The Blunt Instrument of Democracy or The Mathematics of Big Vegetable

Thanks to that whole presidential hullabaloo going on the Farm Bill has pretty much receded into the nether from which it attempted to emerge last year.  However, hat tip to Marginal Revolution for bringing to light this op/ed piece by a farmer in Minnesota in The New York Times.  Its worth a read, here's a taste:

. . . . The federal farm program is making it next to impossible for farmers to rent land to me to grow fresh organic vegetables. . . . Why? Because national fruit and vegetable growers based in California, Florida and Texas fear competition from regional producers like myself. Through their control of Congressional delegations from those states, they have been able to virtually monopolize the country’s fresh produce markets.

Furthering the frustration is the sense of . . . "well, what the hell do you do now?"