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In 2021, 99 farmers in cities within Guadalupe County received a total of $2.9 million in 230 farm subsidies, a 10.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $3.3 million in 275 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vicente Ranch Company, Inc. | $395,580 | $390,365 | -1.3% |
| Mark R. Whetten | $26,165 | $237,505 | 807.7% |
| Guy Coley Cowden | $31,251 | $191,993 | 514.4% |
| V R & D Perez Ranch | $182,244 | $167,436 | -8.1% |
| Moro Ranch Company | $194,078 | $165,569 | -14.7% |
| Fuchs Cattle Company, LLC | $78,767 | $114,156 | 44.9% |
| JLJ Cattle Company, LLC | $306,344 | $114,108 | -62.8% |
| Raymond Perez Ranch Partnership | $93,210 | $100,478 | 7.8% |
| Ramon Perez Ranch, Inc. | $142,769 | $89,521 | -37.3% |
| William D. Riggins | $62,843 | $85,523 | 36.1% |
| George Gonzales | $33,802 | $75,447 | 123.2% |
| Whetten Land and Cattle Company | $331,375 | $73,782 | -77.7% |
| Jacks, Inc. | $50,958 | $73,170 | 43.6% |
| M. D. Thompson | $73,822 | $58,935 | -20.2% |
| James Robbins | $63,235 | $58,574 | -7.4% |
| Caprock Ranch & Cattle, LLC | $55,477 | $55,484 | 0% |
| Ladyhawk, LLC | $0 | $53,702 | -- |
| JT Land and Cattle, LLC | $41,697 | $52,416 | 25.7% |
| J & K Vicente, LLC | $21,040 | $50,388 | 139.5% |
| Sunshine Mesa Ranch, LLC | $19,085 | $50,032 | 162.2% |
| Karl Agar | $28,062 | $39,457 | 40.6% |
| Steve Tapia | $31,844 | $39,054 | 22.6% |
| Jose R. Lucero | $23,486 | $34,197 | 45.6% |
| Elliot Lloyd Bachicha | $10,734 | $33,380 | 211% |
| Marcus Wayne Johnson | $39,950 | $29,137 | -27.1% |
| Larry H. Webb | $131,049 | $27,579 | -79% |
| Ralph J. Sena | $16,881 | $24,505 | 45.2% |
| Milagro Ranches Resources, Inc. | $16,156 | $22,807 | 41.2% |
| SR 1 Acre Few Cattle Company | $17,544 | $20,811 | 18.6% |
| Thompson Cattle Company, LLC | $0 | $19,531 | -- |
| Brent Ward | $32,070 | $18,000 | -43.9% |
| Maestas Living Trust | $14,179 | $17,703 | 24.9% |
| Eduardo E. Lucero | $8,835 | $16,050 | 81.7% |
| Pete Marez | $8,931 | $12,536 | 40.4% |
| Juan L. Ulibarri Jr. | $7,737 | $12,514 | 61.7% |
| James N. Munoz | $7,881 | $11,498 | 45.9% |
| Frank A. Sisneros | $5,258 | $11,377 | 116.4% |
| Bonnie Thompson | $16,624 | $11,234 | -32.4% |
| Ely Madrid | $3,561 | $10,496 | 194.7% |
| Ernest Copeland | $9,997 | $10,421 | 4.2% |
| Martin Brian Honegger | $14,247 | $10,215 | -28.3% |
| Josie Ulibarri | $5,855 | $10,144 | 73.3% |
| William Ortiz | $0 | $10,078 | -- |
| Silvano Sisneros | $9,493 | $9,849 | 3.8% |
| Kasey White | $15,312 | $9,694 | -36.7% |
| Manuel M. Apodaca | $5,474 | $9,359 | 71% |
| Michael Muniz | $5,663 | $8,984 | 58.6% |
| Daniel L. Chavez | $7,343 | $8,633 | 17.6% |
| Spear -6, Inc. | $0 | $8,514 | -- |
| Tony Maestas | $14,703 | $8,475 | -42.4% |
| Martin Chavez | $5,324 | $8,374 | 57.3% |
| Santiago Catarino Lucero | $6,628 | $7,367 | 11.1% |
| Peter H. Slater | $0 | $7,108 | -- |
| Bonifacio C. Lucero | $6,242 | $6,889 | 10.4% |
| Saiz Farm and Ranch, LLC | $6,572 | $6,688 | 1.8% |
| Trancito Sanchez | $7,271 | $5,908 | -18.7% |
| Art Ariaz | $2,933 | $5,872 | 100.2% |
| Nancy J. Hall | $1,668 | $5,676 | 240.3% |
| Ray A. Lucero | $9,423 | $5,524 | -41.4% |
| Ernesto Chavez | $3,930 | $5,219 | 32.8% |
| Dale Houlihan | $8,569 | $5,139 | -40% |
| Jose I. Gonzales | $9,904 | $4,953 | -50% |
| Vera M Elevario | $3,659 | $4,772 | 30.4% |
| JBV Cattle Company, LLC | $50,452 | $4,539 | -91% |
| Louella Gutierrez | $2,415 | $4,463 | 84.8% |
| Eugenio L. Lujan | $2,989 | $4,440 | 48.5% |
| Lance Vicente | $49,444 | $4,437 | -91% |
| Leroy Sandoval | $3,017 | $4,141 | 37.3% |
| Michael I. Velasquez | $1,535 | $3,806 | 147.9% |
| Rick D. Flores | $0 | $3,550 | -- |
| Joe Gerhardt | $3,746 | $3,436 | -8.3% |
| Tito D. Romero | $0 | $3,418 | -- |
| Mary S. Baca | $3,048 | $3,185 | 4.5% |
| Earl J. Sena | $1,024 | $2,988 | 191.8% |
| Chance Lee Robbins | $12,546 | $2,888 | -77% |
| George W. Mitchell | $25,878 | $2,670 | -89.7% |
| George Lopez | $1,884 | $2,582 | 37% |
| Leroy Bonney | $5,114 | $2,530 | -50.5% |
| Ken Flores | $0 | $1,977 | -- |
| Arthur I. Davis | $1,046 | $1,784 | 70.6% |
| Randal Brown | $4,344 | $1,499 | -65.5% |
| Robert Rivera | $5,434 | $1,482 | -72.7% |
| Jonathan R Jaramillio | $0 | $1,210 | -- |
| John M. Gonzales | $9,754 | $1,209 | -87.6% |
| Vincent R. Cordova | $2,588 | $1,165 | -55% |
| Cody Jaramillo | $4,620 | $1,104 | -76.1% |
| Esteban Villanueva | $3,609 | $974 | -73% |
| Jose L Ceja-Segura | $2,079 | $931 | -55.2% |
| John Padilla | $3,999 | $927 | -76.8% |
| Eduardo Cordova | $3,905 | $864 | -77.9% |
| Frank Madrid | $3,817 | $813 | -78.7% |
| Santiago Federico Lucero | $2,375 | $641 | -73% |
| Josephine Ann Jaramillo | $2,932 | $626 | -78.6% |
| Justin Lee Lopez | $5,736 | $575 | -90% |
| Frank Gerhardt | $1,971 | $538 | -72.7% |
| Fernando A. Madero | $2,101 | $484 | -77% |
| Joel E. Fuchs | $9,274 | $371 | -96% |
| Ray Paul Lucero Jr. | $1,375 | $318 | -76.9% |
| Wanda L. Harrison | $1,046 | $169 | -83.8% |
| Daniel Montano | $2,530 | $0 | -100% |
| Elliot L. Bachicha | $21,716 | $0 | -100% |
| Nazario Ernesto Maestas | $1,210 | $0 | -100% |
| Joe Tom White | $22,378 | $0 | -100% |
| Ladyhawk Agua Negra, LLC | $101,534 | $0 | -100% |
| Sam Cowden | $84,040 | $0 | -100% |
| Manuel Lozano | $1,485 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $3,254,724 | $2,927,039 | -10.1% |
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