Farms in Mercer County received $74,628 in taxpayer-funded subsidies in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Of the 66 subsidies provided, the largest was for William O. Tabor Sr., which received $7,205 for the claim of “Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry”.
The smallest subsidy provided to a Mercer County farmer was $49 to Brittany Burnopp.
There were 117 fewer subsidies than the year before, and the total value of the subsidies fell by $340,219.
Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance said farmer subsidies “help high-income corporations, not poor rural farmers. Most of the money goes toward large agribusinesses.”
USDA data analyzed by the Cato Institute found that “farmers (on net) have derived almost 40% of their income directly from the U.S. government” in recent years.
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.
Subsidies Received by Mercer County Code Farmers in 2021
| Farmer | $ Received | Reason for Subsidy | Total Received in Subsidies by Farmer ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| William O. Tabor Sr. | $7,205 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $7,482 |
| Stephen D. Bunker | $6,110 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $6,495 |
| Roger L. Brown | $4,550 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $4,550 |
| Maddrell Family Farms, LLC | $4,468 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $5,511 |
| Mark Tabor | $4,315 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $4,915 |
| O. L. Boothe Jr. | $3,315 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $4,043 |
| Harold R. Conn | $2,788 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $2,788 |
| Mary L. Hopkins | $1,978 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $2,113 |
| David D. Walker | $1,872 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $3,228 |
| Paul A. Jones | $1,788 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,788 |
| Richard K. Cottle | $1,660 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,660 |
| Robert W. Smith | $1,560 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,560 |
| William M. White | $1,337 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,337 |
| Gregory L. Dalton | $1,306 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,306 |
| Joshua D. Cox | $1,289 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,289 |
| Travis B. Shrewsbury | $1,285 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,285 |
| Ronald R. Reed | $1,222 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,420 |
| Cecil F. Nowlin Jr. | $1,197 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,197 |
| Randall K. Easter | $1,185 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,185 |
| William R. Vance | $1,153 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,153 |
| Steven R. Johnston | $1,147 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,147 |
| Jason C. Vest | $1,022 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $1,022 |
| Joan Rost | $989 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $1,173 |
| Martha L. Craft | $979 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $979 |
| David G. Cook | $949 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $949 |
| Ronald Kevin Reed | $935 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $935 |
| Paul N. Craghead | $892 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $892 |
| Susan R. Peyton | $789 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $889 |
| Michael J. Hubinak III | $737 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $737 |
| O. L. Boothe Jr. | $728 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $4,043 |
| Robert Wayne Lester | $727 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $727 |
| Richard D. Thomason | $709 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $709 |
| Maddrell Family Farms, LLC | $680 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $5,511 |
| David D. Walker | $678 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $3,228 |
| David D. Walker | $678 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $3,228 |
| John A. Scott Jr. | $675 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $838 |
| Rufus Reed | $638 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $638 |
| Steve O. Dehart | $603 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $603 |
| Mark Tabor | $600 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $4,915 |
| Cindy Greenblatt | $589 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $589 |
| Henry Greenblatt | $589 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $589 |
| Gina B. Riffe | $554 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $554 |
| Edmond Keith Laxton | $512 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $512 |
| Michael Steve Tabor | $486 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $486 |
| Ronnie Bird | $436 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $436 |
| Mitchel R. Coburn | $408 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $408 |
| Stephen D. Bunker | $386 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $6,495 |
| William O. Horne III | $384 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $502 |
| Maddrell Family Farms, LLC | $363 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $5,511 |
| William O. Tabor Sr. | $277 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $7,482 |
| Jacob W. Pitcher | $270 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $270 |
| Maynard Charles Evans | $256 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $256 |
| Jarrod P. Branson | $243 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $243 |
| Nicholas P. Branson | $243 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $243 |
| Sara Branson | $243 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $243 |
| Jerry D. Woolwine | $208 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $208 |
| Ronald R. Reed | $198 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $1,420 |
| Joan Rost | $184 | Price Loss Coverage Program | $1,173 |
| Karen C. Thornhill | $181 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $181 |
| John A. Scott Jr. | $163 | Conservation Reserve Program Payment – Annual Rental | $838 |
| Timothy M. Cox | $161 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $161 |
| Leonard F. Thompson | $155 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $155 |
| Mary L. Hopkins | $135 | Price Loss Coverage Program | $2,113 |
| William O. Horne III | $118 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $502 |
| Susan R. Peyton | $100 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Targeted Assistance for Specific Commodities | $889 |
| Brittany Burnopp | $49 | Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 3 – Livestock and Poultry | $49 |
