No one is blaming the farmers, without them, there would be no Miles City, or many other small communities across America. I am just saying that they should have to operate under the same guidlines of free market capitalism as the rest of us (no welfare or bailouts). Does the average small business get a bailout when their materials cost more than their clientele are willing to pay, of course not, they sell off or close up. So don't read more into this than is here, farmers are great, I love beef and all the other veges that they sell on our open markets. I do however, beleive our government should not manipulate the housing and real estate markets by paying these farmers to not farm.
If a farmer has 20 sq miles of land, and is not being productive (profitable), then he should have to sell one sq mile, to meet his debt obligations. This is what the small business owner would have to do, to meet their debt obligations.
When the real estate organizations lobby our politicians to make sure that these farmers or land barons do not put to much real estate on the market at any given time, so that supply does not exceed the demand that they need to remain highly profitable, that is manipulation. If just one of these Land barons recieving CRP's (welfare)had to place a section of land up for sale, then why would a person buy a small lot for ten grand, when there is ten acres on the outskirts for ten grand. Common since tells us that farmers are good, but when they start helping the supply and demand chain work against the free market system, they are becoming part of the problem. If we just do away with welfare and bailouts, then free markets will solve these housing and land problems. However the price of our goods would go up in price as we regained our free market (non-welfare)system.
When some one says there are supply and demand problems, that is very un true, there are manipulation problems, land is everywhere. But as long as they are gettng paid to not farm it, but not sell it either, then you will pay the price that they set, need, or want.
Don't think I am blaming farmers, we do need them, and we also need them to turn down these welfare crp programs and put some of their land on the markets. Or maybe BLM will let some go, but then these people could actually get affordable housing, the government will never allow that. They need you to buy a hundred thousand dollar home so they can keep you in debt for thirty years. The days of claiming a piece of land to raise your family on, and building a small home, then over time adding on and turning a house into a home are gone. You will pay for the land, at their manipulated prices, and your house will be to their specifications in size color and positioning on your property, sounds a litle like Nazi Germany where all decisions were made by the government.