Small Towns, Rural America Fading Fast?
In found this article on the population problem for small towns and rural areas. In this article Charles Wheelan discusses how the rural American population is shrinking while the U.S. itself is growing due to farming productivity, a skills-based economy and farm subsidies.
A few things in this article really bother me. First, the fact that the author thinks that one can’t work in a skills-based workforce and also live in rural America. Since I live in rural American and work in a skills-based job, I’m not sure I buy his argument. In fact, I think that the rise of telecommuting may play a role in increasing the population of some rural areas in the future.
I’m also concerned about the truth that farms are growing larger and more corporate and that our farm subsidies are going to these large profitable corporate farms. We’re not supporting the family farmer with these subsidies anymore. We’re paying corporations to make a profit.
This also makes me wonder we will continue to be able to buy locally. If the family farmer is being squeezed out, who will grow the food for our farmer’s markets?
Do you see effects of corporate farming in your farmer’s market? What do you think about the loss of population in rural areas?
April 26th, 2008 at 9:03 am
I’m writting from Des Moines, Iowa. The center of the row crop universe. We are seeing a booming business in direct farm to market programs here in Iowa. People quitting full time jobs to work their profitable 22 acre farm. It’s an exciting time. If you would like to learn more…head to our site Highway 6 Radio.
Good questions by the way!
April 26th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Thanks for stopping by and dropping off the good news! We’ve been considering getting into a small farm at some point in the future. I’ll definitely check out your show.
What kinds of crops are they growing on these “small farms?”