Farms disappearing at alarming rates

[Hay Dude]

Found this in an AG publication I get. “Increased regulations” (WOTUS, zoning, new farming regs) and “rising supply costs” (tractors, equipment, diesel fuel, fertilizer, seed, etc).
It looks pretty bleak in this economy for farming now, too. Industry is shot forever. I think timber/logging has been on the downslide for a while. Energy is in the process of being regulated out of existence now, too.

Guess we need to find the next thing to regulate out of existence and here it is.
Farming.

 

[zzvyb6]

Guess who's buying a lot of it up !

China Is Buying Up US Farmland, But Just How Much Isn’t Clear

America is seeing more and more of its most fertile land snapped up by China and other foreign buyers, yet problems with how the US tracks such data means it’s difficult to know just how much, according to a report.

www.bloomberg.com

My buddy in Az. is complaining because the water rationing going on there doesn't apply to foreign land owners.

 

[oldnslo]

Who needs farmers…. All my groceries are on the store shelf

Scary what percentage of the population thinks that statement is true…

 

[riptides]

When has farming ever been not bleak. Since the 40's it has been corporate driven and that has only been increasing in time.

 

[super55]

Its not just China. The AFA (affordable care act) allocated 80 billion for green energy. Windmills are yesterdays news, Today its solar panels. Power companies are leasing ag land for 30 years for a 1000 an acre. For most farmers this is a far higher profit margin then the are making farming.

Ironic you take the best soil and put it in power panels but it is the easiest to install in. The people that really feel it is all the industries ag supports. Seed suppliers, Fertilizer Co-ops, mills, trucking etc.

I can't blame the farmers for taking the royalties. They did it for natural gas and windmills but those usually only took an acre or two. Panels take the whole parcel and typically destroy the drain tile in the process to get the service wires in.

 

[MossRoad]

Most small farms around here are gone. However, the large farms are still going strong. What I have noticed is many of the large farms now have corporate signs in front of them, for example, there are signs similar to this:

Big Corp Farms
Farmer Bob

Farmer Bob joined the Big Corp Farms.

Total farm land has not gone down all that much in the US. Just the total number of farms has tanked while the average size of the remaining farms has grown.

 

[Hay Dude]

Guess who's buying a lot of it up !

China Is Buying Up US Farmland, But Just How Much Isn’t Clear

America is seeing more and more of its most fertile land snapped up by China and other foreign buyers, yet problems with how the US tracks such data means it’s difficult to know just how much, according to a report.

www.bloomberg.com

My buddy in Az. is complaining because the water rationing going on there doesn't apply to foreign land owners.

Oh stop complaining. China means us no harm. They just tariff the bejeebers out of our imports and buy up land next to top secret military installations.
Whats the problem with that?

What are you going to complain about next? Some silly story about a spy weather balloon or something crazy like that?

 

[ultrarunner]

It is more difficult to farm…

Had the Christmas Tree Farm not have a long continuous history going back to the 1960’s county regs would not allow it.

Every Christmas about 3300 trees sold.

One ordinance is cutting trees with a permit but the trees are planted and harvested as a crop.

 

[Hay Dude]

It’s definitely more difficult. Input prices too high. Stronger regs each an every year.

 

[Thomas]

In my area true farms are rare and most will tell you can't afford to farm and the rules regs...sad indeed very sad.