IMO and of course I can be wrong, I think we should have a price support/set-a-side program again, if we want the medium size farmer to survive...and even a few of the large ones. To appease our city brothers & sisters we`d need to make some concessions on water/air quality and some payment limitations, because a Edina housewife isn`t going to support a program that enables operations that have a fleet of combines, each one worth more than her house.
If you`re a "sensible sized farm" (my definition 
) you`d be guaranteed $10/bushel cash for your bean at your nearest market in exchange for setting a side 10% of your bean ground and maybe a token environmental practice and similar price supports for corn and beans.
Now "I know" a few things, the livestock/poultry industries like cheap feed, I remember the silly signs Sparboe put in HyVee when corn was $8 how they had to raise the price of eggs because of "$8 corn and ethanol". However, if we have "$2 corn & $5 beans" the CAFO vertically integrated livestock industry better enjoy their "cheap feed" because it`ll only last 2 years and then when enough farmers are broke, grain prices will jump over the Moon. for as far as the eye can see.
I also "know" farmers "want the government out of farming" ...yeah, that`s a nice little dream, but as you can see the government IS has and always will be involved in farming. It`s just do you want "a few of the carrots or do you only want to be beaten with the stick"?
Anyway, just my morning`s thoughts Have a beautiful day everyone, it`s looking great!
