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In 2021, 28 farmers in cities within Unicoi County received a total of $691,796 in 29 farm subsidies, a 311.5% increase from 2020, when the total was just $168,107 in 53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Strawberry & Tomato Farms, Inc. | $0 | $490,482 | -- |
| David Byrd JR Logging | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Ray David Byrd | $0 | $52,875 | -- |
| Charles Adam Byrd | $0 | $28,681 | -- |
| Edwin Dwayne Cantrell | $0 | $26,881 | -- |
| William L. Runion | $28,622 | $11,960 | -58.2% |
| Scott Unaka Mountain Blueberries, LLC | $0 | $9,518 | -- |
| Neil Hensley | $78,187 | $5,035 | -93.6% |
| Matthew J. Gilbert | $550 | $2,468 | 348.7% |
| Darrell Woods | $11,339 | $2,453 | -78.4% |
| Todd Love | $5,302 | $1,316 | -75.2% |
| Robert B. Esser | $4,444 | $931 | -79.1% |
| Ernest Grady Hilemon | $4,235 | $904 | -78.7% |
| Donald L. Simerly | $4,289 | $834 | -80.6% |
| Clesta Hilemon | $3,938 | $768 | -80.5% |
| Clarence Bailey | $4,037 | $688 | -83% |
| Larry Hill | $3,429 | $571 | -83.3% |
| Stana M. Donnelly | $1,164 | $435 | -62.6% |
| Joshua H. Davis | $2,006 | $380 | -81.1% |
| Roger Dale Willis | $1,771 | $368 | -79.2% |
| Steve C. Wilson | $3,318 | $322 | -90.3% |
| Douglas R. Bowman | $1,089 | $255 | -76.6% |
| Troy L. Clark | $627 | $242 | -61.4% |
| Jason Smith | $2,155 | $155 | -92.8% |
| Donald McGaughey | $0 | $154 | -- |
| Theodore Morrow | $429 | $128 | -70.2% |
| Howard Buchanan | $759 | $107 | -85.9% |
| Paul Pellegrino | $8 | $10 | 25% |
| Larry E. Lewis | $1,210 | $0 | -100% |
| James A. Woodby | $1,375 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph C. MacKey | $1,899 | $0 | -100% |
| Rick Hyder | $1,925 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $168,107 | $691,796 | 311.5% |
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