Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 101 farmers in cities within Ascension Parish received a total of $1.9 million in 141 farm subsidies, a 105.6% increase from 2020, when the total was $904,075 in 230 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 | $100,186 | $1,133,582 | 1,031.5% |
| Waguespack Farms, Inc. | $28,327 | $173,012 | 510.8% |
| Triple M Farms of Donaldsonville, LLC | $26,250 | $117,464 | 347.5% |
| Spike Noel Farms | $39,951 | $62,207 | 55.7% |
| Stephen J. Simoneaux | $1,168 | $47,933 | 4,003.9% |
| Triple 'l' Farm & Ranch, LLC | $41,665 | $25,456 | -38.9% |
| Gary E Dowdy JR Test Trust | $24,645 | $24,645 | 0% |
| Shannon Dowdy | $24,645 | $24,645 | 0% |
| Canton Partnership | $0 | $19,314 | -- |
| Noel Sugars, LLC | $8,572 | $16,776 | 95.7% |
| Mark Gomez Farms, LLC | $1,602 | $16,741 | 945% |
| Canton Enterprises, LLC | $17,700 | $14,983 | -15.4% |
| Hurricane Creek Properties, LLC | $14,812 | $14,812 | 0% |
| Cross Bayou Land Company, LLC | $1,126 | $11,776 | 945.8% |
| Derek C. Solar | $0 | $9,902 | -- |
| Poirrier Farms, Inc. | $27,044 | $8,478 | -68.7% |
| B & W Farms, Inc. | $17,124 | $8,029 | -53.1% |
| Vicki Jacob | $742 | $7,388 | 895.7% |
| Thomas M. Kenney | $7,304 | $7,304 | 0% |
| Hartley Timberland Properties, LLC | $6,872 | $6,872 | 0% |
| Herbert Doucet | $68,628 | $6,141 | -91.1% |
| Margie Lee Thibodeaux Doucet | $8,773 | $6,141 | -30% |
| Alan J. Braud Jr. | $25,465 | $5,985 | -76.5% |
| Simoneaux Sugars, LLC | $3,686 | $5,628 | 52.7% |
| Lil Oaks Farm, LLC | $5,373 | $5,373 | 0% |
| Joelle J & Josephine J Balzer Living Trust | $0 | $5,272 | -- |
| William M. Brown | $93,345 | $5,034 | -94.6% |
| Arthur Maple Smith Jr. | $22,550 | $4,805 | -78.7% |
| Poirrier Cattle Company, LLC | $20,625 | $4,328 | -79% |
| Lisa Gautreau | $12,672 | $2,958 | -76.7% |
| Lemann & Thibaut, Inc. | $2,199 | $2,932 | 33.3% |
| Daniel R Safford | $10,997 | $2,852 | -74.1% |
| George W. Hughes | $14,397 | $2,834 | -80.3% |
| Kerry L. Broussard | $12,573 | $2,418 | -80.8% |
| Gay A. Adams | $6,531 | $2,277 | -65.1% |
| Steve McDonald | $2,079 | $2,002 | -3.7% |
| Jarrod Edward Leblanc | $8,734 | $1,897 | -78.3% |
| G2 Cattle Company, LLC | $5,874 | $1,784 | -69.6% |
| Ronald A. Braud | $5,642 | $1,735 | -69.2% |
| Robert Poche | $8,922 | $1,607 | -82% |
| Charles J. Hargrave | $1,568 | $1,568 | 0% |
| Nathan D. White | $6,237 | $1,543 | -75.3% |
| Euclid J Michel JR | $3,137 | $1,485 | -52.7% |
| R S Cattle Company, LLC | $6,391 | $1,430 | -77.6% |
| Terry J. Lavigne | $7,934 | $1,253 | -84.2% |
| William Otis Anderson | $4,774 | $1,201 | -74.8% |
| R and R Farms MT Pleasant, LLC | $5,668 | $1,121 | -80.2% |
| Gregory Leon Diebold | $2,811 | $1,077 | -61.7% |
| Robert Reed Garrett | $2,660 | $1,062 | -60.1% |
| Audrey C Duplechian | $3,333 | $1,010 | -69.7% |
| Dempsey Pendarvis | $977 | $977 | 0% |
| K & K Livestock, LLC | $4,103 | $958 | -76.7% |
| Terry Rehn | $3,098 | $925 | -70.1% |
| Kaye L. Hertwig | $2,456 | $915 | -62.7% |
| John M. Bailey | $0 | $905 | -- |
| Donald Bourg | $3,927 | $895 | -77.2% |
| Dwight D. Poirrier | $4,906 | $894 | -81.8% |
| David Ponville | $2,958 | $824 | -72.1% |
| Heather L. Glatt | $1,716 | $778 | -54.7% |
| Roy Michael Deveer | $2,486 | $746 | -70% |
| Jeff Diez | $1,650 | $698 | -57.7% |
| Jarett N. Daigle | $2,266 | $684 | -69.8% |
| Joseph Templet | $2,640 | $674 | -74.5% |
| Mr. Clinton E. Twilley | $2,692 | $640 | -76.2% |
| Geneva R. Williams | $630 | $630 | 0% |
| Kathi S. Richardson | $595 | $595 | 0% |
| Nancy S. Barr | $595 | $595 | 0% |
| LA Mayeux Farms, LLC | $2,424 | $593 | -75.5% |
| Carol S. Foret | $585 | $585 | 0% |
| Kurt Martinez | $2,904 | $530 | -81.7% |
| Gabriel Gautreaux | $2,805 | $522 | -81.4% |
| Carolyn Braud | $1,760 | $510 | -71% |
| Anselmo Nieto-Gabaldon | $3,358 | $430 | -87.2% |
| Joyce N. Garrett | $1,716 | $428 | -75.1% |
| Annette Benoit Woods | $313 | $395 | 26.2% |
| Drew E. Vincik | $2,374 | $390 | -83.6% |
| Mathew Decoteau | $8,994 | $345 | -96.2% |
| Doval A. Dixon Jr. | $1,133 | $280 | -75.3% |
| Mary G. Hopkins | $276 | $276 | 0% |
| Larry P. Rushing | $251 | $251 | 0% |
| Raymond W. Fink | $249 | $249 | 0% |
| John E. Falcon Jr. | $1,419 | $228 | -83.9% |
| Brian Keith May | $1,056 | $222 | -79% |
| Anthony G. Lea | $388 | $210 | -45.9% |
| Jody L. Stokes | $332 | $166 | -50% |
| Daigle Ridge Cattle Company, LLC | $609 | $164 | -73.1% |
| Bonnie Braud | $162 | $144 | -11.1% |
| Susan Carbo | $504 | $117 | -76.8% |
| Philip L. Smith | $862 | $84 | -90.3% |
| Parnell B. Bourgeois | $125 | $62 | -50.4% |
| Carl J. Fontenot | $0 | $50 | -- |
| Chad N. Hardy | $41 | $35 | -14.6% |
| William D. Mercer | $26 | $16 | -38.5% |
| Brenda A. Richard | $17 | $12 | -29.4% |
| David K. Richard | $17 | $12 | -29.4% |
| Deborah O. Kelley | $55 | $12 | -78.2% |
| Melissa R. Schexnayder | $17 | $12 | -29.4% |
| Meredith Ourso Jr. | $55 | $12 | -78.2% |
| Nancy R. Mabile | $17 | $12 | -29.4% |
| Troy D. Richard | $17 | $12 | -29.4% |
| Nancy F. Roshto | $0 | $2 | -- |
| Andy Matassa | $5,053 | $0 | -100% |
| Esquivel Properties, LLC | $153 | $0 | -100% |
| A & J Partnership, LLC | $9,495 | $0 | -100% |
| Caire Farms, L.L.C. | $22,622 | $0 | -100% |
| Dennis Ray Lanclos | $24 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronnie Hughes | $4,180 | $0 | -100% |
| Commencement Plantation, LLC | $2,818 | $0 | -100% |
| Connie Michele Collins Roach | $87 | $0 | -100% |
| Dale Moreau | $38 | $0 | -100% |
| David Rosenberger | $292 | $0 | -100% |
| Delilia Ann Melancon | $368 | $0 | -100% |
| Joelle J & Josephine J Balzer Liv | $4,241 | $0 | -100% |
| John T. Kelley III | $6,678 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert F. Moreau Jr. | $38 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruby Ashmore Huffman | $193 | $0 | -100% |
| Ruby M. Thibodeaux | $497 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan Gregoire | $1,429 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $904,075 | $1,858,773 | 105.6% |
Alerts Sign-up