1. The prices of beef is going up for a bunch of reasons. One is that the drought seriously impacted grazing land and the price of feed. A lot of farmers doubled their kill in the early part of the season to cut down on cost and avoid starving their cattle. This temporarily drove the price of meat down, but is now leading to a shortage (as we reach the reduced population ready for slaughter) and thus a price spike.
2. Add ethanol subsidies to the problem. As corn crops died, a fair chunk of the remainder was diverted to ethanol production. Subsidy of ethanol means that ethanol producers can pay more than can cattle ranchers.
3. It was not so much a conspiracy to move folks from urban to rural as what was viewed as sound policy. The Homestead Act made it ridiculously easy to claim land. The Railroad created the means to move crops and cattle from the High Plains to urban markets. Technology enhanced the ability to plough. Rising population density made food more profitable. Add to that an utter failure of policy to encourage conservation. The native grasses that held down the soil were eliminated in favor of cash crops.
The result was the ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl. When the drought hit, the soil dried and winds created massive dust storms. Even when the drought ended, the land was no longer capable of retaining the water to prevent dust storms during the high-wind period. Not until the Federal government undertook a massive program of soil conservation did the situation become manageable.
4. I also would like to see the end of ag subsidies.
A Couple of Things
2. Add ethanol subsidies to the problem. As corn crops died, a fair chunk of the remainder was diverted to ethanol production. Subsidy of ethanol means that ethanol producers can pay more than can cattle ranchers.
3. It was not so much a conspiracy to move folks from urban to rural as what was viewed as sound policy. The Homestead Act made it ridiculously easy to claim land. The Railroad created the means to move crops and cattle from the High Plains to urban markets. Technology enhanced the ability to plough. Rising population density made food more profitable. Add to that an utter failure of policy to encourage conservation. The native grasses that held down the soil were eliminated in favor of cash crops.
The result was the ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl. When the drought hit, the soil dried and winds created massive dust storms. Even when the drought ended, the land was no longer capable of retaining the water to prevent dust storms during the high-wind period. Not until the Federal government undertook a massive program of soil conservation did the situation become manageable.
4. I also would like to see the end of ag subsidies.