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In 2021, 164 farmers in cities within Rio Grande County received a total of $5 million in 352 farm subsidies, a 66.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $14.7 million in 413 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.
Farmers and Their Subsidies in Cities Associated with Rio Grande County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| J D S Farms, LLC | $666,516 | $375,000 | -43.7% |
| Stagecoach Enterprise, LLC | $120,886 | $304,067 | 151.5% |
| S & T Farms, LLC | $224,359 | $270,457 | 20.5% |
| Ashley C. Johnson | $106,410 | $203,716 | 91.4% |
| Shane R. Johnson | $119,637 | $198,719 | 66.1% |
| Heart T. Ranch | $124,370 | $198,576 | 59.7% |
| Worley Family Farms, LLC | $1,093,334 | $188,195 | -82.8% |
| Louis J & Jerry J Schmidt | $66,249 | $180,269 | 172.1% |
| Bryan C. Christensen | $13,116 | $153,299 | 1,068.8% |
| Triple M Farms, LLC | $187,001 | $126,119 | -32.6% |
| Spud Grower Farms, LLC | $595,788 | $116,667 | -80.4% |
| Colokist Farms | $81,196 | $113,856 | 40.2% |
| Corset Ranch, LLC | $28,636 | $100,032 | 249.3% |
| James Rutgers | $20,402 | $91,509 | 348.5% |
| Three Sisters | $134,633 | $91,307 | -32.2% |
| Diamond D Bar Ranch, LLC | $63,642 | $88,752 | 39.5% |
| H & H Farms, LLC | $39,742 | $84,769 | 113.3% |
| TNT Dairy, LLC | $55,768 | $81,129 | 45.5% |
| Larue Farms, Inc. | $210,258 | $73,421 | -65.1% |
| Davie Ranch | $67,497 | $65,566 | -2.9% |
| Mitchell Agent Production FLP | $954,433 | $55,302 | -94.2% |
| Circle D Farms, Inc. | $477,222 | $55,144 | -88.4% |
| Lobo Farm, LLC | $262,157 | $54,029 | -79.4% |
| Cheb Chaier Yund | $19,325 | $51,389 | 165.9% |
| Entermountain Enterprises, Inc. | $0 | $50,009 | -- |
| Louie E. Entz | $50,000 | $50,000 | 0% |
| C & C Farms, LLC | $321,334 | $46,810 | -85.4% |
| Andrea Rue | $0 | $45,834 | -- |
| Brian C. Rue | $0 | $45,834 | -- |
| B & B Farms, LLC | $184,473 | $44,782 | -75.7% |
| Clayton H. Miller | $41,713 | $41,713 | 0% |
| Stanton W. Johnson | $106,615 | $39,604 | -62.9% |
| John Steven Brady | $12,429 | $37,669 | 203.1% |
| Don Jolly | $27,145 | $36,959 | 36.2% |
| Richard Doyon Logging | $0 | $35,911 | -- |
| Robert W. Dugan | $57,540 | $35,506 | -38.3% |
| Michael K. Brady | $9,826 | $34,756 | 253.7% |
| Rick Myers | $44,169 | $34,113 | -22.8% |
| Lee M. Prentice | $44,307 | $32,904 | -25.7% |
| Blue SKY Farms SLV, LLC | $987,687 | $32,502 | -96.7% |
| Lavelle Prewitt Jr. | $0 | $31,649 | -- |
| Van Treese Farms, Inc. | $816,336 | $31,258 | -96.2% |
| Rafael Cereceres | $45,494 | $29,024 | -36.2% |
| Gene D. Ensz | $26,078 | $27,131 | 4% |
| Rocky Mountain Hay Farms, LLC | $43,269 | $26,746 | -38.2% |
| Paulson & Sons, LLC | $30,210 | $25,991 | -14% |
| Allen R. Entz | $12,814 | $25,625 | 100% |
| Angelina Ortega | $124,884 | $24,610 | -80.3% |
| Charles Burd | $13,628 | $23,795 | 74.6% |
| Howard V. Lester | $20,979 | $23,160 | 10.4% |
| John Malouff Jr. | $191,528 | $22,488 | -88.3% |
| Eric L. Ellithorpe | $22,068 | $22,068 | 0% |
| T-4 Farms, LLC | $0 | $21,782 | -- |
| Mitchell Family Farms, LLC | $21,524 | $21,524 | 0% |
| Jerry D. Schmidt | $78,798 | $21,016 | -73.3% |
| Mike Mitchell Farms, LLC | $866,855 | $20,107 | -97.7% |
| HI Valley Ranch, LLC | $9,669 | $20,000 | 106.8% |
| Michael J. Schaefer | $21,735 | $18,852 | -13.3% |
| Richard T. Sparks | $18,570 | $18,405 | -0.9% |
| Klecker Ranch, Inc. | $429,786 | $17,860 | -95.8% |
| Jeffrey Fowler | $6,400 | $17,677 | 176.2% |
| Darwin L. Ensz | $2,369 | $17,093 | 621.5% |
| E Q C Ranch, LLC | $7,257 | $17,069 | 135.2% |
| Chad N. Cochran | $21,752 | $16,023 | -26.3% |
| Rio West Farms, LLC | $0 | $15,423 | -- |
| Royce A. Nickel | $36,825 | $14,952 | -59.4% |
| Rafael Cereceres | $22,747 | $14,512 | -36.2% |
| Bryan D. Brunelli | $22,210 | $14,377 | -35.3% |
| Michael E. Hollenbeck | $12,022 | $13,989 | 16.4% |
| Atkins Shadow Ranch, LLC | $48,335 | $12,482 | -74.2% |
| Tedd O. Hennigh | $84,996 | $12,256 | -85.6% |
| Cody Burns | $7,948 | $11,911 | 49.9% |
| Cody Burns | $7,948 | $11,911 | 49.9% |
| Pro Mountain Farms 2, LLC | $104,995 | $11,662 | -88.9% |
| Bill Kolb | $70,246 | $10,756 | -84.7% |
| Glenalee Mitchell | $10,661 | $10,661 | 0% |
| Michael M. Mitchell | $10,661 | $10,661 | 0% |
| Johnnie L. Tillman | $10,600 | $10,535 | -0.6% |
| Steven L. Tillman | $10,600 | $10,535 | -0.6% |
| OFF Ranches, Inc. | $30,500 | $9,912 | -67.5% |
| Haws, Inc. | $5,716 | $9,484 | 65.9% |
| Thomas Roger Perry | $0 | $9,348 | -- |
| Ronald E. Durre Jr. | $0 | $9,234 | -- |
| Peter L. Clark | $9,989 | $8,849 | -11.4% |
| Matthew Seger | $229,798 | $8,559 | -96.3% |
| Beau Marlen Temple | $14,842 | $8,461 | -43% |
| Keith Holland | $13,755 | $8,351 | -39.3% |
| Burton Farms, LLLP | $22,168 | $7,942 | -64.2% |
| John Scot Schaefer | $25,385 | $7,598 | -70.1% |
| Kyler Jacob Brown | $10,388 | $7,208 | -30.6% |
| Katy Ileen Dickey | $3,760 | $7,142 | 89.9% |
| Linda D. Ahrens | $0 | $7,118 | -- |
| Jerry G. Cochran | $11,046 | $7,010 | -36.5% |
| KC Farms, LLC | $277,752 | $6,973 | -97.5% |
| Shirley E. Johnson | $23,595 | $6,749 | -71.4% |
| Pfannenstiel Pfarms, LLC | $16,749 | $6,540 | -61% |
| OFF Family Ranch, Inc. | $28,875 | $6,449 | -77.7% |
| Kenneth-Sears Family Trust Sears | $0 | $6,074 | -- |
| Kelly Deacon | $8,101 | $5,919 | -26.9% |
| Stone Ridge Cattle, LLC | $35,792 | $5,867 | -83.6% |
| Miner Farms, LLC | $86,160 | $5,760 | -93.3% |
| Johnny M. Prewitt | $0 | $5,462 | -- |
| Cody Carpenter | $242,506 | $5,200 | -97.9% |
| Glenda K. Archer | $1,516 | $4,932 | 225.3% |
| Jonathan R. Beckner | $10,650 | $4,823 | -54.7% |
| Carl Nathan Stillings | $0 | $4,803 | -- |
| Peterson Farms, LLC | $138,972 | $4,760 | -96.6% |
| Elliott Farms, LLC | $126,599 | $4,738 | -96.3% |
| Patrick Glen Crowder | $19,437 | $4,713 | -75.8% |
| 2 R T Produce, Inc. | $6,459 | $4,678 | -27.6% |
| T Bar Cattle Company, LLC | $19,676 | $4,515 | -77.1% |
| Ivan R. Johnson | $0 | $4,423 | -- |
| Nathan Ohman | $13,332 | $4,410 | -66.9% |
| Lawrence Ortega | $8,016 | $4,191 | -47.7% |
| Watson Family Trust | $2,705 | $3,742 | 38.3% |
| David Farms, Inc. | $4,902 | $3,470 | -29.2% |
| Bar 32 Ranches, LLC | $5,853 | $3,421 | -41.6% |
| Carol Keller | $3,069 | $3,354 | 9.3% |
| Mark Holman | $10,648 | $3,045 | -71.4% |
| Marilyn K. Coleman | $0 | $3,002 | -- |
| Burkhart Farms, LLC | $11,803 | $2,990 | -74.7% |
| Raymond S. Torres Jr. | $4,123 | $2,899 | -29.7% |
| Marlin M. Zimmerman | $0 | $2,656 | -- |
| Russell D. Brown | $159,942 | $2,540 | -98.4% |
| Eli Malouff | $6,666 | $2,460 | -63.1% |
| Gary V. Seger | $4,508 | $2,285 | -49.3% |
| Fuchs Ranches, Inc. | $10,582 | $2,259 | -78.7% |
| David M. Pence | $2,272 | $2,259 | -0.6% |
| Brian David | $6,513 | $2,232 | -65.7% |
| Jan Doctor | $2,157 | $2,157 | 0% |
| Robert C. Kernen | $0 | $2,145 | -- |
| Manuel B. Archuleta | $11,135 | $2,134 | -80.8% |
| Billy E. Burns | $0 | $2,124 | -- |
| Lavern Hart Jr. | $10,032 | $2,091 | -79.2% |
| Robert W. Whiteman | $21,590 | $2,040 | -90.6% |
| David W. Bradley | $6,286 | $1,926 | -69.4% |
| Hart Farms, Inc. | $2,386 | $1,836 | -23.1% |
| Loma Fowler | $2,382 | $1,738 | -27% |
| Eagle Rock Organic EGGS, LLC | $0 | $1,513 | -- |
| Anita Olme | $0 | $1,430 | -- |
| Corner Pocket Farms, LLC | $21,867 | $1,346 | -93.8% |
| Matthew R. Torres | $2,798 | $1,345 | -51.9% |
| Administrative & Farm Services, LLC | $1,359 | $1,270 | -6.5% |
| James A. Pacheco | $6,007 | $1,214 | -79.8% |
| Dan H Street | $10,586 | $1,097 | -89.6% |
| Washburn Living Trust | $1,542 | $978 | -36.6% |
| Quinten Leplatt | $2,508 | $973 | -61.2% |
| Carlene Jean Leach Estate | $950 | $950 | 0% |
| Michael W. Sprunger | $0 | $935 | -- |
| Jay E. Yeager | $1,634 | $883 | -46% |
| William C. Redden | $2,293 | $784 | -65.8% |
| Bart Seger | $5,972 | $761 | -87.3% |
| Russell Pratt | $3,211 | $742 | -76.9% |
| Adam Garcia | $462 | $730 | 58% |
| Stagecoach Organics, LLC | $6,075 | $694 | -88.6% |
| Dean A. Sisneros | $1,386 | $602 | -56.6% |
| Glynnis L Williams | $1,021 | $535 | -47.6% |
| Richard D. Santi | $0 | $500 | -- |
| Luke M. Chavez | $2,439 | $455 | -81.3% |
| Darrel E. Plane | $2,215 | $404 | -81.8% |
| Brady Michael Schaefer | $300 | $400 | 33.3% |
| Donald E. Greenstreet | $773 | $224 | -71% |
| Edward H. Orth | $4,481 | $224 | -95% |
| Philip E. Smartt | $335 | $39 | -88.4% |
| Laz Ewe 2 Bar Goat Dairy, LLC | $717 | $0 | -100% |
| Norman W. Slade | $12,283 | $0 | -100% |
| Beau Temple | $908 | $0 | -100% |
| Bond Metz Farms, Inc. | $388,434 | $0 | -100% |
| Brett D. Deacon | $4,196 | $0 | -100% |
| Charles Stillings | $2,797 | $0 | -100% |
| Farming Technology Corporation | $50,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Greg Metz Farms, Inc. | $613,087 | $0 | -100% |
| Hart & Hart | $4,349 | $0 | -100% |
| Hathaway Enterprises, LLC | $41,535 | $0 | -100% |
| Haydn Christensen | $9,650 | $0 | -100% |
| Kenneth Sears | $18,918 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin C. Hanson | $17,428 | $0 | -100% |
| Larry Drake | $1,103 | $0 | -100% |
| Lester Farms, LLC | $1,803 | $0 | -100% |
| Marjorie Schell | $5,406 | $0 | -100% |
| Mark Koehn | $7,211 | $0 | -100% |
| Mccoy Farms, Inc. | $761,622 | $0 | -100% |
| Michael Matthews | $5,012 | $0 | -100% |
| Nadine Dieckman | $407 | $0 | -100% |
| Randall & Laura Brown Farm | $44,792 | $0 | -100% |
| Stephen Matthews | $5,934 | $0 | -100% |
| Tina Leplatt | $396 | $0 | -100% |
| Ralph Warren | $18,387 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $14,740,289 | $5,003,799 | -66.1% |
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