Farm Land
By Paul Mobley
Usually I do not get on a soap box about anything although I may sound
like it at times, yet the loss of farm land is serious.
Essentially every state is losing farm land. For example, North
Carolina's farming has about 17% of the workforce, and contributes about
68 billion dollars to their economy. But in 2004 North Carolina lost
3000 farms, and in 2005 was tied with TN and Fla for farm loss, losing
1000 farms. Even more important is the loss of food production.
With immigration, legal and illegal, running rampant, American citizens
could one day find that the U.S. cannot supply food for its own people.
That would mean dependency on other countries, which is a no- no for any
country.
What then are the dangers ?
Your children and mine could find themselves in a situation where food
is either scarcer than now, or so expensive that only basic foods could
be purchased.
Much land in the west would require billions and billions of dollars for
irrigation from sea water, salt water, conversion to water useful for
farming. So far government has resisted any real effort to accomplish
such a huge task.
IF the country found itself dependent on food imports, it could find
itself one day cut off from imports. It only takes a word from those
countries that supply our food imports. It is obvious from news reports
that many people in foreign countries do not like the USA. If their
leaders should reach the same idea Americans could be in trouble for
food.
IF food became scarce and therefore expensive, or just expensive,
families may find themselves needing to cut other things like new cars,
move to a smaller house, less medical care, and on the list could go. It
has been correctly said that an army moves on it belly, here meaning
food, and without food that army will soon surrender. It is also true
for all Americans. There must be healthy food or Americans will be
surrendering to their needs, and the economy would go downhill.
Two alternatives present themselves to us.
One, purchase 10-15 acres of land, put a reasonable size house on it and
at least produce one's own food. But it can produce more. According to
work by universities one can produce $100,000 with 25-acres. That kind
of effort is a real possibility. But 10-15 acres will also produce a
sizeable income.
Number two, is for each of us to write our state and federal leaders and
insist on their efforts to affect preservation of farmland. If enough of
us do that then this is a real possibility also.
The efforts of us today needs to be done today. The foregoing is a long
term, we hope, worst case scenario, yet it is real to some degree even
now. Those 45 and older will not likely see bad food situations. Those
under 45, children and grandchildren, could be in for a rough time.
North Carolina is working to preserve farming. The nation, as a whole,
needs to also.
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