Peak Farmers

Heck, peak farmers was a long time ago. I have always been amazed by the abandoned farms on the ridges of the Appalachian Trail. Still visible are the stone walls from the stones farmers had to move to plow their fields. It must have been a hard life especially on the New England ridges with their short growing season and cold winters. Casaubon's Book has a guest post about what happened to America's farmers. It should be read in its entirety.

Joel Stein, the Angelino columnist said just last fall. “Agribusiness feeds us. Farmers are obsolete. They are one step above fire starters and cave painters”.

Now with food prices rising, food riots in 35 countries as of this writing and the concerns about peak oil, peak food, peak phosphorus, peak fertilizer finally crashing into mainstream consciousness it is surprising to me that no one connects the current crisis with a peak that was passed long ago.

Peak farmers.

But that peak should not be a surprise to anyone.

For the last 100 years there has been a world-wide effort to get rid of farmers…
Some were eliminated for political reasons the way that Stalin starved the Ukrainians to death and shipped the kulaks off to Siberia.

It is worth reading in its entirety.