Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock
In 2021, 257 farmers in cities within Nueces County received a total of $15.5 million in 725 farm subsidies, a 14.1% decrease compared to 2020, when the total was $18 million in 704 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 Nueces County, Year Over Year
| Farmer | Total Received in 2020 | Total Received in 2021 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith & Sons | $2,115,132 | $1,710,058 | -19.2% |
| McNair Farms | $1,062,229 | $964,415 | -9.2% |
| Triple T Farms & Cattle Company | $935,434 | $542,396 | -42% |
| Circle B. Farms | $360,736 | $509,233 | 41.2% |
| Priestly Farms | $351,797 | $495,717 | 40.9% |
| Jeff & Traci Klepac Farms | $947,613 | $475,311 | -49.8% |
| May Farms | $150,890 | $404,010 | 167.8% |
| Dodson Family Farms | $205,913 | $397,388 | 93% |
| Dewey Lawhon | $97,483 | $382,521 | 292.4% |
| 3 - B Farms | $285,797 | $367,414 | 28.6% |
| Legacy Farms | $307,868 | $357,911 | 16.3% |
| Harwell Farms | $181,808 | $323,860 | 78.1% |
| C & L Smith Farms | $269,478 | $287,869 | 6.8% |
| Prosperity Bank | $1,010,357 | $281,512 | -72.1% |
| Burch Farms | $284,673 | $247,371 | -13.1% |
| Darrell J. Lawhon | $209,472 | $233,810 | 11.6% |
| J Pavelka Farms, LLC | $183,446 | $223,854 | 22% |
| Havelka Farms | $301,941 | $206,694 | -31.5% |
| Dodson Agent, Inc. | $161,935 | $205,132 | 26.7% |
| Koenning Farms, Ltd. | $39,062 | $197,894 | 406.6% |
| Tanya Lawhon | $192,770 | $191,182 | -0.8% |
| Tischler Farms, Inc. | $117,627 | $182,731 | 55.3% |
| Tobin Scarborough Farms | $289,882 | $177,277 | -38.8% |
| Jerry Faske | $102,046 | $173,295 | 69.8% |
| Ronald Roewe | $126,820 | $168,620 | 33% |
| Howze Brothers | $148,380 | $166,749 | 12.4% |
| Dodson Farms, Inc. | $140,370 | $165,936 | 18.2% |
| Patrick Farms | $152,925 | $154,948 | 1.3% |
| Jungmann Family Farms | $276,137 | $151,717 | -45.1% |
| 4S Farms | $339,464 | $150,936 | -55.5% |
| Ordner Farms | $338,401 | $150,579 | -55.5% |
| Linda K Lawhon Estate | $97,897 | $145,331 | 48.5% |
| Chad Wayne Lawhon | $78,843 | $144,239 | 82.9% |
| Dale Benton | $127,125 | $134,416 | 5.7% |
| Harlan Farms Partnership | $133,548 | $133,611 | 0% |
| Ordner Farms Joint Venture | $252,473 | $130,809 | -48.2% |
| Carolyn L. Faske | $79,368 | $128,729 | 62.2% |
| Massey Farms, Inc. | $208,432 | $117,337 | -43.7% |
| Turfco Grass Company, Inc. | $14,484 | $116,026 | 701.1% |
| Santa Julia Farms | $0 | $108,930 | -- |
| Bar H Farms, Inc. | $0 | $108,386 | -- |
| Howze Partnership | $237,329 | $103,808 | -56.3% |
| Dewey Lawhon Farms | $0 | $102,645 | -- |
| CLB Farms, LLC | $71,004 | $102,344 | 44.1% |
| TWB Farms, LLC | $0 | $97,927 | -- |
| Robert Jalufka | $173,634 | $90,969 | -47.6% |
| Kleberg Bank, N.A | $2,344 | $90,672 | 3,768.3% |
| Barbara H. Balko | $45,784 | $85,928 | 87.7% |
| Ralph Balko | $48,919 | $85,788 | 75.4% |
| Vernon Simnacher | $95,357 | $85,162 | -10.7% |
| Rabb Farms | $0 | $80,578 | -- |
| Danysh Farms, Inc. | $78,810 | $80,420 | 2% |
| L & H Farms, LLC | $0 | $73,198 | -- |
| First Community Bank | $226,651 | $69,519 | -69.3% |
| Benjamin Wayne Gwynn | $48,881 | $68,818 | 40.8% |
| Lesli N. Gwynn | $48,680 | $68,456 | 40.6% |
| Jesse Leavell Johnson Jr. | $74,356 | $66,765 | -10.2% |
| Edward Jungmann | $60,499 | $65,814 | 8.8% |
| David Lee Kircher | $229,794 | $62,489 | -72.8% |
| Matt Danysh | $27,374 | $62,176 | 127.1% |
| J - 5 Farms | $139,935 | $61,437 | -56.1% |
| Jane Jungmann | $58,112 | $61,097 | 5.1% |
| Harlan Farms, Inc. | $67,806 | $60,307 | -11.1% |
| David Zimmerman | $19,510 | $52,851 | 170.9% |
| Linda A. Zimmerman | $32,057 | $52,850 | 64.9% |
| Robertson Farms | $76,963 | $48,319 | -37.2% |
| Matt Danysh Farms, Inc. | $0 | $47,925 | -- |
| Lawrence Charba | $76,658 | $47,781 | -37.7% |
| John Charba | $114,867 | $46,805 | -59.3% |
| Thomas Busenlehner | $108,015 | $46,674 | -56.8% |
| Patsy Busenlehner | $106,775 | $46,183 | -56.7% |
| James Nemec | $0 | $44,719 | -- |
| John Robert Callaway | $101,798 | $43,860 | -56.9% |
| Patricia Marie Callaway | $101,639 | $43,860 | -56.8% |
| G & L Hoelscher, Inc. | $51,504 | $37,639 | -26.9% |
| Justin Chopelas | $35,039 | $36,268 | 3.5% |
| Daniel Henry Burkhardt | $57,295 | $36,078 | -37% |
| Tao Farms, LLC | $42,794 | $33,819 | -21% |
| S & S Farms Partnership | $140,144 | $33,714 | -75.9% |
| Michael Rektorik | $46,101 | $32,758 | -28.9% |
| Cathy Zieschang | $11,048 | $32,564 | 194.8% |
| Jungmann Farms, Inc. | $25,913 | $32,132 | 24% |
| Craig Kircher | $84,925 | $31,973 | -62.4% |
| Bowers Trust | $1,665 | $27,993 | 1,581.3% |
| C & J Danysh Farms, Inc. | $16,094 | $27,909 | 73.4% |
| Tracy Robertson | $32,857 | $27,173 | -17.3% |
| Dianne Scarborough | $28,810 | $26,754 | -7.1% |
| Mark Haug | $76,462 | $25,700 | -66.4% |
| Todd Otahal Farms, LLC | $406,283 | $25,472 | -93.7% |
| William J. Ordner | $30,506 | $25,000 | -18% |
| DLK Farms | $0 | $23,192 | -- |
| Frank David Bevly Estate | $0 | $21,595 | -- |
| Tracy Noel Wright | $17,159 | $20,115 | 17.2% |
| Smith Children | $23,454 | $19,283 | -17.8% |
| Harlan Family Limited Partnership | $18,725 | $18,883 | 0.8% |
| Lasca Butler Searcy Trust | $18,624 | $18,272 | -1.9% |
| Linlea Wilson Shelby | $29,795 | $18,081 | -39.3% |
| Randall Kircher | $41,916 | $17,819 | -57.5% |
| James R. Prukop | $0 | $16,971 | -- |
| Rebekah Robertson | $26,757 | $16,235 | -39.3% |
| Scarborough Country, Ltd. | $43,287 | $15,245 | -64.8% |
| Russell Jungmann | $44,973 | $15,089 | -66.4% |
| Fred Burkhardt Jr. | $35,298 | $15,086 | -57.3% |
| Ray Patrick | $3,143 | $14,963 | 376.1% |
| Katherine E. Patrick | $3,141 | $14,956 | 376.2% |
| B & R Wright Farms | $267,485 | $14,448 | -94.6% |
| Earl Jalufka | $135,178 | $14,189 | -89.5% |
| Prosperity Bank | $30,510 | $13,465 | -55.9% |
| Weldon Gene Guettler | $62,079 | $13,191 | -78.8% |
| Allen Roy Smith | $10,396 | $13,158 | 26.6% |
| John Camron Havelka | $34,254 | $12,947 | -62.2% |
| Brian Zimmerman | $12,193 | $12,795 | 4.9% |
| Wanza Family Trustee | $9,258 | $12,776 | 38% |
| Gene Mittag | $17,377 | $12,495 | -28.1% |
| Bernice Powers | $50 | $12,425 | 24,750% |
| Lynn Ripple | $31,583 | $12,295 | -61.1% |
| Carrie M. Painter | $13,465 | $12,172 | -9.6% |
| Balko-Kaiser, LLC | $15,211 | $11,438 | -24.8% |
| Sharon Kay Zieschang | $10,695 | $11,407 | 6.7% |
| David Bevly | $17,697 | $11,159 | -36.9% |
| John T. Kircher Jr. | $35,279 | $10,905 | -69.1% |
| Thomas J. Smith | $13,016 | $10,895 | -16.3% |
| Keith Skoruppa | $55,791 | $10,796 | -80.6% |
| P & N Farms | $14,055 | $10,559 | -24.9% |
| Curtis W. Fox Jr. | $3,919 | $9,912 | 152.9% |
| Herrmann Fish Farms, LLC | $8,483 | $9,214 | 8.6% |
| Rincon, Inc. | $18,576 | $8,784 | -52.7% |
| Alton H. Koenning Jr. | $29,965 | $8,420 | -71.9% |
| James S. Howze | $15,435 | $7,584 | -50.9% |
| Carolyn Lee Burch | $6,193 | $7,406 | 19.6% |
| James Luther Massey IV | $2,952 | $7,152 | 142.3% |
| James W. Faske | $5,482 | $6,792 | 23.9% |
| Carolyn R. Havelka | $3,102 | $6,542 | 110.9% |
| Alma O Bevly Family Trust | $8,241 | $6,408 | -22.2% |
| Cathrine Brazil | $12,888 | $6,394 | -50.4% |
| James Gerdes | $12,534 | $5,678 | -54.7% |
| Gandy Test W. S. Tr Jr. | $7,018 | $5,569 | -20.6% |
| Naomi B. Tischler | $4,373 | $5,458 | 24.8% |
| Barbara Crane | $0 | $5,376 | -- |
| Pete Flores II | $2,970 | $5,072 | 70.8% |
| James Earl Gillespie Estate | $3,254 | $5,026 | 54.5% |
| D. W. Patrick | $5,595 | $4,681 | -16.3% |
| Don R. Russell | $24,871 | $4,674 | -81.2% |
| Mona Fay Knetig | $5,667 | $4,637 | -18.2% |
| Travis W Wanoreck | $4,516 | $4,592 | 1.7% |
| Stuart Glenn Johnson & Lisa Logan Johnson Rev Liv Trustee | $7,125 | $4,534 | -36.4% |
| Gregg Truesdale | $797 | $4,451 | 458.5% |
| Schubert Farms and Properties, LLP | $14,233 | $4,431 | -68.9% |
| Donald J. Havelka | $6,230 | $4,307 | -30.9% |
| Scarborough Ranch, LLP | $23,376 | $4,030 | -82.8% |
| Kocurek Farms & Wildlife Service | $3,858 | $3,975 | 3% |
| Hardie Wolter | $9,642 | $3,966 | -58.9% |
| Wolter Family Trust | $17,180 | $3,945 | -77% |
| Gary Criswell | $3,892 | $3,896 | 0.1% |
| Ruth Ann Smith | $4,733 | $3,612 | -23.7% |
| Peter Edwin Tischler | $798 | $3,572 | 347.6% |
| Carrie Painter M. Tr | $5,670 | $3,398 | -40.1% |
| Eric Bluntzer | $12,074 | $3,352 | -72.2% |
| Fred E. Gorbet | $6,098 | $3,284 | -46.1% |
| Stacy Cox Test Tr | $4,695 | $3,273 | -30.3% |
| Jauer Daughters, LLC | $0 | $3,153 | -- |
| Virgil Kieschnick | $2,895 | $3,151 | 8.8% |
| Mikalah Massey Gaither Test Trustee | $4,695 | $3,128 | -33.4% |
| Orman Gwynn | $3,514 | $3,068 | -12.7% |
| Lance Young | $14,426 | $3,049 | -78.9% |
| Steven Kocurek | $4,002 | $3,035 | -24.2% |
| Michael R. Kastner | $11,645 | $2,975 | -74.5% |
| Kevin Busenlehner Tr | $3,207 | $2,969 | -7.4% |
| Donald Herrmann | $4,081 | $2,676 | -34.4% |
| Dwight A. Gwynn | $3,007 | $2,613 | -13.1% |
| Ernest F Schulze Marital Trust a | $6,172 | $2,579 | -58.2% |
| Mark Grosse | $10,577 | $2,442 | -76.9% |
| William M Gwynn Trust | $2,462 | $2,426 | -1.5% |
| Gus Bluntzer | $0 | $2,261 | -- |
| Robert Knetig | $1,499 | $2,110 | 40.8% |
| Ann Lynette Bowers | $0 | $2,049 | -- |
| Susan B. Hale | $3,897 | $1,968 | -49.5% |
| Patricia Rachal Worden | $1,625 | $1,900 | 16.9% |
| Rick Longueira | $14,063 | $1,825 | -87% |
| Brandon Klepac | $926 | $1,766 | 90.7% |
| John Prukop | $9,931 | $1,760 | -82.3% |
| Thomas Busenlehner Tr | $3,794 | $1,732 | -54.3% |
| Duve Jason Rios | $1,958 | $1,696 | -13.4% |
| Edward S. Hinojosa | $6,675 | $1,652 | -75.3% |
| Tim E. Brown | $4,151 | $1,600 | -61.5% |
| Juan Landivar Bowles | $1,089 | $1,528 | 40.3% |
| James M Painter Testamentary Trustee | $2,501 | $1,499 | -40.1% |
| Jerry Johnston | $1,982 | $1,456 | -26.5% |
| Richard L. Ocker | $2,247 | $1,420 | -36.8% |
| Kathryn Marek | $942 | $1,402 | 48.8% |
| Nadine Family Partnership | $4,378 | $1,340 | -69.4% |
| Evelyn P Bluntzer | $0 | $1,317 | -- |
| Harold Simnacher | $7,940 | $1,269 | -84% |
| Cynthia K. Schroeder | $1,046 | $1,258 | 20.3% |
| Johanna M. Prukop | $0 | $1,256 | -- |
| Roberto D. Garza Jr. | $1,158 | $1,158 | 0% |
| Mary V Helpert | $0 | $1,088 | -- |
| John & Shana Prukop JV | $3,696 | $1,064 | -71.2% |
| Rudolf E. Schiefelbein IV | $7,220 | $983 | -86.4% |
| Walter Dunham III Protection Trustee | $1,655 | $961 | -41.9% |
| Marjorie Schulze | $2,811 | $925 | -67.1% |
| Martin G. Brittain | $1,147 | $902 | -21.4% |
| Patricia Holland | $2,533 | $867 | -65.8% |
| Keith Allen Ewing | $3,223 | $859 | -73.3% |
| Nathelene E Hoelscher | $65 | $858 | 1,220% |
| Mary K. Havelka | $336 | $851 | 153.3% |
| Kevin Busenlehner | $965 | $828 | -14.2% |
| John Stamps | $0 | $809 | -- |
| James D. Jones | $2,563 | $794 | -69% |
| Scott A. Holt | $0 | $793 | -- |
| Theresa Baucum | $0 | $786 | -- |
| Julie P. Tilton | $0 | $772 | -- |
| Curtis Wayne Fox III | $2,229 | $768 | -65.5% |
| Moises Rodriguez Vasquez | $347 | $765 | 120.5% |
| Robert D. Lanham | $490 | $750 | 53.1% |
| David Derr | $2,139 | $744 | -65.2% |
| Robert W. Schroeder | $1,046 | $742 | -29.1% |
| Eleanor M Pfluger Rev Living Trustee | $0 | $734 | -- |
| Josephine Billings | $1,911 | $689 | -63.9% |
| Alma M. Studer | $0 | $667 | -- |
| Benjamin a Otahal Circle B Farms | $0 | $649 | -- |
| Jeff Klepac | $1,373 | $633 | -53.9% |
| Travis Paul Davis | $0 | $629 | -- |
| Thomas Mark Theis | $2,376 | $628 | -73.6% |
| Wayne Reed | $621 | $621 | 0% |
| Keith Havelka | $1,023 | $579 | -43.4% |
| Marolyn Dale Schneider | $4,391 | $545 | -87.6% |
| Gerald E. Vaughan | $25,289 | $529 | -97.9% |
| Jerry Welsh | $2,728 | $513 | -81.2% |
| David Lewis | $0 | $482 | -- |
| Richard C. Gillespie | $590 | $463 | -21.5% |
| William F. Willoughby III | $0 | $425 | -- |
| Melvin Lee Burch | $0 | $420 | -- |
| Jason Floyd | $2,473 | $414 | -83.3% |
| Amado Saenz | $1,336 | $412 | -69.2% |
| Dan Wolter | $330 | $383 | 16.1% |
| Gallagher Farms | $1,412 | $362 | -74.4% |
| Sylvester Hoelscher | $1,446 | $314 | -78.3% |
| Elias R. Vasquez | $0 | $295 | -- |
| Luis R. Mendez Sr. | $1,267 | $225 | -82.2% |
| Sidney A. Kahla | $772 | $224 | -71% |
| Barbara Williams | $0 | $175 | -- |
| Pamela N. Danser | $0 | $172 | -- |
| Shane Suggs | $1,977 | $163 | -91.8% |
| Alfredo B. Hernandez | $152 | $131 | -13.8% |
| Carlos Flores | $0 | $121 | -- |
| Jerome J Pavelka Residuary Trustee | $20,967 | $115 | -99.5% |
| Bryan E. Jauer Jr. | $0 | $104 | -- |
| Anna S. Loving | $447 | $99 | -77.9% |
| Benny Perriraz | $1,368 | $83 | -93.9% |
| Carol S. Urbanovsky | $0 | $72 | -- |
| Michael F. Walker | $180 | $40 | -77.8% |
| Robert G. Keys | $383 | $38 | -90.1% |
| Horacio Rubio | $82 | $19 | -76.8% |
| Nico A. Wade | $0 | $10 | -- |
| Karen Lynn Dubose | $100 | $7 | -93% |
| Gweneth Boyer | $34 | $4 | -88.2% |
| Mark Haug | $9,496 | $0 | -100% |
| Samuel Rios Jr. | $1,287 | $0 | -100% |
| Curtis Craig Paschal | $463 | $0 | -100% |
| Cynthia Paschal | $231 | $0 | -100% |
| George Ince | $531 | $0 | -100% |
| George W. Paschal | $231 | $0 | -100% |
| James P. Prukop | $3,891 | $0 | -100% |
| Linda Kaye Lawhon | $35,498 | $0 | -100% |
| Marsha Jo Prukop | $1,012 | $0 | -100% |
| Richard Falkenberg | $256 | $0 | -100% |
| Y & J Trevino Properties - Jo, LLC | $1,643 | $0 | -100% |
| Bebe Bralley | $12,362 | $0 | -100% |
| Bertrand B. Badger | $1,245 | $0 | -100% |
| Glenn Leonard Irr Liv Trust | $438 | $0 | -100% |
| Glenn Leonard Rev Liv Trust | $706 | $0 | -100% |
| John H. Thompson Jr. | $776 | $0 | -100% |
| Malcolm T. Ward | $379 | $0 | -100% |
| Marty Karr | $3,882 | $0 | -100% |
| Mathew A. Ward | $379 | $0 | -100% |
| Rodney D. Boyer | $5,289 | $0 | -100% |
| Adelina D Maldonado | $494 | $0 | -100% |
| Annie Schonhoeft | $637 | $0 | -100% |
| Barbara R. Kircher | $310 | $0 | -100% |
| Bermuda Ranch William D Walke, LLC | $907 | $0 | -100% |
| Clayton Carl Cardwell Estate | $9,086 | $0 | -100% |
| Clelleen Rokohl | $474 | $0 | -100% |
| Daniel Lopez | $1,155 | $0 | -100% |
| David Williams | $226 | $0 | -100% |
| Hernandez Bros | $2,976 | $0 | -100% |
| Judy Ann Villalon | $319 | $0 | -100% |
| Kristopher K. Havelka | $3,303 | $0 | -100% |
| Minerva R. Garcia | $403 | $0 | -100% |
| Peggy Knesek | $254 | $0 | -100% |
| Roel Cruz | $864 | $0 | -100% |
| Royce Felder | $1,045 | $0 | -100% |
| Wesley A. Deer | $751 | $0 | -100% |
| Total subsidies | $17,992,503 | $15,455,524 | -14.1% |
Alerts Sign-up