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In 2021, 80 farmers in cities within Hidalgo County received a total of $2.1 million in 179 farm subsidies, a 47.5% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $4 million in 280 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayfield Ranch Partnership | $264,900 | $185,952 | -29.8% |
| Vaughn Well Service, Inc. | $58,185 | $129,046 | 121.8% |
| 1880 Cattle Company | $172,898 | $101,492 | -41.3% |
| Cash T. Massey | $143,665 | $94,321 | -34.3% |
| William B. Darnell | $119,794 | $89,169 | -25.6% |
| Levi S. Klump | $99,263 | $88,476 | -10.9% |
| The Murray Keeler & Judith Keeler Revocable Trust | $0 | $80,978 | -- |
| Jo Bar Ranch, LLC | $100,760 | $74,472 | -26.1% |
| Darr Shannon | $180,646 | $68,382 | -62.1% |
| Peterson Family Rvoc Trustee | $72,557 | $61,509 | -15.2% |
| Kerr Cattle, LLC | $27,920 | $61,044 | 118.6% |
| Jones Farms, LLC | $235,216 | $60,128 | -74.4% |
| Kenny Taylor | $68,829 | $48,256 | -29.9% |
| Stephen Neal Gault & Meira Gault Revocable Trust | $0 | $43,786 | -- |
| Lance W. Williams | $16,645 | $42,552 | 155.6% |
| Hugh Peterson | $43,954 | $42,273 | -3.8% |
| Massey Farms, Inc. | $147,362 | $39,573 | -73.1% |
| Rouse Cattle Company | $45,190 | $34,095 | -24.6% |
| Jason Barnard | $163,907 | $32,947 | -79.9% |
| Kerr Brothers, LLC | $30,362 | $32,655 | 7.6% |
| Hollis Vaughn | $168,855 | $32,256 | -80.9% |
| Midbar Ranch, LLC | $0 | $31,843 | -- |
| Daniel J. McDougal | $44,205 | $31,695 | -28.3% |
| Russell J. Evans | $52,412 | $30,219 | -42.3% |
| 6 M Partners | $57,978 | $28,619 | -50.6% |
| Johnson Family Ranches, LLC | $40,411 | $26,528 | -34.4% |
| Elbrock Enterprises, LLC | $33,676 | $25,741 | -23.6% |
| Lonnie O. Haught | $39,545 | $24,046 | -39.2% |
| Larry Rivers | $70,995 | $24,035 | -66.1% |
| Cloudt Partnership | $7,501 | $20,877 | 178.3% |
| Calista Kerr | $26,901 | $20,551 | -23.6% |
| Susan D. Hooper | $0 | $20,157 | -- |
| James Walter | $19,204 | $19,313 | 0.6% |
| Rena Ann Croom | $30,318 | $18,979 | -37.4% |
| Johnnie Herbert Frie | $10,587 | $18,633 | 76% |
| George & Nancy Jackson Revocable Trust | $0 | $18,422 | -- |
| Dunagan Land & Cattle, LLC | $31,852 | $16,161 | -49.3% |
| Richard Winkler | $13,592 | $16,035 | 18% |
| Delbert Clay Peterson | $9,031 | $15,971 | 76.8% |
| Colton L. Rudiger | $17,520 | $14,761 | -15.7% |
| David Ramos | $40,491 | $14,028 | -65.4% |
| Justin Kipp | $16,886 | $12,782 | -24.3% |
| Jose Retana | $3,905 | $12,603 | 222.7% |
| PMW Agriculture, LLC | $24,620 | $12,473 | -49.3% |
| Culberson Ranch, Inc. | $19,726 | $12,293 | -37.7% |
| Ronnie Ward | $21,835 | $12,241 | -43.9% |
| Mary W. Winkler | $11,301 | $11,805 | 4.5% |
| Daniel Dominguez | $60,675 | $11,669 | -80.8% |
| Joni C. Walter | $17,325 | $10,685 | -38.3% |
| Tyson C. Evans | $16,385 | $9,884 | -39.7% |
| William L. Hooper | $2,485 | $9,499 | 282.3% |
| John V. Lee | $15,816 | $9,316 | -41.1% |
| Clydia Frazier | $12,694 | $8,897 | -29.9% |
| Pete Peterson | $20,789 | $8,896 | -57.2% |
| Robin A. Moore | $41,978 | $8,548 | -79.6% |
| Dunagan Ranch, LLC | $0 | $8,440 | -- |
| Allen Kerr | $1,727 | $6,074 | 251.7% |
| S Kathline Currier | $16,313 | $5,851 | -64.1% |
| Ed Kerr | $33,036 | $5,478 | -83.4% |
| Wayne H. Moore | $11,149 | $5,428 | -51.3% |
| Sunrise Cattle Company | $22,327 | $4,274 | -80.9% |
| Owen H. Washburn | $23,495 | $3,891 | -83.4% |
| Palmer Development, Inc. | $5,816 | $3,541 | -39.1% |
| Thomas Lovett | $16,717 | $3,163 | -81.1% |
| Erica R. Valdez | $9,097 | $2,706 | -70.3% |
| Miguel Hernandez | $8,624 | $2,624 | -69.6% |
| Jay Marcus Mitchell | $0 | $2,553 | -- |
| Sandra Waller | $2,744 | $2,315 | -15.6% |
| Michele Palmer | $2,970 | $1,538 | -48.2% |
| Clayton T. Peterson | $17,133 | $1,360 | -92.1% |
| Richard L. Walter | $1,087 | $1,119 | 2.9% |
| Ida E. Cox | $2,898 | $851 | -70.6% |
| Scott Lovett | $2,805 | $770 | -72.5% |
| Mike Strain | $10,526 | $710 | -93.3% |
| Gregory Kerr | $3,762 | $686 | -81.8% |
| Kari Rainer | $4,268 | $416 | -90.3% |
| Danielle Darnell | $1,045 | $405 | -61.2% |
| Leopoldo Mendoza | $270 | $360 | 33.3% |
| Robert G. Williams | $0 | $129 | -- |
| Manuel Alvaro Ramirez | $9,295 | $63 | -99.3% |
| Johnny C. Hatch | $7,706 | $0 | -100% |
| Manuel P. Hernandez | $5,109 | $0 | -100% |
| Marc Currier | $1,697 | $0 | -100% |
| Marcus Mitchell | $7,675 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen Neal Gault & Meira Gault | $97,718 | $0 | -100% |
| The Animas Foundation | $500,000 | $0 | -100% |
| The Murray Keeler & Judith Keeler | $92,622 | $0 | -100% |
| William Massey & Son, Inc. | $25,059 | $0 | -100% |
| Blair Farms, Inc. | $20,947 | $0 | -100% |
| George & Nancy Jackson Revocable | $23,146 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Rainer | $3,721 | $0 | -100% |
| Sandra McCants | $4,302 | $0 | -100% |
| BH Land and Trees, LLC | $1,807 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,992,160 | $2,096,312 | -47.5% |
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