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Do you know what desert is? Have you been to a desert? Allegory, does it ring a bell, at all? Have you been to less "developed" countries to see what not desert like diverse agriculture look like? Now I understand that you are like a hermit who never seen Sun. I try to explain to you how Sun look like and you cannot understand me because in the world you grew up Soybeans + Corn fields with occasional outcroppings of alfalfa is not desert (allegory intended). In my world it's sad and sterile desert devoid of life and joy. But who cares as long as corn is $8/bushel, right?
Now you're back-peddling, and trying to obfuscate the fact that you've been repeatedly called out on your complete and total ignorance of everything agricultural.
I noticed, too, that you absolutely REFUSED to answer two very simple questions addressed to you - evidence of the fact that you have NO IDEA what the correct answers are.
Today's lesson: Highly opinionated, totally uniformed city kids sometimes get the crap kicked out of them (using hyperbole here, not allegory) by people who actually know about agriculture.
Were you to have any knowledge of modern American farming, you would know that most farmers also grow gardens - gardens that would put to shame ANYTHING that you could imagine (because you've never actually DONE it) growing.
Nobody is going to starve, growing gardens like this.
OK. I think you need to travel more and get more "rounded" because this post clearly shows that you have little clue about rural America outside of your corner of the woods. Most farmers do NOT grow a squat. Commodity crop + meticulously manicured lawn = your typical American farm. I hope I don't have to explain definition of the word "typical". There are some exceptions, but on the average, farmers don't grow much except one or two commodity crops. Geez, significant portion of farmers are on food stamps, did you know that?
OK. I think you need to travel more and get more "rounded" because this post clearly shows that you have little clue about rural America outside of your corner of the woods. Most farmers do NOT grow a squat. Commodity crop + meticulously manicured lawn = your typical American farm. I hope I don't have to explain definition of the word "typical". There are some exceptions, but on the average, farmers don't grow much except one or two commodity crops. Geez, significant portion of farmers are on food stamps, did you know that?
My JOB involves travel, so you might want to stop making weird ASSumptions. I can make you a 100% guarantee that I have more knowledge of agriculture in my left butt-cheek than the totality of what you'll ever possess.
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why, for instance, so many farmers in Northern Minnesota grow potatoes? Or why so many of them in West-Central Minnesota grow sugar beets? I know you weren't aware of that fact (quite typical), but you might want to THINK about why that might be. I could TELL you, but that would take all the fun out of it. It's far more enjoyable to watch you squirm.
And yes, I'm fully aware of the fact Food Stamps fall under the USDA Budget, but once again, you're grasping at straws and making a fool of yourself.
Now you're back-peddling, and trying to obfuscate the fact that you've been repeatedly called out on your complete and total ignorance of everything agricultural.
I noticed, too, that you absolutely REFUSED to answer two very simple questions addressed to you - evidence of the fact that you have NO IDEA what the correct answers are.
Today's lesson: Highly opinionated, totally uniformed city kids sometimes get the crap kicked out of them (using hyperbole here, not allegory) by people who actually know about agriculture.
Go home, kid.
It's quite a flow of generalities called to hide lack of substantial arguments and quite frankly knowledge. It's hilarious you proclaim yourself a "winner" of a debate (you may call yourself Queen of England, as far as I'm concerned) without producing a single argumentative post, just a string of emotional labels. It's not talk radio, dear. Whatever your age is, you need to travel and read more. I answered all your questions in great details, if you cannot grasp my answers, I don't think it's my fault.
Some parts of NW Ohio, good portions of Iowa and Illinois remind me desert where few plants (and even fewer animals) can survive, just corn and soybeans. On the marginal lands you indeed can find pasturing cows, property of part time farmers, but those cows end up in not so pretty feed lots. Prime corn and soybean areas have no freaking cows pasturing, just corn, just soybeans. And aside cows what else could you possibly grow for living? Not much, for the reasons I will not speculate, beef production is the only areas where "unaffiliated" with big corporations farmers can get access to the market. Pork and poultry are virtually monopolized by integrated corporations. You need contractual arrangements to get access to the market.
Here what you see the most in your typical rural area - corn, soybeans, occasional small herd pasturing, small CAFOs of contract growers. That's your typical American agroscape. That's what rural America degenerated to. I have a news for city folks, once this long speculated about crash will come, there is no reason to run to the typical American countryside to plunder. There is no freaking food there you could eat.
NW Ohio is home to a vast majority of Cambell's Soup and Heinz Ketchup's tomatoes. Lettuce, sweet corn, onions, and peppers are also very common in the area... this is why there are migrant camps and migrant schools all over the place. These fields rotate with fields also growing corn and soybeans. There are also several commercial orchards. What you say is maybe true on the western plains... but in the corn belt? No way.
And George is right that most farmers (and rural residents in general) have plentiful personal gardens, freezing and canning, etc... both in the Midwest and on the western Plains.. I would know.. I've done more than driven through America's "agroscape"... I live there.
It's quite a flow of generalities called to hide lack of substantial arguments and quite frankly knowledge. It's hilarious you proclaim yourself a "winner" of a debate (you may call yourself Queen of England, as far as I'm concerned) without producing a single argumentative post, just a string of emotional labels. It's not talk radio, dear. Whatever your age is, you need to travel and read more. I answered all your questions in great details, if you cannot grasp my answers, I don't think it's my fault.
Ehemmm... I'm not talking about ANY generalities. I'm giving you specific examples, and details. I'm asking you specific questions, NONE of which you can answer.
So I'll ask you one of the questions you refused to answer, one last time: WHY DON'T FARMERS GRAZE CATTLE ON PRIME TILLABLE FARM GROUND?
I'll be patiently awaiting your forthcoming non-answer.
NW Ohio is home to a vast majority of Cambell's Soup and Heinz Ketchup's tomatoes. Lettuce, sweet corn, onions, and peppers are also very common in the area... this is why there are migrant camps and migrant schools all over the place. These fields rotate in fields also growing corn and soybeans. There are also several commercial orchards. What you say is maybe true on the western plains... but in the corn belt? No way.
And George is right that most farmers have plentiful personal gardens... both in the Midwest and on the western Plains.. I would know.. I've done more than driven through America's "agroscape"... I live there.
South-Central Minnesota is home to all manner of consumer vegetable production. Corn, beans, peas, etc. Shoot, Green Giant is still located in LeSueur, Minnesota.
They do pretty well for trying to eke a living out of that "agricultural desert" that is being spoken of.
My JOB involves travel, so you might want to stop making weird ASSumptions. I can make you a 100% guarantee that I have more knowledge of agriculture in my left butt-cheek than the totality of what you'll ever possess.
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why, for instance, so many farmers in Northern Minnesota grow potatoes? Or why so many of them in West-Central Minnesota grow sugar beets? I know you weren't aware of that fact (quite typical), but you might want to THINK about why that might be. I could TELL you, but that would take all the fun out of it. It's far more enjoyable to watch you squirm.
And yes, I'm fully aware of the fact Food Stamps fall under the USDA Budget, but once again, you're grasping at straws and making a fool of yourself.
If your job involves 30 miles radius travel and you post what you post than you must have very selective vision. If you have superb knowledge of agriculture SHOW IT for a change, at least once, please. So far you showed that you don't know what allegory is (not a big deal) and that you know little about your area prior to arrival of agriculture to grasp how deprived of life your cornfield paradise is. It's not a discussion of MN agricultural specialization, I know quite a bit about absurd specialization of American agriculture, and that's why I advise city folks against raiding your typical rural areas, in all probability, there is little or no edible food there. You have a gift to read what is not written. I was saying nothing about who runs food stamp programs, I was saying in no uncertain terms that significant portion of farmers receive food stamps. And yet, according to you, each and everyone of them grow superb gardens. I guess I should stop trusting my eyes, because lawn grass is the most popular kind of garden one can find in rural areas.
South-Central Minnesota is home to all manner of consumer vegetable production. Corn, beans, peas, etc. Shoot, Green Giant is still located in LeSueur, Minnesota.
They do pretty well for trying to eke a living out of that "agricultural desert" that is being spoken of.
Ya I don't understand the desert thing at all. Stop growing corn/beans/etc there, and it will grow up in trees or grassland... I've seen it happen, what do you think alot of CRP land used to be? Is it a "desert" only when its home to large acreage of beans and corn? What about the thousands of acres of orchards in upstate New York harvesting for mass production at Motts? Is that an Apple Desert?
NW Ohio is home to a vast majority of Cambell's Soup and Heinz Ketchup's tomatoes. Lettuce, sweet corn, onions, and peppers are also very common in the area... this is why there are migrant camps and migrant schools all over the place. These fields rotate with fields also growing corn and soybeans. There are also several commercial orchards. What you say is maybe true on the western plains... but in the corn belt? No way.
And George is right that most farmers (and rural residents in general) have plentiful personal gardens, freezing and canning, etc... both in the Midwest and on the western Plains.. I would know.. I've done more than driven through America's "agroscape"... I live there.
That's quite imagination you have running over there. I should disregard what my eyes see and imagine all those crops you mentioned. Ahem, you should update your Encyclopedia stash or travel for somebody's sake. I used to have 1950s short Encyclopedia that describes colorful veggie agriculture going on in my area. And yet, as of 2012 everything is gone, just corn, just soybeans, occasional wheat field. Dust your encyclopedias off and recycle, save the Earth, OK?
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