"The Midwest has lost a manufacturing empire but has not yet found another role." Words that were written by the New York Times' incisive Op-ed page contributor David Brooks in Friday's Op-ed "Midwest at Dusk." He cites the vast American expanse from central New York and Pennsylvania out through Ohio, Indiana spreading to include Wisconsin and Arkansas.
Here, Brooks proffers, is the place where the trajectory of American politics is being determined. "If America can figure out how to build a decent future for the working-class people in this region, then the U.S. will remain a predominant power. If it can't, it won't."
And yet, here, as hardly elsewhere in this nation, something is stirring that has the potential of becoming a game changer, a uniquely American game changer. This summer past an event took place that has begun to alter the equilibrium of economic trends and influence. In July the Russian government, responding to a disastrous drought, embargoed the export of wheat -- unilaterally breaking sales commitments to national buyers throughout the world. The price of wheat and other grains such as corn, soybeans etc. exploded as reserve stocks of grain were being drawn down worldwide.
Yet, the underlying thrust of what took place has been barely touched upon. The world, with its steeply growing population and rapidly changing dietary habits (especially in the emerging economies) is on the precipice of food shortage. If not immediately, it will be very soon. It is generally understood that with expanding populations world calorie production will have to double by 2050, but no one quite knows how to achieve this given that the major impact of the "green revolution" (intense application of fertilizers, herbicides and improved seeds) has already reached dangerously diminishing returns.
In this coming crisis, America -- and the American Midwest -- will play a crucial and salutary role. It will become the most crucial provider of food grains to the world, building on an already primary, but barely heralded position of leadership.
The United States is now the largest grower and exporter of corn, vital as feed to the food chain, the largest exporter of wheat, and after Brazil the second largest exporter of soybeans. And as supplies of foodstuffs get tighter this position of preeminence will become more and more significant.
Now is the moment for a government with vision to lay the groundwork and prepare the breadbasket of America to renew itself and prepare for the destiny that will be thrust upon it. Instead of more overbuilt highways, now is the moment to improve the infrastructure servicing this sector such as refurbishing and extending our inland waterways system over which most of our grain is transported, improving port facilities and refurbishing and adding to our grain storage capabilities both inland and at ports of export loading. Further, that we now initiate a policy of extending to farmers and the agribusiness the kind of government financial support we stood ready to give to Wall Street, the finance industry, and the automobile industry, so that the ground work can be prepared to meet the demand that is verging on the horizon.
The Midwest is blessed with vast expanse of fertile land and great human talent as nowhere else in the world, coupled with an extensive inland waterway system permitting crop production to reach world markets. With proper policies in place going well beyond the current US Department of Agriculture assistance programs, now is the moment to extend to our agricultural sector the means to ready itself for the responsibilities and opportunities to come.
The Midwest has the potential of becoming in importance, the Saudi Arabia of food -- a commodity that will clearly surpass oil in economic, social and political significance. If proper policies are initiated now our Midwest will become the most important real estate in the world. And it will be an economic sector that cannot be outsourced!
We grow corn and soybeans. We DO NOT WATER. We also grow grass hay for horses. NO WATERING. I think our crops compare to those fields getting irrigation.
What I love to see is small farms popping up that are trying to be self sustainable producing cheese products from their stock, organic veggies, fleece for textiles, etc. I am even seeing some small farmers going back to horse driven plows which is tricky, but very satisfying.
Here's an example even the most math challenged nonfarmer urban leftie can understand:
1960's ag: 10 passes through a soybean field. (plow, disc, drag, plant nonGMO seeds, drag, spray, 3 culitvator passes, harvest)
2010 ag: 4 passes for no-till soybeans (spray, plant GMO seeds, spray, harvest). Note that no cultivators are used since it's GMO. Uses more efficient equipment and less erosion, too.
How can anyone claim modern 2010 ag practices use MORE fuel and has MORE greenhouse gasses than before?? LOL. The left on HPost needs to get an education in agriculture. As a farmer, It's quite embarrassing to read antiAg stuff on this website.
Even the Amish use GMO seeds now. LOL.
I am a Conservative, and bitterly resent Monsanto's cornering the seed market. Globally. Today it's illegal to grow your own seed crop, Monsanto will sue you and WIN. BOTH political parties support corporate food production, and yes that's the reason food is still cheap. BUT. What about the USA once more becoming the captains of industry (as in industrious) and concentrating wind and solar energy to farms instead of cities.For a starter anyway. Yes wind energy needs a lot of water. But oil is even worse.
It's not corn I can assure you. I've had many conversations with people who think Monsanto keeps farmers from keeping corn seeds for planting. LOL. This is a joke, right? I've got news for urban people claiming a Monsanto conspiracy: seed corn salesmen have been around since the Model T Ford. Farmers, in general, haven't kept corn seed for planting since the early 1900's.
In 1900 the average corn yield was 30 bu/acre. Now its about 160 or more bu/acre. Darn that ag science...it's all a Monsanto conspiracy. LOL.
I can't believe I am actually defending modern farming practices compared to those from 1900. How far back in time do you people want to send agriculture? 1850? Or is 1850 too modern as well? Let's go back to pre-McCormick reaper days in 1800 perhaps? That will put lots of people back to work for sure. Especially clueless urban people who will learn what farm labor is really like.
There is another angle that cannot be safely ignored -- the enormously high energy content of high yield crops. It is less due to the fertility of our rich farm land than due to the amount of natural gas transformed into nitrogen fertilizer that our grain yields are the envy of the world. Since the U.S. holds only 3% of global natural gas reserves, even with all the recent energy intense fracture based extraction, I fear that celebration is premature. Iran and Russia still hold the vast majority of reserves.
You must be from around there, eh?
:)
www.AnyShinyThing.com, A Blog for Smart Women of a Certain Age
We experimented with some plants in containers on our flat roof as well this year. Small tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers grew well. Zucchini & eggplant did not. For large beefsteak type tomatoes you need to plant in the ground - they need lots of nutrients and room for root system. We also have a small cold frame up against our house with spinach & lettuce, we'll be able to harvest it all year even in the winter.
I also have a small plot in a community garden that's where I grow beefsteak tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, eggplant and cabbage. You should look for one in your area and maybe even start one if you can find a plot of land the owner would be willing to rent or even one owned by the city they aren't using.
My freezer and pantry are full for the winter. I save lots of $$ not shopping at the grocery store and get better tasting veggies to boot.
"Further, that we now initiate a policy of extending to farmers and the agribusiness the kind of government financial support we stood ready to give to Wall Street, the finance industry, and the automobile industry, so that the ground work can be prepared to meet the demand that is verging on the horizon."
What else, exactly, should we do? Perhaps we should STOP writing checks to farmers for NOT planting crops?
What the author doesn't speak to is the damage to the land that planting one massive crop over and over and over does. It renders it almost useless.
The author also appears to overestimate the prospective impact on unemployment in the Midwest. Grain production now is not the labor-intensive activity of 200 or even 50 years ago. Given modern equipment, a literal handful of hardworking farmers can handle thousands of acres under cultvation. And given the rise of big AgCorps, and the consolidating trend in the industry generally, the profits will flow, yet again, into the hands of the few, at the expense of the many.