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In 2021, 64 farmers in cities within Val Verde County received a total of $2.1 million in 145 farm subsidies, a 59.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.2 million in 203 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burk Ranch Operations, LLC | $378,298 | $281,069 | -25.7% |
| Tcca Whitehead, LLC | $285,032 | $197,392 | -30.7% |
| LLB Ranch, Ltd. | $145,181 | $158,074 | 8.9% |
| Dolan Creek Cattle, LLC | $102,905 | $145,091 | 41% |
| Jay M. Taylor | $444,493 | $120,342 | -72.9% |
| Fagan Ranch, Inc. | $77,589 | $100,024 | 28.9% |
| Martin Wardlaw | $103,880 | $96,447 | -7.2% |
| Gurley Mcbee, LLC | $74,972 | $90,514 | 20.7% |
| Tio, Inc. | $55,388 | $87,560 | 58.1% |
| Continental Ranch II, LLC | $120,616 | $85,737 | -28.9% |
| John Riggs III | $90,346 | $66,189 | -26.7% |
| Dan A. Dennis | $92,585 | $65,685 | -29.1% |
| Walter H. Wardlaw Jr. | $83,971 | $61,730 | -26.5% |
| CBL Ranches LP | $99,996 | $56,728 | -43.3% |
| Frank & Ronda Hargrove | $173,192 | $56,606 | -67.3% |
| George & Jackie Bob Cox | $55,990 | $47,858 | -14.5% |
| Rocking B4 Ranch Partners, Ltd. | $12,212 | $44,182 | 261.8% |
| Art Looney | $23,246 | $30,572 | 31.5% |
| Wm Pon Seahorn III | $0 | $28,447 | -- |
| Wayne Lewis | $27,522 | $27,772 | 0.9% |
| John W. Hurta | $34,302 | $24,804 | -27.7% |
| Ralph G. Hutto | $31,489 | $23,599 | -25.1% |
| Franklin Hargrove | $26,331 | $21,835 | -17.1% |
| Wardlaw Ranch, Ltd. | $21,103 | $19,871 | -5.8% |
| Katelyn A. Hurta | $41,026 | $19,137 | -53.4% |
| Dennis & Bodell Funderburgh | $81,970 | $17,417 | -78.8% |
| Thomas R. Hinds | $35,399 | $14,313 | -59.6% |
| John Michael Gruenwald | $48,947 | $14,100 | -71.2% |
| Jim C. Smith | $18,378 | $13,452 | -26.8% |
| Border Boers | $7,971 | $12,584 | 57.9% |
| Darrell A. Davis | $11,581 | $11,770 | 1.6% |
| Farm Service Agency/Agent Credit-Floyd Company | $0 | $8,748 | -- |
| P. M. Baker | $3,569 | $6,938 | 94.4% |
| Donna S. Carruthers | $7,730 | $5,980 | -22.6% |
| Harold Casey Cordell | $33,841 | $4,692 | -86.1% |
| Maximilian Martin Ranch Management, LLC | $0 | $4,596 | -- |
| Kitty H. Lewis | $0 | $4,236 | -- |
| Pamela Wright-Haynes | $5,866 | $4,017 | -31.5% |
| CLB Box Canyon Cattle Company, LLC | $3,453 | $3,709 | 7.4% |
| David Kinsey | $4,365 | $3,276 | -24.9% |
| Martha J Hadderton | $0 | $2,984 | -- |
| Jimmy Sellers Ranch, LLC | $89,167 | $2,777 | -96.9% |
| Robert Gillis Gurley | $2,746 | $2,746 | 0% |
| Susan Gurley McBee | $2,746 | $2,746 | 0% |
| Donald Durbin | $5,526 | $2,729 | -50.6% |
| Michael R Hadderton | $0 | $2,639 | -- |
| George Wardlaw | $5,940 | $2,611 | -56% |
| Kerr Wardlaw | $5,940 | $2,611 | -56% |
| Robert Nettleton | $3,221 | $2,365 | -26.6% |
| Sue Garner Blankemeyer | $4,062 | $1,983 | -51.2% |
| Phillip Scheller | $3,928 | $1,753 | -55.4% |
| Bruce Crockett | $1,480 | $1,480 | 0% |
| Hysco International, LLC | $94,708 | $1,295 | -98.6% |
| Homero Amezcua, LLC | $27,630 | $1,281 | -95.4% |
| Frank B Hadderton SR Trust | $0 | $1,271 | -- |
| Truma Houchin | $2,227 | $1,020 | -54.2% |
| Seth McFadin | $16,864 | $985 | -94.2% |
| Fred C. Newman | $677 | $813 | 20.1% |
| Monte L. Barnes | $6,299 | $734 | -88.3% |
| 2L2B Trust | $5,043 | $457 | -90.9% |
| Linda Kay Qualia | $2,236 | $417 | -81.4% |
| Tom Green County FSA | $26,307 | $383 | -98.5% |
| James E. Ballard | $3,252 | $367 | -88.7% |
| Vivian Ann Clinton | $422 | $205 | -51.4% |
| Billie R. Coleman | $986 | $0 | -100% |
| David Winters | $500,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Jennifer Barnes | $5,896 | $0 | -100% |
| Melinda E. Crain | $15,577 | $0 | -100% |
| Mex-Tex Export Company, Inc. | $385,685 | $0 | -100% |
| Miguel A. Chairez | $113,118 | $0 | -100% |
| Sara F. Winters | $500,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Steve Donithan | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| Ted Luce | $651 | $0 | -100% |
| Toby W. Coggins | $2,688 | $0 | -100% |
| Tommy D. Winters | $500,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,200,802 | $2,125,745 | -59.1% |
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