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In 2021, 49 farmers in cities within Assumption Parish received a total of $2.8 million in 85 farm subsidies, a 260.1% increase from 2020, when the total was just $776,232 in 119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harang Sugars, LLC | $50,093 | $566,791 | 1,031.5% |
| Landry Farms, LLC | $28,940 | $274,153 | 847.3% |
| D & R Blanchard Farms, Inc. | $27,908 | $202,322 | 625% |
| Blanchard Farms, Inc. | $18,601 | $181,413 | 875.3% |
| Carmouche PLTG Company, Inc. | $29,414 | $164,218 | 458.3% |
| Trinity Farm, Inc. | $38,752 | $137,489 | 254.8% |
| Rene Clause & Sons, Inc. | $17,349 | $127,921 | 637.3% |
| Kenneth Thibodeaux Farms, Inc. | $10,400 | $112,867 | 985.3% |
| Gerald P Thibodeaux & Sons, Inc. | $14,909 | $112,679 | 655.8% |
| Terry Blanchard P. Farms | $0 | $88,550 | -- |
| Dupre & Landry Farms, Inc. | $11,816 | $88,070 | 645.3% |
| Keith Dugas Farms, Inc. | $14,040 | $78,299 | 457.7% |
| Boudreaux Enterprise R J B, LLC | $46,327 | $77,223 | 66.7% |
| U & R Farms, LLC | $8,684 | $69,389 | 699% |
| Glenwood Plantation, LLC | $8,099 | $59,262 | 631.7% |
| Crochet Farms, Inc. | $16,915 | $54,582 | 222.7% |
| John L. Burt III | $15,950 | $49,490 | 210.3% |
| Adolph Farms, Inc. | $5,839 | $44,555 | 663.1% |
| Patrick Richard Farm, Inc. | $0 | $38,310 | -- |
| Woods Farms, Inc. | $31,245 | $31,603 | 1.1% |
| Lafourche Planting, LLC | $22,789 | $30,386 | 33.3% |
| Landry Brothers Farm, Inc. | $26,675 | $30,124 | 12.9% |
| Georgia Farms, Inc. | $20,247 | $26,237 | 29.6% |
| Brian Fernandez | $17,204 | $22,938 | 33.3% |
| Lawrence Burt L. Farms | $2,618 | $22,599 | 763.2% |
| Prejeant Farms, Inc. | $2,902 | $21,286 | 633.5% |
| Joey Robichaux Farms, Inc. | $3,905 | $16,933 | 333.6% |
| R & R Farms, Inc. | $11,430 | $14,247 | 24.6% |
| Robichaux Farms, Inc. | $0 | $9,007 | -- |
| Jessie Alleman Sr. | $8,631 | $8,657 | 0.3% |
| Roy Torres | $6,562 | $6,614 | 0.8% |
| Dab Farms, LLC | $4,611 | $6,148 | 33.3% |
| Tony Hebert | $0 | $3,514 | -- |
| Kenneth Templet | $0 | $3,434 | -- |
| Michael Giroir Farms | $1,678 | $2,237 | 33.3% |
| LLBD Cattle Ranch, LLC | $9,240 | $2,207 | -76.1% |
| Corey Phelps | $7,366 | $1,747 | -76.3% |
| Danny J. Madere | $7,393 | $1,213 | -83.6% |
| Lynwood Aucoin | $4,387 | $1,139 | -74% |
| Ross Ponville | $2,247 | $978 | -56.5% |
| Meinrad Blanchard | $665 | $886 | 33.2% |
| Shirley B. Blanchard | $665 | $886 | 33.2% |
| Joey Futrell | $1,868 | $643 | -65.6% |
| Esa Land, LLC | $476 | $635 | 33.4% |
| Jordan Landry | $1,958 | $542 | -72.3% |
| MRT Properties, LLC | $143 | $191 | 33.6% |
| A & M Fruit & Vegetable Farm, LLC | $0 | $148 | -- |
| Samuel J Fortie JR | $186 | $109 | -41.4% |
| Shannon Guillot | $275 | $66 | -76% |
| James Boudreaux | $1,672 | $0 | -100% |
| Tod Pearce | $14,198 | $0 | -100% |
| Frankie Sanchez | $9,295 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph W. Thibaut | $106 | $0 | -100% |
| Adley Hebert | $14,917 | $0 | -100% |
| Alvis Breaux | $9,531 | $0 | -100% |
| Bobby Gros | $8,510 | $0 | -100% |
| Chris Cortez | $8,995 | $0 | -100% |
| Craig Gros | $11,002 | $0 | -100% |
| Dan Sedotal | $9,210 | $0 | -100% |
| Duane Breaux | $9,385 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric Cortez | $2,893 | $0 | -100% |
| Gabriel Plaisance | $4,678 | $0 | -100% |
| Gregg Sedotal | $13,756 | $0 | -100% |
| Jacob Cortez | $9,474 | $0 | -100% |
| Jimmie Duval | $8,256 | $0 | -100% |
| Johnny Domingue | $11,096 | $0 | -100% |
| Joshua Gros | $7,410 | $0 | -100% |
| Julian Templet | $3,357 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Hue | $4,797 | $0 | -100% |
| Reuben Lambert | $11,156 | $0 | -100% |
| Russell Poirrier | $6,445 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan Paul Landry | $16,876 | $0 | -100% |
| Scott Gros | $11,029 | $0 | -100% |
| Timmy Aucoin | $1,716 | $0 | -100% |
| Warren Blanchard | $5,070 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $776,232 | $2,794,937 | 260.1% |
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