Farming Can...
...provide a living, protect and care for the land, enrich the community and a whole host of other things that we keep pretending aren't important.
Here are the results of a study conducted by Drs. Rick Welsh and Thomas Lyson:
The results of the analysis indicate that, in general, agriculture dependent counties in states with anti-corporate farming laws fared better (less families in poverty, lower unemployment and higher percentages of farms realizing cash gains) than agriculture dependent counties in states without such laws...We conclude that diversity in agricultural structural forms at the county level appears to have positive impacts on rural communities as measured by poverty, unemployment and farm cash returns. Counties appear to require some agricultural industrialization to prosper but suffer when this type of agriculture crowds out less industrialized forms.
Diversity is better. Better than 200,000 hogs a year. Better than compacted soil. Better than biotech for everyone. Other studies show that medium-sized farms are more profitable and that small dairy farms generally benefit not only the farmer who runs them, but the local environment and community as well.