CORN CRISIS PUSHES SHINERS TO THE FARM: MOONSHINERS MARK & DIGGER GO BACK TO THEIR ROOTS
Inflation has hit the hills, and even seasoned Moonshiners aren’t immune. Discovery Channel stars Mark and Digger, long-time veterans of the illicit liquor game, are feeling the heat as corn prices skyrocket to $25 a bag — more than double what they paid the year before.
“Twenty-five dollars a bag? We paid ten last year,” Digger exclaimed as the duo sized up their input costs for the upcoming moonshine season. Faced with rising fuel, sugar, and copper prices, the Tennessee team took matters into their own hands — literally.
Rather than spend thousands on new stills, the pair went on a backwoods scavenger hunt, recovering hidden copper stills scattered across secret sites from past seasons. “We’ve left parts and stills all over,” said Mark. “This stuff’s worth gold now.”
But just as things seemed back on track, disaster struck. Their prized water source — a crystal-clear spring on English Mountain — was sabotaged. A critical pipe was cut, possibly exposing the moonshine site to authorities. “This was the best water source of our career,” Digger said, staring at the broken pipe. “It’s not replaceable.”
With the loss of their water and no interest in filling out job applications, the pair hatched a plan — grow their own corn.
Turning to family land and an old friend, local farmer Jeff Marsh, Mark and Digger explored several corn varieties. Ultimately, they chose “Earth Tone Flint” — a high-starch, mountain-grown grain known for its moonshine potential.
“We don’t know nothing about farming,” Digger admitted, “but we know what makes good liquor.”
Marsh offered the seed and expertise, and in true Appalachian fashion, they sealed the deal with a barter: 10% of the final liquor yield in exchange for prepping the land.
“Bartering’s how we’ve always done it in these hills,” Mark said with a grin.
With the corn soon to be in the ground, the shiners are back in business — adapting to the times while keeping their traditions alive. Whether it’s high-proof spirits or high-stakes improvisation, Mark and Digger remain two steps ahead in the moonshine game.
