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In 2021, 98 farmers in cities within San Benito County received a total of $2.8 million in 139 farm subsidies, a 48.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $5.5 million in 197 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suprema, LLC | $0 | $250,000 | -- |
| Filice Farms PTSHP, Ltd. | $89,148 | $245,000 | 174.8% |
| John H. Tobias | $12,592 | $243,730 | 1,835.6% |
| Swank Farms Produce, Inc. | $19,746 | $202,632 | 926.2% |
| Salvador Anaya | $0 | $188,980 | -- |
| Gerardo Rogelio Alcala Gomez | $0 | $138,176 | -- |
| M and J French Ranch, LLC | $117,055 | $112,336 | -4% |
| San Felipe Cattle Company, LLC | $74,178 | $110,678 | 49.2% |
| Bhandal Bros Orchards, LLC | $0 | $106,722 | -- |
| Frederick Flook | $178,078 | $89,920 | -49.5% |
| Jimmie a Elizagoyen Revocable Trust | $22,866 | $88,649 | 287.7% |
| Frusetta Cattle Company | $126,401 | $83,954 | -33.6% |
| Agco Hay, LLC | $125,494 | $83,081 | -33.8% |
| Rajkovich Brothers Partnership LP | $293,794 | $59,214 | -79.8% |
| Harry Serafin | $64,852 | $55,043 | -15.1% |
| Derose Winery, Inc. | $0 | $51,546 | -- |
| Gibson Farms, Inc. | $0 | $47,537 | -- |
| Golden Rule Organic, Inc. | $0 | $44,533 | -- |
| Twenty Four Seven Livestock, LLC | $23,604 | $43,145 | 82.8% |
| Perry Orchards, Inc. | $0 | $42,334 | -- |
| Jeffrey Rianda | $0 | $40,788 | -- |
| Jeff Hall | $13,200 | $30,615 | 131.9% |
| Sill Segura Joint Venture | $100,276 | $29,376 | -70.7% |
| John Bourdet | $597 | $29,320 | 4,811.2% |
| Michele M Prewett Separate Property Trust | $0 | $28,224 | -- |
| Mr. Patrick M. Wirz | $0 | $19,709 | -- |
| Everett Sparling | $31,746 | $17,493 | -44.9% |
| Peterson Land & Cattle | $0 | $15,794 | -- |
| Heirloom Organic Gardens | $249,337 | $15,707 | -93.7% |
| Leonor Fernandez | $0 | $14,359 | -- |
| Charles Snyder | $0 | $13,968 | -- |
| Lisa M. Knutson | $0 | $13,431 | -- |
| Tobias Ranch Company, LLC | $65,033 | $13,379 | -79.4% |
| Arandanos, Inc. | $1,904 | $13,026 | 584.1% |
| T. O. Cattle Company, LLC | $11,451 | $12,925 | 12.9% |
| Casa DE Fruta Orchard | $1,260 | $11,064 | 778.1% |
| Marion Feist | $12,189 | $10,862 | -10.9% |
| Nyland Herefords, LLC | $7,524 | $10,730 | 42.6% |
| Marc Stelling | $5,971 | $10,527 | 76.3% |
| Stephen Lindsay | $4,219 | $10,175 | 141.2% |
| A&M Cattle Company, Inc. | $9,405 | $10,122 | 7.6% |
| Robert Coffelt | $44,098 | $9,801 | -77.8% |
| Mr. Thomas Paul Nino | $7,956 | $9,723 | 22.2% |
| Everyday Greens | $250,000 | $9,319 | -96.3% |
| James Prewett | $28,245 | $9,141 | -67.6% |
| Thomas E. Dotta | $0 | $8,827 | -- |
| Dean Bell | $9,130 | $8,733 | -4.3% |
| William J. Donati | $27,141 | $7,181 | -73.5% |
| Israel Martinez Perez | $0 | $6,644 | -- |
| John L Schwabacher JR | $8,349 | $6,452 | -22.7% |
| Victor N. Anyeneh | $0 | $6,311 | -- |
| Robert Nino | $16,188 | $5,894 | -63.6% |
| Bartalome Racca | $7,200 | $5,136 | -28.7% |
| Acre Agriculture | $3,949 | $5,123 | 29.7% |
| Thomas Q. Tobias | $4,547 | $5,113 | 12.4% |
| Alex Naccarato Jr. | $7,337 | $5,089 | -30.6% |
| Dirk Swanepoel | $0 | $5,088 | -- |
| Larry Norris | $7,846 | $4,870 | -37.9% |
| Nathan Chang | $0 | $4,770 | -- |
| Humboldt West, Inc. | $11,682 | $4,692 | -59.8% |
| Frank Benevento III | $8,994 | $4,679 | -48% |
| Ron Bowers | $0 | $4,290 | -- |
| Cal Baja Farms, LLC | $0 | $4,028 | -- |
| 2y Cattle, LLC | $15,191 | $4,004 | -73.6% |
| David Boulware | $4,737 | $3,321 | -29.9% |
| John Ivancovich | $21,770 | $3,215 | -85.2% |
| Alfred J Bonturi | $2,452 | $3,195 | 30.3% |
| Emiliano Gomez-Vasquez | $0 | $3,180 | -- |
| M & M Farms | $5,507 | $2,957 | -46.3% |
| R&R Livestock, LLC | $7,913 | $2,797 | -64.7% |
| John Hubbell | $726 | $2,313 | 218.6% |
| Jeannie Coefield | $0 | $2,145 | -- |
| Mark Porteur | $3,245 | $2,144 | -33.9% |
| Brad Allmon | $1,716 | $1,882 | 9.7% |
| Laurie Serpa Sabin | $0 | $1,650 | -- |
| Tony Lobue | $9,312 | $1,438 | -84.6% |
| Craig Bourdet | $1,247 | $1,401 | 12.3% |
| Milton Sylva | $0 | $1,373 | -- |
| Timothy E. Griffin | $4,807 | $1,304 | -72.9% |
| Leticia Perez | $0 | $1,101 | -- |
| Mark Skow | $8,706 | $845 | -90.3% |
| Alejandro Ceballos | $4,124 | $837 | -79.7% |
| Wanken Family Colorado Property Trust | $1,340 | $812 | -39.4% |
| Michael William Denardo Coffelt | $330 | $805 | 143.9% |
| Rebecca Lynn Ford | $7,916 | $780 | -90.1% |
| Gary Bianchi | $3,091 | $715 | -76.9% |
| Adam L. Donati | $693 | $655 | -5.5% |
| Dale Eymann | $368 | $520 | 41.3% |
| David W. Williams | $2,086 | $462 | -77.9% |
| Scott A. Gilbert | $665 | $443 | -33.4% |
| Cameron Wright | $5,528 | $422 | -92.4% |
| John a & Kathleen C Hanson Trust | $0 | $348 | -- |
| Curtiss Kennon | $534 | $301 | -43.6% |
| Scagliotti Farms | $57,954 | $284 | -99.5% |
| Wyatt Naccarato | $462 | $283 | -38.7% |
| Thomas Jim Hawkins | $553 | $270 | -51.2% |
| Joseph Denardo M. Coffelt | $2,431 | $240 | -90.1% |
| Deborah Meiss-Breslauer | $0 | $159 | -- |
| B & R Farms, LLC | $119,140 | $0 | -100% |
| Benito Valley Farms, Inc. | $393,748 | $0 | -100% |
| Castro Farms, LLC | $45,982 | $0 | -100% |
| Eagle Fresh, Inc. | $391,470 | $0 | -100% |
| F & S Farms, Inc. | $250,000 | $0 | -100% |
| Four Oaks Farming, LLC | $33,809 | $0 | -100% |
| Jacob A. Tonascia | $1,676 | $0 | -100% |
| Jacob Tonascia Orchards, LLC. | $31,619 | $0 | -100% |
| Jayleaf, LLC | $108,531 | $0 | -100% |
| Jonathan de Avila | $515 | $0 | -100% |
| Kin Fai Chan | $11,064 | $0 | -100% |
| Kraig Klauer, Inc. | $26,078 | $0 | -100% |
| LA Granjita Organica, Inc. | $17,365 | $0 | -100% |
| Lone Jack Livestock Company | $16,874 | $0 | -100% |
| Louis Freitas Jr. | $4,837 | $0 | -100% |
| Marsha Habib | $151,635 | $0 | -100% |
| Ms. Rui Huan Kuang | $27,255 | $0 | -100% |
| Nick Boffa | $972 | $0 | -100% |
| Robert Hernandez | $28,232 | $0 | -100% |
| Sam Lomanto III | $111,287 | $0 | -100% |
| San Felipe Farms Lp | $90,952 | $0 | -100% |
| Tonascia Farms, Inc. | $305,983 | $0 | -100% |
| Tye Lompa | $2,682 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Shingai | $111,932 | $0 | -100% |
| Xukuan Cao | $4,968 | $0 | -100% |
| Zhijin Feng | $17,038 | $0 | -100% |
| Anthony Botelho | $283,752 | $0 | -100% |
| Wayne Shingai | $111,932 | $0 | -100% |
| William Adams | $16,027 | $0 | -100% |
| Yamaoka Brothers, Inc. | $493,675 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $5,491,016 | $2,848,309 | -48.1% |
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