Why does the US grow so little food?

[2nd trick op]

Originally Posted by fairlaker

Industrial agriculture to the rescue! On Cargill, on Archer! On Daniels and Midland!

Your search for a villain to blame everything upon merely serves to demonstrate your predispositions.

Agriculture is still a system that answers to the markets, in which there are hundreds of thousands of sellers, and enough buyers that no single participant has control over prices. Many of those players continued to supplement their (and their spouse's) income in the more-organized sectors of the economy by holding onto the family farm, and growing a "cash crop", working evenings and weekends, once the four-legged element departs, a sideline farm can easily be adjusted to the owners' schedule.

And if large national-market players are able to carve out a bigger niche, it's generally because our oh-sooh-insecure conformistic "consumerist" society is eager to fall into line and unable or unwilling to trust the local producers. The fickle tastes of the "trendy" wannabees have even spawned a huge industry in (supposedly) "organic" groceries which, in turn, have led to a call by the political hacks for additional regulation and ( glory be!) new paychecks for bureaucrats and functionaries.

And finally, let's not overlook the fact that, the fantasies of 22-year-old metrosexuals to the contrary, the typical "organic" food producer has to answer to the market like everyone else -- that means a bigger facility than a little ol' shed with an outhouse out back. The "Annie's Homegrowns" and "Bob's Red Mills" are pretty substantial players. And that doesn't count the brands like Kashi, which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of major corporations, In this case Kellogg, which as it so happens, was founded by a natural food" advocate of an earlier day (Anybody here read or seen Road to Wellville?) And all of them have to answer to the regulations that favor mass production and squeeze out the marginal operators.

[fairlaker]

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

Your search for a villain to blame everything upon merely serves to demonstrate your predispositions.

As I have posted elsewhere...

Originally Posted by fairlaker

The current agriculture is the only known agriculture capable of feeding the current population of the nation and planet. It is impossible for backyard gardens and organic, free-range, smiley-face agriculture to accomplish the task.

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Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

Agriculture is still a system that answers to the markets, in which there are hundreds of thousands of sellers, and enough buyers that no single participant has control over prices.

Farm credit, crop insurance, crop subsidies, on and on and on -- the notion that agriculture is some throwback, market-driven enterprise doesn't stack up so well against the facts. Hobby farms can serve a niche if they don't have to suppport anyone, small family farms barely exist at all any more, while large family farms can get by only at the whim and mercy of processor-oligopolies and with help and support from federal programs.

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

And finally, let's not overlook the fact that, the fantasies of 22-year-old metrosexuals to the contrary, the typical "organic" food producer has to answer to the market like everyone else -- that means a bigger facility than a little ol' shed with an outhouse out back.

Wouldn't know. Haven't been a 22-year old in more than 40 years and don't hang out with a lot of them. The larger costs and requirements of maintaining "contented cows" and other forms of "old time" agriculture is what renders them incapable of addressing mass markets. We are stuck with the big guys, whether we like them or not. It would be nice if they could do a little more about hog waste ponds and chicken waste runoff, and maybe it isn't a such good idea to have a russett burbank potato monoculture just because McDonald's likes them, but we aren't going to be able to dump the current system. All we can do is try to modify it for the better.

And yes, I know the history behind K-E-double L-O-double Good, thanks.