America: "Too Many Farms for Her Own Good?"

Whenever I am on a road trip, I always enjoy looking out the window at all of the farms in the middle of nowhere. Growing up, I told my grandmother of how badly I wanted to live on a farm. Having grown up on a farm, my grandmother continuously told me how much work it was and how often people lost their farms in the 1930s. Many of the farms that I see out the window are now old, rundown and dilapidated buildings. It never occurred to me that there might be too many farms in America.
After reading Micheal Pollen's The Omnivore's Dilemma, I was surprised by the fact that farmers have rivals besides other farmers. The job of "feeding America" was so important in the earlier years of the 20Th century that it would not seem like there would be people advocating against them. Farmers have long been an annoyance to Washington and Wall Street because they have been involved in the labor movement since the late 1800s. They were also disliked by food processors and grain exporters. Food processors and grain exporters basically profited off of the farmers' overproduction and low crop prices. Lower prices and more crops boosted business for these two groups while it depressed the farmers. So less farms producing more groups is advantageous to food processors and grain exporters. Although they are making a profit, it seems to me like their reasoning behind disliking the amount of farmers in America is a little selfish.