Idaho Family Farms Will Soon be History

Yes, Idaho continues losing farms, but what remains is a marvel. A write-up in the Idaho capital Sun explains the demand for housing is eating up once-productive farmland. The growth is a sign that Idaho has become a place that many people want to live. A variety of topography and a regulatory environment that attracts newcomers makes our population growth routinely among the highest in the nation.

The remaining farms are producing more than ever before, and the story references better land management and the latest high-tech tools. Funny, there’s no mention of Glyphosate. We know it as Roundup. Despite liberals despising any use of fertilizer, I was once told that per capita, more Glyphosate was used in the Magic Valley than anywhere else in America. The people who claim it causes cancer ignore that bathing in it isn’t wise and isn’t a recommended use. But it must be doing wonders for our productivity.

Meanwhile, small farms are becoming a thing of the past. Corporate farming is the new rage. My best friend started farming in his hometown in 1981. He was one of eight remaining family farms. Now, he’s the owner of the only privately owned dairy in town, and for most of his county too.

That’s the bigger threat, food production in the hands of only a powerful few. The government used to have rules against trusts, to foster competition, which drives innovation and benefits the consumer. Now government is owned by the trusts. Is there a remedy? Only if our masters set aside their campaign financiers.