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In 2021, 241 farmers in cities within Hardee County received a total of $4.3 million in 293 farm subsidies, a 70% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $14.3 million in 508 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 Hardee County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windmill Farms Nurseries, Inc. | $84,027 | $470,280 | 459.7% |
| Cantu Apiaries, Inc. | $166,922 | $235,194 | 40.9% |
| The Groves of Peace River, Inc. | $174,715 | $204,328 | 16.9% |
| Pebbledale Farms, Inc. | $391,079 | $160,844 | -58.9% |
| Heart of Florida Greenhouses, Inc. | $0 | $150,174 | -- |
| L & J Citrus & Cattle, LLC | $166,511 | $126,881 | -23.8% |
| D & S Cattle Company, Inc. | $0 | $125,000 | -- |
| Lake Branch Dairy, Inc. | $728,454 | $120,508 | -83.5% |
| Nickerson Cattle Company, LLC | $953,912 | $120,508 | -87.4% |
| Arthur S Womack Family, LLC | $7,125 | $119,226 | 1,573.3% |
| Peace River Growers, Inc. | $0 | $115,120 | -- |
| Philip L Smoak Land & Citrus, LLC | $42,653 | $114,918 | 169.4% |
| Himrod Citrus Nursery, Inc. | $0 | $104,318 | -- |
| S & D Feeders, LLC | $239,732 | $102,036 | -57.4% |
| Candy Brand, Inc. | $0 | $99,835 | -- |
| RDB Farms, Inc. | $0 | $77,654 | -- |
| David M. Durando | $290,075 | $72,057 | -75.2% |
| Willard Kelly Durrance Jr. | $502,074 | $59,131 | -88.2% |
| Chapman Fruit Company | $0 | $57,537 | -- |
| Homeland Farm, LLC | $0 | $49,362 | -- |
| Stephen M. Palmer | $274,008 | $48,358 | -82.4% |
| 3-C Ranch Limited a Florida | $57,862 | $48,239 | -16.6% |
| Minority Plants, Inc. | $16,832 | $44,456 | 164.1% |
| T. C. Prescott, LLC | $23,839 | $40,839 | 71.3% |
| Daniel H. Smith | $292,321 | $40,817 | -86% |
| Cobb Farms, Inc. | $53,635 | $39,206 | -26.9% |
| Donald E. Smith | $75,893 | $38,036 | -49.9% |
| John Roy Gough | $0 | $37,169 | -- |
| CRS Cattle Company, LLC | $163,827 | $35,345 | -78.4% |
| J Bar E Partnership | $0 | $35,276 | -- |
| Ninfa C Davis Family, LLC | $63,347 | $34,234 | -46% |
| Himrod Groves Limited Partnership | $0 | $32,359 | -- |
| Duncan Citrus, LLC | $0 | $32,214 | -- |
| Elliot A. Roberts | $0 | $30,884 | -- |
| Citra Lee, LLC | $3,159 | $28,655 | 807.1% |
| Durrance Groves Partnership, Ltd. | $0 | $26,510 | -- |
| His Blessings, LLC | $30,999 | $25,836 | -16.7% |
| W K Durrance, LLC | $0 | $23,294 | -- |
| Paul Mislevy | $36,347 | $22,540 | -38% |
| Henry Smith W. Grove | $0 | $21,320 | -- |
| C & B Cattle of Hardee, LLC | $66,629 | $20,566 | -69.1% |
| Farr Groves, LLC | $147,220 | $20,422 | -86.1% |
| Tall Tine Plantation | $21,616 | $20,260 | -6.3% |
| Gutierrez Harvesting, LLC | $0 | $19,203 | -- |
| James B. Belflower Jr. | $122,633 | $18,650 | -84.8% |
| Countryside Growers, Inc. | $0 | $18,554 | -- |
| Blaine Kelly | $16,077 | $16,078 | 0% |
| Donnis a Barber | $17,275 | $15,090 | -12.6% |
| Jc's Bees and Pollination, Inc. | $17,591 | $14,673 | -16.6% |
| Jed Groves, Inc. | $0 | $14,647 | -- |
| Three B Grove & Ranch, LLP | $7,953 | $13,915 | 75% |
| Arcadia Groves | $0 | $13,806 | -- |
| W & S Duncan Limited Partnership | $12,243 | $13,774 | 12.5% |
| RR Smith, Inc. | $0 | $13,750 | -- |
| Prescott Brothers | $0 | $13,415 | -- |
| James Prine | $32,111 | $13,022 | -59.4% |
| Shorewood Corporation | $0 | $12,601 | -- |
| Christina Bryant | $0 | $12,486 | -- |
| Danny Doyle Durrance | $0 | $12,377 | -- |
| Treeair Cattle Company, Inc. | $84,254 | $12,078 | -85.7% |
| J D M Partnership | $0 | $11,952 | -- |
| Hard Knocks Farms, LLC | $2,706 | $11,443 | 322.9% |
| Anthony Charles Lee | $77,427 | $11,348 | -85.3% |
| Franklin D. Albritton | $102,714 | $11,044 | -89.2% |
| Sassy Farms, LLC | $10,390 | $11,017 | 6% |
| James F. Hancock | $9,995 | $10,804 | 8.1% |
| RR Smith Family Citrus, LLC | $0 | $10,587 | -- |
| Stevens Land & Cattle | $68,057 | $10,469 | -84.6% |
| F. L. Revell Jr. | $110,939 | $10,396 | -90.6% |
| Ballantyne Groves, Inc. | $51,315 | $10,224 | -80.1% |
| Klein Ranch, Inc. | $44,532 | $9,979 | -77.6% |
| Florida Commission Company | $42,009 | $9,772 | -76.7% |
| Carlton Cattle Company, LLC | $62,088 | $9,624 | -84.5% |
| Charlie Creek Cattle Company | $48,644 | $9,595 | -80.3% |
| Michael W. Owens | $20,251 | $8,938 | -55.9% |
| Nicole Cattle Company, Inc. | $46,067 | $8,751 | -81% |
| Earl Gill Trust | $6,073 | $8,421 | 38.7% |
| 4R Farms, LLC | $0 | $8,293 | -- |
| William Royce Tyson Jr. | $91,486 | $8,150 | -91.1% |
| William Dale Wilkerson | $0 | $8,131 | -- |
| A-Dab, LLC | $0 | $8,112 | -- |
| Stephen S. Reas | $6,560 | $8,033 | 22.5% |
| Skipper Cattle & Citrus, LLC | $117,696 | $7,733 | -93.4% |
| Charles R. Stevens Jr. | $27,176 | $7,345 | -73% |
| John S. Platt | $30,900 | $7,153 | -76.9% |
| C & G Cattle Company | $31,402 | $7,102 | -77.4% |
| Norris Road, LLC | $22,930 | $7,020 | -69.4% |
| V-4, LLC | $0 | $6,709 | -- |
| Triangle K Ranch, Inc. | $5,940 | $6,674 | 12.4% |
| Mr. Frederick M. Knight | $4,851 | $6,554 | 35.1% |
| Bryant Agent Company, LLC | $2,145 | $6,530 | 204.4% |
| Carol Stone | $25,553 | $6,326 | -75.2% |
| Roy Petteway | $35,106 | $6,261 | -82.2% |
| Angela Polk Estate | $5,280 | $6,009 | 13.8% |
| Marcus D. Shackelford | $18,717 | $5,888 | -68.5% |
| Reaphook, Inc. | $26,638 | $5,780 | -78.3% |
| Cin Min Ray, LLC | $25,707 | $5,592 | -78.2% |
| Sweetwater Preserve, LLC | $34,256 | $5,561 | -83.8% |
| Wilbur Robertson | $27,924 | $5,520 | -80.2% |
| Stephen A. Herring | $12,507 | $5,513 | -55.9% |
| Pete Zelyk | $16,135 | $5,438 | -66.3% |
| James Paul Carlton | $13,484 | $5,414 | -59.8% |
| Circle 5 Bar Ranch, Inc. | $25,118 | $5,331 | -78.8% |
| Mann & Stevens, LLC | $31,434 | $5,278 | -83.2% |
| Mulcay & Pyle, LLC | $14,949 | $5,140 | -65.6% |
| Hartt Brothers, LLC | $38,935 | $4,932 | -87.3% |
| Bruce McClelland | $25,580 | $4,908 | -80.8% |
| Russell Duncan | $4,059 | $4,877 | 20.2% |
| Dennis Ray Lowe | $4,676 | $4,643 | -0.7% |
| 3 B Ranch | $0 | $4,620 | -- |
| M-4 Cattle, LLC | $21,534 | $4,620 | -78.5% |
| Grass Valley Ranch, Inc. | $20,923 | $4,602 | -78% |
| Nelwyn Bolin | $10,199 | $4,549 | -55.4% |
| CW Cattle & Farm, Inc. | $27,555 | $4,454 | -83.8% |
| Glenda Best | $0 | $4,389 | -- |
| Edgar L. Davis Jr. | $199,013 | $4,381 | -97.8% |
| Causey Land Trust | $21,228 | $4,221 | -80.1% |
| Michael A. Prescott | $0 | $4,192 | -- |
| Jim Estes | $2,970 | $4,160 | 40.1% |
| Barlow Family Partnership | $5,422 | $4,075 | -24.8% |
| Running W Land & Cattle, LLC | $20,113 | $4,034 | -79.9% |
| Winston M. Smith | $9,966 | $3,938 | -60.5% |
| R M Cattle Company, Inc. | $18,744 | $3,902 | -79.2% |
| Buddy Colson | $12,683 | $3,861 | -69.6% |
| Jam Farms Corporation | $202,417 | $3,799 | -98.1% |
| R Bar D Cattle, Inc. | $19,876 | $3,755 | -81.1% |
| Kea-Bo Ranch, Inc. | $15,773 | $3,716 | -76.4% |
| Mary J and Charles W Matheny III PTR | $39,987 | $3,682 | -90.8% |
| Danny Skitka | $9,588 | $3,585 | -62.6% |
| B & B Groves | $0 | $3,538 | -- |
| Janet Duke | $0 | $3,532 | -- |
| Harold E. McClelland Jr. | $56,493 | $3,288 | -94.2% |
| Dale M. Johnson | $19,837 | $3,222 | -83.8% |
| M & R Cattle Company, LLC | $17,117 | $3,222 | -81.2% |
| Christine K. Wiggins | $4,527 | $3,101 | -31.5% |
| Joe Skitka | $16,092 | $3,052 | -81% |
| Caleb Reas | $1,815 | $3,044 | 67.7% |
| Myles Albritton Jr. | $2,211 | $2,975 | 34.6% |
| Roberta H. Beattie | $10,835 | $2,944 | -72.8% |
| Stevens Land and Citrus, LLC | $14,121 | $2,914 | -79.4% |
| Futch Farms, LLC | $427,733 | $2,849 | -99.3% |
| Kenneth L. Pella | $6,171 | $2,836 | -54% |
| Keller Ranch, Inc. | $9,966 | $2,742 | -72.5% |
| Donald E. Maddox | $6,113 | $2,630 | -57% |
| Lorraine Mcleod Smith | $6,204 | $2,626 | -57.7% |
| Randall Steven Crews | $0 | $2,585 | -- |
| Donald T Davis Family Limited Partnership | $23,067 | $2,459 | -89.3% |
| Paul Paris | $9,460 | $2,443 | -74.2% |
| Delmas H. Gough | $0 | $2,412 | -- |
| Charlotte Braddock | $3,007 | $2,381 | -20.8% |
| Jason C. Clark | $19,819 | $2,281 | -88.5% |
| Silver Moon Ranches | $10,341 | $2,275 | -78% |
| KMV Groves | $0 | $2,163 | -- |
| Donald Woods | $8,094 | $2,158 | -73.3% |
| RGC Heartland Properties, LLC | $0 | $2,157 | -- |
| James Keith Hancock | $4,917 | $2,109 | -57.1% |
| Colin P. Cooper | $4,620 | $2,005 | -56.6% |
| Rafter C Ranch, Inc. | $25,935 | $1,995 | -92.3% |
| Minor L. Bryant | $13,254 | $1,982 | -85% |
| Richard Russell | $10,997 | $1,952 | -82.2% |
| James Kevin Brown | $6,063 | $1,951 | -67.8% |
| Paul E. Davis Jr. | $0 | $1,925 | -- |
| Susan Watts | $12,646 | $1,925 | -84.8% |
| Opal S. Knight | $8,910 | $1,886 | -78.8% |
| Opal S. Knight | $8,910 | $1,886 | -78.8% |
| Albert G. Abbott | $5,465 | $1,816 | -66.8% |
| Gregory W. Redding | $7,152 | $1,811 | -74.7% |
| Charles Wolfe | $0 | $1,806 | -- |
| Mccarlton Partners, Ltd. | $54,488 | $1,780 | -96.7% |
| Justin Duncan | $7,194 | $1,742 | -75.8% |
| Durrance & Sons, LLC | $23,760 | $1,701 | -92.8% |
| Michael Dennis Colding II | $7,575 | $1,641 | -78.3% |
| Nickerson Bar III, LLC | $937,723 | $1,634 | -99.8% |
| Ronnie Allen | $8,603 | $1,633 | -81% |
| Doyle K. Tyson | $8,071 | $1,576 | -80.5% |
| Murrell L. Winter, Inc. | $8,056 | $1,574 | -80.5% |
| William J. Tyson | $7,983 | $1,569 | -80.3% |
| James H. Albritton | $5,830 | $1,554 | -73.3% |
| Greg Conley | $3,366 | $1,554 | -53.8% |
| Larry E. Wingate | $0 | $1,540 | -- |
| Vernon Michael Chester | $5,874 | $1,478 | -74.8% |
| Robert Alan Bair | $3,763 | $1,477 | -60.7% |
| Eugene Field Jr. | $0 | $1,453 | -- |
| Charles Cochran | $3,300 | $1,418 | -57% |
| Esteban Anton | $2,046 | $1,378 | -32.6% |
| Lynn B. Barlow | $1,569 | $1,343 | -14.4% |
| James Harrison | $4,869 | $1,297 | -73.4% |
| JHP Cattle | $3,300 | $1,264 | -61.7% |
| Ronald L. Durrance | $4,251 | $1,260 | -70.4% |
| Ramon Roy Petteway | $1,419 | $1,244 | -12.3% |
| Circle F Ranch Livestock Services, LLC | $1,181 | $1,209 | 2.4% |
| Arthur McClellan | $4,609 | $1,186 | -74.3% |
| Conner Crawford | $4,026 | $1,108 | -72.5% |
| Thomas M. Hartley | $7,632 | $1,068 | -86% |
| Gary C Shiver, DVM | $6,402 | $1,039 | -83.8% |
| Keli A. Bunch | $15,493 | $1,030 | -93.4% |
| Jack Hennig | $1,314 | $996 | -24.2% |
| Thomas L. Taylor | $3,993 | $938 | -76.5% |
| Clark Farms, Inc. | $7,752 | $937 | -87.9% |
| Denise Smith | $0 | $935 | -- |
| Team Telecom, Inc. | $2,343 | $907 | -61.3% |
| Wallin Family Revocable Living Trust | $1,756 | $878 | -50% |
| Robert C. Albritton | $3,971 | $864 | -78.2% |
| Sammie W. Long | $4,593 | $830 | -81.9% |
| David Albritton | $1,584 | $777 | -50.9% |
| Retha Crawford Martin | $3,785 | $744 | -80.3% |
| Yvonne Green | $0 | $660 | -- |
| Joseph Cochran | $1,452 | $636 | -56.2% |
| Brent Sellers | $2,310 | $622 | -73.1% |
| Wesley A. Roe | $2,874 | $620 | -78.4% |
| William R. Haney | $0 | $550 | -- |
| Cora S. Cowart | $231 | $506 | 119% |
| Jobe Johns | $2,453 | $502 | -79.5% |
| Hardee Fresh | $0 | $500 | -- |
| Gary T. Henderson | $1,254 | $492 | -60.8% |
| Roy F. Albritton | $2,834 | $484 | -82.9% |
| Heartland Bees, LLC | $0 | $467 | -- |
| Carrie Sue Edenfield | $1,122 | $433 | -61.4% |
| Dewey Bennett Sr. | $1,122 | $433 | -61.4% |
| W&D Family Cattle, Inc. | $2,286 | $425 | -81.4% |
| Robert C. Albritton Jr. | $1,650 | $415 | -74.8% |
| E Abbott Cattle Company, Inc. | $1,450 | $401 | -72.3% |
| Julie B. Johnson | $5,003 | $394 | -92.1% |
| Pamela Timmons | $0 | $385 | -- |
| H Bar 3 Ranch | $1,551 | $363 | -76.6% |
| Hope Marie Freeman | $1,287 | $363 | -71.8% |
| Justin Hamilton | $792 | $363 | -54.2% |
| Harriett Grantham | $957 | $357 | -62.7% |
| John Judah | $1,302 | $352 | -73% |
| John W. Eason Jr. | $858 | $346 | -59.7% |
| Duane Brummett | $1,474 | $294 | -80.1% |
| Corvil Justesen | $1,614 | $280 | -82.7% |
| Justin Smith | $1,777 | $277 | -84.4% |
| Tyrone M. Chapman | $781 | $273 | -65% |
| Herman J. Keller | $1,271 | $266 | -79.1% |
| Deborah Revell | $1,544 | $249 | -83.9% |
| George Pazdera | $776 | $237 | -69.5% |
| Paul S Hayman, DVM | $528 | $225 | -57.4% |
| Ninfa C. Ward | $495 | $208 | -58% |
| Brenda Cullins | $166 | $166 | 0% |
| Sean Keleher | $333 | $121 | -63.7% |
| 7 S Bar, Inc. | $291,486 | $0 | -100% |
| Abbott Groves, LLC | $61,510 | $0 | -100% |
| Colleen J. Timmons | $257 | $0 | -100% |
| Fort Green Farms, LLC | $56,577 | $0 | -100% |
| J Bar K Ranch, LLC | $4,730 | $0 | -100% |
| James R. Best Jr. | $6,936 | $0 | -100% |
| Josephine Elizabeth Abbott | $74,384 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Joseph Abbott | $4,389 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert C. Abbott | $130,141 | $0 | -100% |
| Sunny Sweet Farms, Inc. | $96,849 | $0 | -100% |
| Estrada & Sons, Inc. | $750,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Karen E. Drake | $7,082 | $0 | -100% |
| Melvin Taylor | $3,850 | $0 | -100% |
| Perry J. Taylor | $2,860 | $0 | -100% |
| 3 C Enterprises | $58,050 | $0 | -100% |
| 3-N Groves, LLP | $42,412 | $0 | -100% |
| A C Citrus and Cattle, Inc. | $9,359 | $0 | -100% |
| Adrian R. Chapman Jr. | $2,145 | $0 | -100% |
| Agri Citrus, LLC | $23,573 | $0 | -100% |
| Arthur S. Womack Jr. | $4,148 | $0 | -100% |
| ATP Groves, LLC | $90,855 | $0 | -100% |
| Audrey Conley | $5,518 | $0 | -100% |
| BJ Groves, LLC | $3,561 | $0 | -100% |
| Calvin B. Roberts | $10,476 | $0 | -100% |
| Carlene Schumann | $591 | $0 | -100% |
| Carlton Farms Company | $168,794 | $0 | -100% |
| Carlton Groves, LLC | $73,404 | $0 | -100% |
| Chapman Family Partnership, LLLP | $418,182 | $0 | -100% |
| Doyle Carlton III-Roman III Ranch | $500,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Edgar Lawrence Davis SR Family Trust | $7,406 | $0 | -100% |
| Exie Glow Barnett | $4,050 | $0 | -100% |
| Fish Branch Grove, LLC | $19,932 | $0 | -100% |
| Henderson Farms, LLC | $177,507 | $0 | -100% |
| Jack Paul Properties, Inc. | $157,497 | $0 | -100% |
| Jed C. Weeks | $15,188 | $0 | -100% |
| JLC Farms, Inc. | $49,017 | $0 | -100% |
| John E. Terrell | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| John L. Matz | $19,316 | $0 | -100% |
| John R Paul JR Family Limited | $121,298 | $0 | -100% |
| Johnson Groves & Farms, Inc. | $53,826 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth H. Sanders III | $100,532 | $0 | -100% |
| Lemon Grove Farms, Inc. | $42,845 | $0 | -100% |
| Martha M. Rockwell | $8,454 | $0 | -100% |
| Milton Roberts | $23,011 | $0 | -100% |
| MSM Groves, Inc. | $106,825 | $0 | -100% |
| Nicholson Grove Service, Inc. | $31,114 | $0 | -100% |
| Norris Groves, Inc. | $24,705 | $0 | -100% |
| Par-Ley Produce, LLC | $56,896 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert R Norris, Inc. | $30,296 | $0 | -100% |
| Roger K. Conley | $3,214 | $0 | -100% |
| Round Orange, LLC | $250,000 | $0 | -100% |
| TCB Citrus | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| The Carlton Group, LLC | $31,200 | $0 | -100% |
| Tommy Joe Johnson | $15,850 | $0 | -100% |
| Tweedes, LLC | $26,042 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Parrish | $12,809 | $0 | -100% |
| William Keith Davis | $40,645 | $0 | -100% |
| Wilma Gail Best | $1,616 | $0 | -100% |
| Brian Crews | $3,080 | $0 | -100% |
| Crewsville Oranges, LLC | $88,767 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel Estrada | $21,639 | $0 | -100% |
| Friendship Foliage, Inc. | $125,783 | $0 | -100% |
| Jack Green Farms, Inc. | $25,380 | $0 | -100% |
| James Mitchell Blackman | $2,193 | $0 | -100% |
| Juarez Nursery Incorporated | $161,684 | $0 | -100% |
| Petteway Grove Service, Inc. | $6,188 | $0 | -100% |
| Petteway Growers | $12,006 | $0 | -100% |
| Reints Groves, LLC | $60,522 | $0 | -100% |
| Southeast Agent Management, LLC | $35,162 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $14,349,854 | $4,297,813 | -70% |
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