NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A federal program is designed to keep local farmers afloat and food on the table. But the program is funneling money to people in some of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods.

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Farm subsidies are money designed as a safety net for farmers who have rough years, like the drought in 2007. But people you'd hardly think of as "farmers" are getting hundreds of thousands of dollars of this money.

People living in grand homes in the city are getting big-time farm subsidies.

Bruce Gentry receives considerably smaller farm subsidies, not to thrive, but just to survive.

"It paid the necessary bills that had to be paid,” Gentry said.

Many of the people who received big farm subsidies in the Nashville area in the past 11 years don't drive a tractor, work the land or raise animals.

Such as the banker who lives in a mansion and received $763,672 in farm subsidies, the business owner who lives in Belle Meade and received $289,502 and the publisher who lives in Green Hills and got $220,356.

It's all perfectly legal, even if the farm bill was originally designed as a safety net for farmers.

"This bill was crafted for the purpose, supposedly, for those who had an actual operating risk in agriculture were to benefit,” said Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker. “I think what you're finding are people who are not in that category.”

As part of the farm bill, which was just renewed again this year, if someone owns farm land but never works an acre of it, they can get subsidies. It's how all the landowners in the city got their big chunk of the money.

"Farm subsidies are going to the largest, wealthiest landowners in the country," said Michelle Perez of the Environmental Working Group. “Why should they get taxpayer support when there's no farm bill equivalent for business owners? Or farm bill equivalent for dry cleaners?"

Jim Bill McInteer runs a successful publishing company in Nashville and owns land in Kansas and Kentucky. He said it is fair that he receives the money.

"Well, I think if you own the property,” said McInteer, “you have a right to expect the revenue that comes from it."

McInteer, who inherited much of his farmland from his farmer father, knows many critics have said the subsidies aren't designed for city folks.

When asked if the program was working like it is supposed to, despite McInteer not being a struggling farmer, he said, "I think it is. But, you know, I have as much to do with it as you do. I've never been consulted."

McInteer and farmers said lawmakers are ultimately responsible for the farm bill.

"Certainly, it's not intended for any subsidies who aren't taking a real operating risk on farms,” said Corker. “I’m certainly going to introduce legislation dealing with this very issue."

Some of the landowners Channel 4 spoke to said they are the children of farmers and did work the land at some point, but just don't do it now.

Critics said this is a program designed as a safety net for farmers to keep them alive financially, not for wealthy landowners.