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In 2021, 125 farmers in cities within Buncombe County received a total of $232,282 in 169 farm subsidies, a 74.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $910,346 in 323 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas G Watkins - Thomas G Watkins Living Trust | $0 | $49,999 | -- |
| Martha L. Reese | $42,218 | $38,328 | -9.2% |
| Barbara Brownsmith Campbell | $7,575 | $7,149 | -5.6% |
| Kathy Boos | $2,495 | $5,929 | 137.6% |
| Brent Shaw Farms, Inc. | $8,977 | $5,616 | -37.4% |
| Debra J. Swanson | $11,962 | $5,109 | -57.3% |
| James W. Bailey | $9,806 | $4,867 | -50.4% |
| Stephen V. Edge | $4,610 | $4,414 | -4.3% |
| Kanagri, LLC | $9,233 | $4,038 | -56.3% |
| Robert H. Rose | $3,849 | $3,849 | 0% |
| Leissa Shahrak | $7,621 | $3,811 | -50% |
| Balsam Gardens, LLC | $68,612 | $3,469 | -94.9% |
| Paul William Phillips | $6,105 | $3,191 | -47.7% |
| Lewis D. Dillingham | $12,440 | $2,915 | -76.6% |
| Harry J Petrequin JR | $7,028 | $2,897 | -58.8% |
| Michael Hanna Hutchison | $0 | $2,846 | -- |
| Kenneth Eric Treadway | $10,392 | $2,674 | -74.3% |
| James H. Smith | $1,308 | $2,600 | 98.8% |
| Melissa Saxton Saxton Living Trust | $5,253 | $2,465 | -53.1% |
| John Charles Simons III 1995 Trust | $0 | $2,440 | -- |
| Robert D. Craig | $12,410 | $2,239 | -82% |
| Thomas Brown IV | $7,876 | $2,104 | -73.3% |
| C Porter Claxton JR Claxton Farm | $8,304 | $1,898 | -77.1% |
| Debra Jane Liles | $1,865 | $1,865 | 0% |
| Robert B. Long Jr. | $9,195 | $1,742 | -81.1% |
| Majorie A. Orr | $0 | $1,726 | -- |
| Thomas & Betty Budd Irrev Cat ILL Trustee | $2,540 | $1,683 | -33.7% |
| Delores A. Cameron | $1,548 | $1,645 | 6.3% |
| Fred P Lechner-Fred P Lechner Trust | $1,999 | $1,574 | -21.3% |
| Judith Stancil | $1,843 | $1,544 | -16.2% |
| Patricia Bass | $1,527 | $1,527 | 0% |
| Rolsueve, LLC | $5,724 | $1,518 | -73.5% |
| Nancy Scott Hill | $1,027 | $1,491 | 45.2% |
| Marjorie A. Orr | $2,776 | $1,437 | -48.2% |
| Karen S Hamsho | $1,402 | $1,402 | 0% |
| Bruce J. Moore | $6,046 | $1,380 | -77.2% |
| Francis B. Carr | $6,589 | $1,377 | -79.1% |
| Brenda Carlton | $3,476 | $1,346 | -61.3% |
| Randall J. McKinney | $4,092 | $1,276 | -68.8% |
| Clifton Honeycutt | $4,425 | $1,225 | -72.3% |
| Catherine A. Keenan | $2,370 | $1,197 | -49.5% |
| Clarence a Patterson Trust | $4,809 | $1,147 | -76.1% |
| Ann Kemske-Jonathon & Ann Kemske Trust | $1,138 | $1,138 | 0% |
| Tommy D. Teague | $3,982 | $1,104 | -72.3% |
| Jerry L. Roberts | $3,729 | $1,087 | -70.9% |
| Conley Freeman | $6,652 | $1,066 | -84% |
| Mary Almeta Kirstein | $3,795 | $1,035 | -72.7% |
| Scott Alan Peek | $3,927 | $1,018 | -74.1% |
| Virginia E Haddas Trust DTD 6-12-17 | $3,705 | $1,008 | -72.8% |
| Ross Dean Austin | $5,979 | $1,000 | -83.3% |
| Nancy Dupuy Beaver | $2,759 | $978 | -64.6% |
| Woodson L. Bruce | $1,611 | $960 | -40.4% |
| Betty B. McKemie | $941 | $941 | 0% |
| Phillip B. Merrill | $3,289 | $914 | -72.2% |
| Dwight Chandler | $3,410 | $862 | -74.7% |
| Ray Anthony Roberts | $2,915 | $862 | -70.4% |
| John M. Zeigler | $3,514 | $841 | -76.1% |
| FHE Henderson | $0 | $810 | -- |
| Capper Tramm | $3,117 | $736 | -76.4% |
| Curtis D. Geouge | $3,777 | $707 | -81.3% |
| Joe M. Ramsey | $2,728 | $707 | -74.1% |
| Glenn A. Bass | $1,306 | $699 | -46.5% |
| Mary Kjellstrom | $2,248 | $672 | -70.1% |
| Julia Efland | $1,346 | $630 | -53.2% |
| Edith J. Hapke | $2,123 | $621 | -70.7% |
| Allen E. Fish | $1,925 | $604 | -68.6% |
| Stomp Springs Ranch, LLC | $2,959 | $592 | -80% |
| David W. Fisher | $1,089 | $569 | -47.8% |
| Barbara C. Lassiter | $0 | $540 | -- |
| Kay a Miller Trust | $520 | $520 | 0% |
| Elizabeth French | $142 | $501 | 252.8% |
| Christopher Seth Brown | $1,837 | $500 | -72.8% |
| Green River Botanicals Sarah S Martin MBR, LLC | $0 | $500 | -- |
| The Living Seed Company, LLC | $0 | $500 | -- |
| Dennis R. Freeman | $1,969 | $483 | -75.5% |
| Cheryl - Cheryl Pletcher Living Trust Lee Pletcher | $291 | $475 | 63.2% |
| Glenn T. Caldwell Jr. | $747 | $455 | -39.1% |
| Paul Mark Brank | $858 | $448 | -47.8% |
| Kathleen Aletha McGowan | $1,081 | $440 | -59.3% |
| Peggy Silvers | $1,081 | $440 | -59.3% |
| Charles W. Ballard | $1,953 | $436 | -77.7% |
| John Candler | $1,614 | $431 | -73.3% |
| Ronnie Glen Bryant | $2,254 | $431 | -80.9% |
| Jerry David Green | $1,661 | $419 | -74.8% |
| Camden Drew Pegg | $1,430 | $415 | -71% |
| Jacob Mccann Byers | $2,181 | $414 | -81% |
| Robbins Richardson | $3,487 | $411 | -88.2% |
| Helen R. Franklin | $402 | $402 | 0% |
| Kevin R. Dodson | $1,309 | $397 | -69.7% |
| Shawn C. Scott | $1,792 | $380 | -78.8% |
| Patricia R. Gill | $1,129 | $378 | -66.5% |
| Joe D. Elms | $991 | $363 | -63.4% |
| Terry Ray Colburn Estate | $67 | $354 | 428.4% |
| Lester L. Wilde | $2,044 | $345 | -83.1% |
| Gay L. Lambirth | $705 | $344 | -51.2% |
| John C. Simons | $345 | $330 | -4.3% |
| Kenneth Worley | $627 | $328 | -47.7% |
| Mark Harris | $1,562 | $328 | -79% |
| Leonard E. Swafford | $814 | $310 | -61.9% |
| Samuel Scott Wheeler II | $1,111 | $293 | -73.6% |
| Elaine Brummett | $525 | $285 | -45.7% |
| Robert E. Nesbitt | $1,287 | $272 | -78.9% |
| Sherrie A. Cronin | $579 | $265 | -54.2% |
| Janice K. Maddox | $251 | $251 | 0% |
| Kayla Rae Conner Darby | $350 | $241 | -31.1% |
| Julie Dunham A. Wells | $951 | $235 | -75.3% |
| Daniel Harron | $429 | $224 | -47.8% |
| Marcia J. Hart | $0 | $220 | -- |
| Gary B. Grisham | $1,708 | $216 | -87.4% |
| Marvin C. Grisham II | $1,707 | $216 | -87.3% |
| Ray S. Crawford | $638 | $190 | -70.2% |
| Wishstix Farm, LLC | $452 | $163 | -63.9% |
| Angela Agnes Sheets | $301 | $149 | -50.5% |
| Virginia B. Lein | $395 | $144 | -63.5% |
| Cynthia Sue Pitt | $361 | $136 | -62.3% |
| Emilie Rice | $616 | $121 | -80.4% |
| Jennifer Slama Schiff Revocable Trust | $0 | $108 | -- |
| Richard K. Garrison | $327 | $106 | -67.6% |
| Skinner Family, LLC | $3,089 | $101 | -96.7% |
| Smith River Farms, LLC | $721 | $68 | -90.6% |
| Samuel H. Fleming | $0 | $46 | -- |
| Sharon White | $164 | $38 | -76.8% |
| Elizabeth Browning Devereaux | $412 | $36 | -91.3% |
| Richard I. Friedman | $84 | $25 | -70.2% |
| Amy S. Duffy | $10 | $5 | -50% |
| Arthur James McArdle | $250,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Carl Pletcher | $824 | $0 | -100% |
| Darrell Redmond | $11,020 | $0 | -100% |
| Flourish Farm, LLC | $5,940 | $0 | -100% |
| Gregory M. Rogers | $7,304 | $0 | -100% |
| Jean Elizabeth Alexander | $409 | $0 | -100% |
| Jennifer Slama Schiff Revocable T | $243 | $0 | -100% |
| Kathryn J Amorastreya | $1,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Kay P. Dechant | $732 | $0 | -100% |
| Linden Ontjes | $395 | $0 | -100% |
| Martha M Ricker IRR Trust | $2,558 | $0 | -100% |
| Mitzi Hagan | $578 | $0 | -100% |
| Nicholas K. Butts | $1,854 | $0 | -100% |
| Penny Kiser Lovette | $801 | $0 | -100% |
| Perlia Aaron Mcallister | $9 | $0 | -100% |
| Philip Holliday | $691 | $0 | -100% |
| Restless S. E., Incorporated | $27,547 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Lebovic | $26,766 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas Beeler | $1,870 | $0 | -100% |
| Bloom WNC Bloom C/O Abigail J Mof | $2,237 | $0 | -100% |
| Cole J. Young III | $1,983 | $0 | -100% |
| John Charles Simons III 1995 Trus | $2,529 | $0 | -100% |
| Pangaea Plants, LLC | $1,817 | $0 | -100% |
| Red Scout Enterprises, LLC | $1,903 | $0 | -100% |
| Clark Wesley Wyatt | $990 | $0 | -100% |
| Curtis O. Bridgers Jr. | $275 | $0 | -100% |
| Elizabeth Hawkins | $528 | $0 | -100% |
| Eric Glenn Simpson | $280 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry S Veeder & Carolyn Veeder R | $4,778 | $0 | -100% |
| Lewis D. Blake IV | $2,337 | $0 | -100% |
| Matthew Smith Hoffman | $6,548 | $0 | -100% |
| Reems Creek Nursery, Inc. | $43,278 | $0 | -100% |
| The Culinary Gardner, LLC | $22,901 | $0 | -100% |
| Thomas G Watkins - Thomas G Watki | $40,769 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $910,346 | $232,282 | -74.5% |
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