VDH – When Land Is History.
2 thoughts on “Raisins to Almonds”
Comments are closed.
Some Chicago Boyz know each other from student days at the University of Chicago. Others are Chicago boys in spirit. The blog name is also intended as a good-humored gesture of admiration for distinguished Chicago School economists and fellow travelers.
VDH – When Land Is History.
Comments are closed.
When I read articles about agriculture and small family farms, I then realize how shortchanged I was by growing up in a major city.
Farmers are gamblers. They gamble each year that their crops will not be eaten by insects, destroyed by disease, drowned by excessive rain, dried up by drought, frozen by early or late frosts, burned by heat waves or stolen by thieves. If they survive these hazzards they are heavily regulated by both the feds and the state government. Over 10,000 pages of new regulations are created each year. If they make a profit, tax collectors show up to take their share. If they have losses, tax collectors show up to take money the farmers don’t have.
When they die estate taxes force farmers to sell their land.
Laws and regulations are designed to force family farmers to sell out to real estate syndicates with powerful connections in the federal government and in state government. These syndicates usually get funds to conduct pilot programs, etc.
The farms become country estates for the ruling class.
Big government in action recreating latafundia and that style of life.