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In 2021, 58 farmers in cities within La Paz County received a total of $4 million in 108 farm subsidies, a 43.9% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $7.2 million in 171 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Indian Affairs | $698,680 | $1,231,601 | 76.3% |
| Colorado River Indian Tribes Farms | $1,638,425 | $827,687 | -49.5% |
| LKH Farming an Arizona, GP | $759,868 | $311,857 | -59% |
| Rolanco Farms | $596,125 | $215,947 | -63.8% |
| Buckelew Farms II PTNS | $319,918 | $176,166 | -44.9% |
| Swan Farms | $387,556 | $138,636 | -64.2% |
| Poole Farms, LLC | $183,022 | $126,581 | -30.8% |
| Sundance Ranch | $162,730 | $119,446 | -26.6% |
| Keyah Farms | $219,078 | $108,086 | -50.7% |
| Ab Farming, LLC | $628,967 | $95,094 | -84.9% |
| Karl Keith Weisser | $28,383 | $81,580 | 187.4% |
| H & C Farms | $155,833 | $73,642 | -52.7% |
| James Thompson-James B Thompson Rev Living Trust | $0 | $62,373 | -- |
| Ciesto C & Shirley a Leivas | $113,809 | $51,218 | -55% |
| MC Bride Ranches, Inc. | $49,898 | $33,933 | -32% |
| Ray Allen Martinez | $12,689 | $33,452 | 163.6% |
| Toni L Brown | $30,503 | $32,119 | 5.3% |
| Leticia Carrillo | $59,863 | $21,296 | -64.4% |
| Baldenegro Farms, LLC | $15,582 | $20,774 | 33.3% |
| Miguel Torres, JR | $32,101 | $18,597 | -42.1% |
| Southwest River Ranch | $83,195 | $18,378 | -77.9% |
| Joe L. Martinez | $31,442 | $17,579 | -44.1% |
| Eleanor B. Martinez | $31,435 | $17,575 | -44.1% |
| Diaz Farms | $80,679 | $17,166 | -78.7% |
| Kathleen mc Bride | $0 | $16,597 | -- |
| Joe G. Martinez Jr. | $28,390 | $16,184 | -43% |
| David W. Page Jr. | $29,832 | $15,486 | -48.1% |
| Staci A. Page | $29,832 | $15,486 | -48.1% |
| Torres Farms II, LLC | $10,029 | $14,935 | 48.9% |
| Western Farm Management Services, LLC | $7,040 | $13,471 | 91.3% |
| Mcguire Custom, Inc. | $9,758 | $13,011 | 33.3% |
| Isidro G. Lamas | $31,391 | $11,366 | -63.8% |
| Jesus Lopez Jr. | $16,909 | $11,319 | -33.1% |
| Rayburn Evans | $16,234 | $9,283 | -42.8% |
| Manuel Cavazos | $13,075 | $8,887 | -32% |
| John Nelson Jr. | $13,680 | $6,981 | -49% |
| Abel Penaloza | $8,332 | $4,807 | -42.3% |
| Marshall Kelly James | $0 | $4,641 | -- |
| Daniel Leivas Jr. | $6,729 | $3,549 | -47.3% |
| Jose Diaz | $16,568 | $3,525 | -78.7% |
| Mary Kambitsch - Kambitsch Family Trust | $5,237 | $3,278 | -37.4% |
| Thomas and Barbara Mcreynolds Family Trust | $14,043 | $2,899 | -79.4% |
| Gary Wayne Smith | $2,854 | $2,854 | 0% |
| Jorge Aranjo | $1,486 | $2,632 | 77.1% |
| Miguel Gonzalez | $10,269 | $2,549 | -75.2% |
| Richard A. Silva Sr. | $4,573 | $1,745 | -61.8% |
| Loren Page | $5,758 | $1,225 | -78.7% |
| Robert Page | $6,253 | $1,225 | -80.4% |
| Gilbert Robledo | $8,974 | $1,062 | -88.2% |
| Daniel Leivas | $1,783 | $1,026 | -42.5% |
| Rea R. Coughlin | $1,401 | $1,006 | -28.2% |
| Basilio and Rachel Lamas | $1,270 | $731 | -42.4% |
| Wilfred A. Spaeth | $573 | $573 | 0% |
| Winstill Humeumptewa SR | $351 | $202 | -42.5% |
| Arlene Sullivan | $1,723 | $178 | -89.7% |
| Spencer Logan Hess | $3,271 | $142 | -95.7% |
| Kenny Pierce | $786 | $32 | -95.9% |
| Jene C. Hemphill | $420 | $8 | -98.1% |
| A & Z Farms | $432,788 | $0 | -100% |
| Frank Leuppe JR | $40,132 | $0 | -100% |
| Julio Cesar Castro Cruz | $3,435 | $0 | -100% |
| Kevin Klopfenstein | $1,763 | $0 | -100% |
| Miguel Torres | $64,452 | $0 | -100% |
| Jerald Tillman | $26,420 | $0 | -100% |
| Keith Renkly | $1,711 | $0 | -100% |
| William Quintus | $101 | $0 | -100% |
| Merle Seright | $5,487 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $7,204,894 | $4,043,678 | -43.9% |
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