Ringo | $163 | $86 | -47.2% |
| Belinda S. Jones | $148 | $82 | -44.6% |
| James O. Devillier | $247 | $72 | -70.9% |
| Florence M. Jones | $1,625 | $72 | -95.6% |
| Jacqueline A. Morain | $0 | $65 | -- |
| Carl Marks | $132 | $61 | -53.8% |
| Betsy J. Dunham | $0 | $26 | -- |
| Morris W Bellelo | $20 | $21 | 5% |
| Jessica B. Cline | $232 | $13 | -94.4% |
| Berthelot Crawfish Company, LLC | $287,481 | $0 | -100% |
| Doyle L. Glosup Jr. | $1,249 | $0 | -100% |
| Cashs Louisiana Crawfish, LLC | $36,560 | $0 | -100% |
| Cynthia G. Horner | $61 | $0 | -100% |
| LA Lobsters, LLC | $34,534 | $0 | -100% |
| Lance Callegan Farms, LLC | $3,967 | $0 | -100% |
| Time out Holding, LLC | $786 | $0 | -100% |
| Tina H. Englade | $21 | $0 | -100% |
| Wade Matthew Blanchard | $339 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $977,899 | $567,918 | -41.9% |
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