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In 2021, 98 farmers in cities within Brooks County received a total of $316,240 in 146 farm subsidies, a 65.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $928,121 in 219 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael A. Solomon | $432,589 | $82,184 | -81% |
| Novia Hopper Osburn D B a Tepeguaje Ranch | $0 | $21,472 | -- |
| Ermelinda Vela | $3,984 | $20,551 | 415.8% |
| Esteban Garcia III | $17,623 | $11,258 | -36.1% |
| Dalia M. Burdett | $13,765 | $9,401 | -31.7% |
| Esteban H. Martinez | $9,633 | $9,130 | -5.2% |
| Phillip Boerjan | $62,191 | $8,640 | -86.1% |
| Robert C. Garza | $12,101 | $7,906 | -34.7% |
| Jonathan Rene Cuellar | $6,260 | $7,338 | 17.2% |
| Ramon Ruben Garza | $9,319 | $6,092 | -34.6% |
| M. L. Vickers | $8,370 | $6,079 | -27.4% |
| Phillip Wright | $31,914 | $5,466 | -82.9% |
| David M. Cantu | $6,019 | $4,954 | -17.7% |
| Carlos Daniel Martinez | $0 | $4,615 | -- |
| Manuel Martinez III | $19,922 | $4,301 | -78.4% |
| Thomas Earl Martin | $9,629 | $4,042 | -58% |
| Richard L. Solomon | $6,052 | $3,754 | -38% |
| Mateo Longoria III | $6,690 | $3,640 | -45.6% |
| David D. Siemonsma | $0 | $3,382 | -- |
| Abel Longoria | $11,239 | $3,247 | -71.1% |
| Xavier Salinas Martinez | $7,799 | $3,220 | -58.7% |
| William A. Clark | $4,990 | $3,182 | -36.2% |
| Will P. Wright III | $17,966 | $3,044 | -83.1% |
| David T. Garcia | $8,619 | $3,027 | -64.9% |
| Josefita Garza | $2,686 | $2,960 | 10.2% |
| Daniel Garza Jr. | $5,606 | $2,899 | -48.3% |
| Jose Alonzo Barrera | $2,475 | $2,895 | 17% |
| Bill E. Talley | $7,593 | $2,558 | -66.3% |
| David D. Escobar | $3,814 | $2,464 | -35.4% |
| John Walter Burdett | $3,579 | $2,445 | -31.7% |
| Roel Trevino | $6,464 | $2,349 | -63.7% |
| Dawson Ranch, Corp. | $9,924 | $2,313 | -76.7% |
| Yvonne Arredondo | $2,485 | $2,280 | -8.2% |
| Belyn Marie Burdett | $3,303 | $2,256 | -31.7% |
| Samuel Clarence Burdett | $3,303 | $2,256 | -31.7% |
| Elson Barrera | $0 | $2,195 | -- |
| Beltrando Martinez Soliz | $3,553 | $2,144 | -39.7% |
| George L. Martinez | $4,746 | $2,101 | -55.7% |
| Fortino Saenz | $1,023 | $1,939 | 89.5% |
| Ann E. Perez | $15,663 | $1,899 | -87.9% |
| Maria S. Cuellar | $4,633 | $1,741 | -62.4% |
| Norman Trevino Sr. | $3,880 | $1,632 | -57.9% |
| Viola Cantu | $2,597 | $1,612 | -37.9% |
| Richard C. Siemonsma | $12,218 | $1,579 | -87.1% |
| Marcus N. Guerra | $0 | $1,386 | -- |
| Jose Roel Escalante | $2,593 | $1,377 | -46.9% |
| Tacubaya Ranch, Ltd. | $0 | $1,374 | -- |
| Ramon Huerta Jr. | $1,485 | $1,352 | -9% |
| Jose Ovidio Garza | $3,183 | $1,302 | -59.1% |
| D'Andrea Escobar | $0 | $1,165 | -- |
| Felix Barrera Jr. | $1,982 | $1,153 | -41.8% |
| Robert Lee Saenz | $2,521 | $1,130 | -55.2% |
| Omar Cantu | $1,672 | $1,055 | -36.9% |
| Luis Arevalo | $2,980 | $966 | -67.6% |
| Mario Villarreal | $1,318 | $887 | -32.7% |
| Rolando Gutierrez | $2,316 | $837 | -63.9% |
| John Huerta | $4,071 | $833 | -79.5% |
| Will P. Wright Jr. | $10,195 | $830 | -91.9% |
| Juan A. Perez Jr. | $660 | $759 | 15% |
| Nelda A. Buenrostro | $697 | $747 | 7.2% |
| Orlando P. Pena | $2,744 | $719 | -73.8% |
| Ruben P. Garza | $1,817 | $710 | -60.9% |
| Jose Jesus Paredes Jr. | $872 | $690 | -20.9% |
| Pedro Z. Garza Jr. | $5,310 | $685 | -87.1% |
| Margaret Susan McTighe | $0 | $636 | -- |
| Andres Mendieta | $1,540 | $618 | -59.9% |
| Daniel David Salazar | $1,320 | $608 | -53.9% |
| Romeo Ozuna | $4,739 | $581 | -87.7% |
| Rufino Ramirez Jr. | $1,524 | $569 | -62.7% |
| Carlos Perez | $81 | $519 | 540.7% |
| Hector Lee Perez | $1,696 | $515 | -69.6% |
| Isauro G Trevino | $1,400 | $514 | -63.3% |
| Genaro Baldemar Perez | $2,145 | $509 | -76.3% |
| Jose Hermilo Villarreal | $1,969 | $500 | -74.6% |
| Shirley B. Collinsworth | $690 | $483 | -30% |
| David Quentin Lee | $1,509 | $464 | -69.3% |
| Dana L. Sosa | $1,819 | $453 | -75.1% |
| Jose Orlando Arevalo | $0 | $440 | -- |
| Martin Martinez | $990 | $436 | -56% |
| Jose Humberto Maldonado | $0 | $385 | -- |
| Emilio Escalante | $1,045 | $358 | -65.7% |
| James M. Watson | $1,342 | $350 | -73.9% |
| Roel Garza | $2,126 | $340 | -84% |
| James T. Maupin III | $0 | $330 | -- |
| Ismael Villa | $1,496 | $277 | -81.5% |
| Irma Ramirez | $0 | $269 | -- |
| Gilda A. Gutierrez | $300 | $264 | -12% |
| Gustavo Villarreal | $1,473 | $215 | -85.4% |
| Juan A. Arevalo | $614 | $211 | -65.6% |
| Irene Escalante | $330 | $206 | -37.6% |
| Pete Martinez | $425 | $155 | -63.5% |
| Andrew Valdez | $935 | $132 | -85.9% |
| Martin F. Cuellar | $297 | $124 | -58.2% |
| Gracy R. Cothran | $198 | $104 | -47.5% |
| Pedro Barrera Jr. | $198 | $104 | -47.5% |
| Elisa Torres | $0 | $75 | -- |
| Diana Munoz | $132 | $69 | -47.7% |
| Vicente Lopez | $0 | $28 | -- |
| Martin Medina | $715 | $0 | -100% |
| Novia Hopper Osburn D B a Tepegua | $24,039 | $0 | -100% |
| Pablo Palacios | $1,210 | $0 | -100% |
| Raul R. Villarreal | $317 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry Boykin | $15,200 | $0 | -100% |
| Maria Gloria Saenz | $1,672 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $928,121 | $316,240 | -65.9% |
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