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In 2021, 40 farmers in cities within Martinsville city received a total of $301,849 in 74 farm subsidies, a 74.7% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.2 million in 134 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Star Farms, LLC | $143,137 | $84,841 | -40.7% |
| Twin Oaks Dairy Farm, LLC | $138,954 | $76,059 | -45.3% |
| Keith M. Jackson | $19,620 | $42,273 | 115.5% |
| Chad White | $37,631 | $36,159 | -3.9% |
| G. B. Washburn Jr. | $0 | $23,807 | -- |
| Dean H. Cooper | $26,634 | $5,407 | -79.7% |
| Steve Mitchell | $11,929 | $3,722 | -68.8% |
| Tiffany Atkins | $0 | $2,805 | -- |
| Charles A. Cooper | $16,961 | $2,752 | -83.8% |
| Jason Todd Bondurant | $8,768 | $2,147 | -75.5% |
| George Newman | $10,533 | $2,126 | -79.8% |
| Carolyn Mae Eggleston | $2,007 | $1,923 | -4.2% |
| Roger L. Walker | $3,481 | $1,407 | -59.6% |
| Paul Roberts | $6,352 | $1,399 | -78% |
| Ricky L. Martin | $9,779 | $1,334 | -86.4% |
| Robert L. Brodie | $4,888 | $1,285 | -73.7% |
| Michael Mason | $4,784 | $1,236 | -74.2% |
| Brian C. Doyle | $6,264 | $979 | -84.4% |
| David W. Smith | $3,510 | $973 | -72.3% |
| Michael D. Johnston | $4,527 | $912 | -79.9% |
| Cynthia Dobrinski | $1,653 | $840 | -49.2% |
| Richard Grindstaff | $4,075 | $706 | -82.7% |
| Joseph Lee Martin | $1,516 | $695 | -54.2% |
| Wayne G. Johnston | $2,959 | $648 | -78.1% |
| Brian G. Preston | $2,596 | $612 | -76.4% |
| Randolph C. Campbell Sr. | $2,442 | $504 | -79.4% |
| Thomas O. Wells Jr. | $0 | $495 | -- |
| Charlie G. Joyce III | $1,815 | $466 | -74.3% |
| Gordon R. Metz | $2,644 | $442 | -83.3% |
| Thomas J. Slaughter | $1,936 | $429 | -77.8% |
| Cecil I. Stone | $990 | $425 | -57.1% |
| Brent Craig | $371 | $402 | 8.4% |
| Timothy D. Robertson | $1,727 | $386 | -77.6% |
| Donald R. Carter | $2,576 | $330 | -87.2% |
| Robin Bain Presson | $274 | $274 | 0% |
| Mountain Valley Organic | $593 | $180 | -69.6% |
| Kitty W. Adams | $759 | $163 | -78.5% |
| Jimmie R. Ford | $0 | $123 | -- |
| Leeland V. Prillaman | $0 | $93 | -- |
| Elizabeth Carol Hudson | $214 | $90 | -57.9% |
| 4M, Inc. | $11,016 | $0 | -100% |
| Blue Ridge Aquaculture, Inc. | $670,620 | $0 | -100% |
| Brandon Hodge | $935 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael C. Hodges | $534 | $0 | -100% |
| Carless Eddie Brown | $880 | $0 | -100% |
| Dovie H. Lawrence | $955 | $0 | -100% |
| Ed Mitchell | $557 | $0 | -100% |
| Gorden L. Wingfield | $1,458 | $0 | -100% |
| Hemlock Haven Farm, LLC | $824 | $0 | -100% |
| Jesse A. Cooper | $3,305 | $0 | -100% |
| Joseph Martin | $1,003 | $0 | -100% |
| Stacy Peters | $1,375 | $0 | -100% |
| Timothy Lee Belcher | $9,565 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,191,926 | $301,849 | -74.7% |
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