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In 2021, 131 farmers in cities within Yancey County received a total of $668,630 in 152 farm subsidies, a 21% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $845,984 in 309 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dustin Mitchell | $4,115 | $53,466 | 1,199.3% |
| Adam Mitchell | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| David Sheehan Enterprises, LLC | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Harley P Norton Logging | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Larry D. Cook | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Sandra G. Norton | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| SSS Logging, Inc. | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Dennis J. Edwards | $0 | $33,245 | -- |
| Mountain Land Management, LLC | $0 | $31,755 | -- |
| Kenneth Trent Allen | $0 | $26,627 | -- |
| Edwin Dee Fortner | $62,251 | $22,295 | -64.2% |
| Brush Monkey, LLC | $0 | $21,373 | -- |
| David Lee Duncan | $31,272 | $18,908 | -39.5% |
| John Roscoe Banks | $81,794 | $16,395 | -80% |
| Stokes C. Austin | $84,007 | $16,377 | -80.5% |
| Goldfinch Gardens, LLC | $0 | $7,463 | -- |
| Danny McCourry | $0 | $5,956 | -- |
| Johnson - Reglin Family PTRSHP, Ltd. | $14,199 | $5,152 | -63.7% |
| John McPeters | $0 | $4,217 | -- |
| Eric L. Johnson | $0 | $4,123 | -- |
| Michael Hudgins | $0 | $3,784 | -- |
| Gene Ledford | $11,824 | $3,582 | -69.7% |
| ELK Wallow Farm, LLC | $12,748 | $3,454 | -72.9% |
| Philip England | $24,163 | $3,192 | -86.8% |
| Barry Clinton Austin | $19,750 | $3,056 | -84.5% |
| Wrenacres, Inc. | $8,158 | $2,990 | -63.3% |
| Jonathan W. Hudgins | $0 | $2,868 | -- |
| Dennis Edwards | $0 | $2,584 | -- |
| Nelson Silvers | $10,472 | $2,332 | -77.7% |
| Kevin Wendell Wilson | $1,518 | $2,180 | 43.6% |
| Michael Todd Hughes | $13,366 | $2,014 | -84.9% |
| Johnny Deyton | $6,634 | $1,808 | -72.7% |
| John Cameron Banks | $8,310 | $1,692 | -79.6% |
| Donald Stewart Banks | $8,393 | $1,668 | -80.1% |
| James M. Ray Jr. | $1,155 | $1,498 | 29.7% |
| Wendell Wilson | $1,133 | $1,494 | 31.9% |
| Valerie McCourry | $6,545 | $1,400 | -78.6% |
| Paul Kardulis | $5,621 | $1,294 | -77% |
| Adam Hopson | $9,273 | $1,176 | -87.3% |
| Jacob Bryant | $0 | $1,144 | -- |
| Glenna McIntosh | $5,222 | $1,123 | -78.5% |
| Dale England | $5,904 | $996 | -83.1% |
| Bryan Dean Cooper | $6,740 | $976 | -85.5% |
| Samuel K. Young | $5,116 | $934 | -81.7% |
| Ricky Chandler | $3,773 | $892 | -76.4% |
| Donnie Cooper | $3,917 | $870 | -77.8% |
| Roger Young | $5,118 | $864 | -83.1% |
| James E. Benfield | $1,576 | $846 | -46.3% |
| Dwight Johnson | $4,350 | $826 | -81% |
| Kenneth R. Hensley | $0 | $825 | -- |
| Christopher Gillespie | $4,305 | $820 | -81% |
| William H. Buckner Jr. | $6,579 | $752 | -88.6% |
| Dale Austin | $1,995 | $732 | -63.3% |
| Vernon M. Robinson | $3,542 | $722 | -79.6% |
| Jacob Burleson | $2,431 | $715 | -70.6% |
| Jill Jacquin | $3,116 | $704 | -77.4% |
| Alan Lynn Silvers | $3,333 | $679 | -79.6% |
| Harold Evans | $3,855 | $669 | -82.6% |
| James C. Evans | $3,445 | $664 | -80.7% |
| Daniel F. Ledford | $2,943 | $650 | -77.9% |
| James M. Ray | $3,772 | $647 | -82.8% |
| Yvonne McIntosh | $0 | $644 | -- |
| William S. Randolph | $2,737 | $641 | -76.6% |
| Jerry L. Robinson | $3,577 | $638 | -82.2% |
| Brian Presnell | $3,989 | $636 | -84.1% |
| Estel Higgins | $3,112 | $627 | -79.9% |
| Floyd Williams | $1,936 | $561 | -71% |
| James D. Bryant | $2,574 | $547 | -78.7% |
| Bobby Ray | $1,837 | $535 | -70.9% |
| Jason Renfro | $1,881 | $528 | -71.9% |
| Robert Jeremy McCurry | $2,440 | $525 | -78.5% |
| Billy Bruce Wilson | $477 | $477 | 0% |
| Clark D Tibbits Trust | $2,025 | $455 | -77.5% |
| Charles Dulaney | $1,957 | $450 | -77% |
| Michelle Effler | $0 | $449 | -- |
| Janie Fender | $2,119 | $448 | -78.9% |
| Farrell Hughes | $1,727 | $431 | -75% |
| Dwight McIntosh | $1,867 | $425 | -77.2% |
| Marty McIntosh | $3,127 | $425 | -86.4% |
| Stacy Elkins | $2,606 | $414 | -84.1% |
| Glenn Wilson | $1,617 | $412 | -74.5% |
| Steve Horton | $1,705 | $394 | -76.9% |
| Dwight England | $1,683 | $391 | -76.8% |
| Earmel Wheeler | $1,804 | $380 | -78.9% |
| Kyle Johnson | $1,595 | $364 | -77.2% |
| Ronnie Robinson | $3,715 | $362 | -90.3% |
| Robert D. Gouge | $2,189 | $350 | -84% |
| James Moore Edwards | $1,149 | $341 | -70.3% |
| Tracy Chandler | $1,629 | $338 | -79.3% |
| Aaron Tipton | $2,565 | $335 | -86.9% |
| Brian E. McIntosh | $1,857 | $318 | -82.9% |
| Larry Briggs | $858 | $315 | -63.3% |
| Clayborn H. Carroll | $2,731 | $312 | -88.6% |
| William Randolph | $1,736 | $310 | -82.1% |
| Burl G. Pitman | $1,287 | $297 | -76.9% |
| Terry J. England | $2,319 | $290 | -87.5% |
| Neil McCurry | $1,530 | $287 | -81.2% |
| Randy S. Fox | $462 | $283 | -38.7% |
| Danny Dean Angel | $1,243 | $278 | -77.6% |
| Anthony Wilson | $1,684 | $277 | -83.6% |
| Bradley Duncan | $1,353 | $276 | -79.6% |
| Victor Horton | $891 | $273 | -69.4% |
| Preston Allen | $1,101 | $270 | -75.5% |
| Michael Blevins | $2,600 | $264 | -89.8% |
| Rex Ray Jr. | $1,001 | $262 | -73.8% |
| S. L. Hensley | $1,155 | $259 | -77.6% |
| Fred Carmack | $1,100 | $238 | -78.4% |
| R. M. Swann | $1,892 | $238 | -87.4% |
| John B. Young | $419 | $236 | -43.7% |
| Harold Black | $946 | $232 | -75.5% |
| Robbie Boyer | $1,690 | $223 | -86.8% |
| Albert G. Williams | $161 | $222 | 37.9% |
| John C. Hughes | $968 | $214 | -77.9% |
| William Hogan | $0 | $212 | -- |
| Edward Alexander Penland | $363 | $190 | -47.7% |
| Robert Ray | $949 | $190 | -80% |
| James D. Young | $935 | $177 | -81.1% |
| Michael Laws | $330 | $172 | -47.9% |
| Harold Davis | $9,948 | $156 | -98.4% |
| Johnnie Robinson | $363 | $147 | -59.5% |
| Thomas Hunnicutt | $704 | $138 | -80.4% |
| Adam P. McCurry | $2,109 | $121 | -94.3% |
| Jarett Allen | $2,390 | $121 | -94.9% |
| Darren Fender | $845 | $100 | -88.2% |
| Bobby Hensley | $915 | $90 | -90.2% |
| Clint Higgins | $330 | $90 | -72.7% |
| Jeri Mitrani | $363 | $83 | -77.1% |
| Brian Levi McIntosh | $760 | $69 | -90.9% |
| Samantha Sinclair | $352 | $69 | -80.4% |
| Dennis Steve Cannon | $446 | $48 | -89.2% |
| Michael D. Briggs | $505 | $42 | -91.7% |
| Amy Bain Trobaugh | $471 | $0 | -100% |
| Bryan Hensley | $1,537 | $0 | -100% |
| Carolina Native Nursery | $101,188 | $0 | -100% |
| Clarence Deyton | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Danny Thomason | $240 | $0 | -100% |
| David Autrey | $23,444 | $0 | -100% |
| David Yeater | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Denny Wilson | $513 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Buckner | $124 | $0 | -100% |
| Donald Tipton | $2,772 | $0 | -100% |
| Gretchen S. Ferrell | $2,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Harley Fox | $2,478 | $0 | -100% |
| Hiram Ledford | $3,465 | $0 | -100% |
| Horace Williams | $6,169 | $0 | -100% |
| J. C. Robinson | $440 | $0 | -100% |
| Jake Bryant | $6,329 | $0 | -100% |
| James H. Robinson | $212 | $0 | -100% |
| Jaron Clifford Bradford | $330 | $0 | -100% |
| Jeri Kristina Wilson | $431 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph Hollis | $1,060 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Larson | $208 | $0 | -100% |
| Logan Buchanan | $243 | $0 | -100% |
| Marilyn Angell Wilson | $220 | $0 | -100% |
| Mary Sapp | $482 | $0 | -100% |
| Mckinney Nursery, Inc. | $21,044 | $0 | -100% |
| Melody Kardulis | $297 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Wilson | $33,908 | $0 | -100% |
| Nicole Delcogliano | $4,982 | $0 | -100% |
| Phillip Garland | $330 | $0 | -100% |
| Regina N. Ray | $37 | $0 | -100% |
| Ronald Hullett | $165 | $0 | -100% |
| Ryan Wiebe | $647 | $0 | -100% |
| Tommy C. Buchanan | $3,791 | $0 | -100% |
| Troy Wade McCourry | $3,604 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $845,984 | $668,630 | -21% |
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