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In 2021, 113 farmers in cities within Webb County received a total of $974,525 in 215 farm subsidies, a 43.2% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $1.7 million in 255 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberto J. Cadena | $57,130 | $183,013 | 220.3% |
| South Texas Advancement Resource | $0 | $96,950 | -- |
| Roberto Jesus Cadena | $106,514 | $80,483 | -24.4% |
| Jesus M. Garza | $11,924 | $33,384 | 180% |
| Summers Martinena, Ltd. | $6,039 | $27,365 | 353.1% |
| Vaquillas Cattle Company, Ltd. | $47,259 | $25,485 | -46.1% |
| Lopez Cattle Company, LLC | $52,818 | $23,941 | -54.7% |
| MT-S Cattle Company | $0 | $23,317 | -- |
| L - L Cattle Company, Ltd. | $44,180 | $22,063 | -50.1% |
| LA Muela Cattle, LLC | $15,246 | $19,028 | 24.8% |
| Gilberto Vela | $16,733 | $18,035 | 7.8% |
| Wrecking Crew Ranch LP | $16,370 | $18,035 | 10.2% |
| Michael E. Ardeel | $102,285 | $17,366 | -83% |
| Edelmiro a Martinez | $21,568 | $17,169 | -20.4% |
| Marshall T. de Spain | $6,050 | $15,898 | 162.8% |
| Celso Uribe | $10,769 | $15,841 | 47.1% |
| 13 Hein, LLC | $42,871 | $15,445 | -64% |
| Bentra Cattle, LLC | $0 | $14,781 | -- |
| Diamond L Cattle Company, LLC | $18,987 | $14,358 | -24.4% |
| Minto Cattle Company | $14,510 | $13,919 | -4.1% |
| Three S Cattle Company | $19,445 | $13,459 | -30.8% |
| Sergio G. Benavides | $33,189 | $12,228 | -63.2% |
| Espuela Land & Cattle Company, Ltd. | $26,858 | $11,540 | -57% |
| Jose H. Lopez | $7,153 | $11,376 | 59% |
| Richard M. Leyendecker | $10,140 | $11,339 | 11.8% |
| William R. Carr | $42,563 | $9,764 | -77.1% |
| Stephen R. Lopez | $10,320 | $9,050 | -12.3% |
| Guillermo J Vela, Ltd. | $7,572 | $7,528 | -0.6% |
| Rolando Pena | $16,324 | $7,057 | -56.8% |
| Servando Leal | $5,794 | $6,974 | 20.4% |
| Leo Flores | $2,574 | $6,797 | 164.1% |
| Summers El Ranchito, Ltd. | $2,983 | $6,388 | 114.1% |
| Erasmo A. Villarreal | $6,493 | $6,094 | -6.1% |
| Michael Edward Harper | $5,757 | $5,902 | 2.5% |
| Vela Enterprises, LLC | $13,054 | $5,855 | -55.1% |
| Isaac Schwarz | $5,810 | $5,690 | -2.1% |
| Efrain Villarreal | $3,636 | $5,323 | 46.4% |
| Zimmerman Partnership, Ltd. | $5,365 | $5,279 | -1.6% |
| Antonio Flores | $3,139 | $5,257 | 67.5% |
| Jorge L. Garza | $4,416 | $4,972 | 12.6% |
| Carlos I. Palacios Jr. | $6,748 | $4,936 | -26.9% |
| James R. Volz | $11,559 | $4,690 | -59.4% |
| Ruben Lopez Jr. | $0 | $4,499 | -- |
| Angelita Hernandez | $3,967 | $4,158 | 4.8% |
| Heberto Ramirez | $5,677 | $4,111 | -27.6% |
| Samuel D. Flores | $3,091 | $4,061 | 31.4% |
| Agustin Luna | $7,876 | $3,987 | -49.4% |
| Antonio C. Lopez | $1,476 | $3,974 | 169.2% |
| Abel G. Arce Jr. | $957 | $3,782 | 295.2% |
| Justapor Ranch Company, LC | $7,364 | $3,686 | -49.9% |
| Fernando D. Laurel Jr. | $9,794 | $3,570 | -63.5% |
| Lajo B Mccullough Kohler | $5,370 | $3,536 | -34.2% |
| Maurilio Rodriguez Jr. | $7,265 | $3,532 | -51.4% |
| Jorge Luis Rodriguez | $4,249 | $3,522 | -17.1% |
| George Mapus JR | $3,143 | $3,222 | 2.5% |
| Jorge Luis Rodriguez Jr. | $4,284 | $3,058 | -28.6% |
| Pablo J. Garza | $726 | $3,004 | 313.8% |
| Robert a Moore Trust | $1,144 | $2,951 | 158% |
| Rene Joel Valenciano Jr. | $2,462 | $2,863 | 16.3% |
| David E. Puig | $7,639 | $2,718 | -64.4% |
| Marla Hufford | $8,147 | $2,704 | -66.8% |
| San Benito Ranch, LLC | $4,153 | $2,668 | -35.8% |
| Oscar R. Salinas | $4,582 | $2,497 | -45.5% |
| Hector M. Gutierrez | $0 | $2,183 | -- |
| John David Jordan | $0 | $2,026 | -- |
| Rodolfo de Luna Jr. | $5,281 | $2,019 | -61.8% |
| Juventino A. Gonzalez Jr. | $7,017 | $1,630 | -76.8% |
| Julian Vela III | $5,220 | $1,452 | -72.2% |
| Ruby Edith Alarcon | $561 | $1,441 | 156.9% |
| Hector Rocha Jr. | $0 | $1,424 | -- |
| Alfredo Espinoza Jr. | $858 | $1,396 | 62.7% |
| Oscar E. Rodriguez | $0 | $1,377 | -- |
| Elizabeth Burow Estate | $0 | $1,374 | -- |
| Luis D. Meza | $396 | $1,295 | 227% |
| Romeo Javier Garcia | $4,363 | $1,273 | -70.8% |
| Rodolfo Guajardo Sr. | $7,746 | $1,227 | -84.2% |
| Ramiro Rodriguez | $220 | $1,183 | 437.7% |
| J. D. Wendeborn | $2,288 | $1,159 | -49.3% |
| Robert W. Watt | $2,595 | $1,059 | -59.2% |
| Ricardo Mercado | $3,716 | $1,016 | -72.7% |
| Powder Creek Ranch | $1,815 | $922 | -49.2% |
| Alexander Lopez | $365 | $887 | 143% |
| Sandra Martinez | $765 | $869 | 13.6% |
| Alejandro Leal | $1,551 | $866 | -44.2% |
| Jesus A. Benavides | $1,384 | $864 | -37.6% |
| Lauro R. Salinas | $0 | $796 | -- |
| Javier Ramirez | $0 | $792 | -- |
| Thomas M. Webb | $1,997 | $688 | -65.5% |
| Albert Brewster | $2,658 | $655 | -75.4% |
| Antonio G. Garcia Jr. | $660 | $583 | -11.7% |
| Juan P. Guerra Jr. | $1,333 | $581 | -56.4% |
| Alberto Cantu | $0 | $566 | -- |
| Charles M. Vance Jr. | $2,013 | $473 | -76.5% |
| Jesus J. Zamora | $0 | $454 | -- |
| Luis G. Martinez | $0 | $441 | -- |
| Rolando D. Garza | $2,063 | $369 | -82.1% |
| Isidro Garza Jr. | $0 | $354 | -- |
| Rurico R Gutierrez JR | $1,338 | $338 | -74.7% |
| Roberto Rodriguez Jr. | $660 | $284 | -57% |
| Jose B. Guajardo | $755 | $273 | -63.8% |
| Ryan H. Jackson | $796 | $263 | -67% |
| Rodolfo Guajardo Jr. | $801 | $261 | -67.4% |
| Leticia Torres | $759 | $255 | -66.4% |
| Juan Jose Porras | $0 | $250 | -- |
| Raul L. Volpe Jr. | $1,038 | $245 | -76.4% |
| Roberto Riojas Jr. | $0 | $245 | -- |
| Estevan Saenz | $686 | $231 | -66.3% |
| Fidel C. Ramirez Jr. | $495 | $228 | -53.9% |
| Marilyn L. Cavazos | $683 | $123 | -82% |
| George L. Gonzales | $0 | $121 | -- |
| Shelby Varela | $122 | $91 | -25.4% |
| Marlon Paredes | $55 | $75 | 36.4% |
| Alma Cuellar | $275 | $71 | -74.2% |
| Albert Saldivar Jr. | $291 | $0 | -100% |
| Fernando A. Sanchez Sr. | $433 | $0 | -100% |
| Hugo David Garcia | $1,148 | $0 | -100% |
| Isidro Chilo Gutierrez | $1,581 | $0 | -100% |
| Jose C. Villarreal | $581 | $0 | -100% |
| Luis Martinez | $986 | $0 | -100% |
| Maria F. Mendoza | $1,430 | $0 | -100% |
| N3 Land, Ltd. | $3,192 | $0 | -100% |
| Noe Eduardo Hinojosa | $1,015 | $0 | -100% |
| Peters Land & Cattle, LLC | $110,517 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert J. Cadena | $5,160 | $0 | -100% |
| Runnells-Peters Cattle Company | $339,484 | $0 | -100% |
| Stanley Peters | $250,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $1,716,657 | $974,525 | -43.2% |
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