agri-gone.html
Where Have all the Farmers Gone?
As farming has become an increasingly rationalized pursuit, droves of small, diversified farms have disappeared. In order to remain competitive, farmers must invest in expensive inputs and expand their acreage. Those who cannot obtain the necessary capital are unable to continue farming. Former Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, famous for advising farmers to, "Get big or get out," views the reduction in farms as a sign of increased efficiency and progress in agriculture. 
Currently, only a tiny percentage of the United States population consists of farmers; In 1991, 1.9 percent of our population were farming whereas in 1910 thirty-five percent of the U.S. population lived on farms. In 1935, the number of farms in the U.S. reached an all time high: 6.8 million farms. By 1974 only 2.9 million farms remained. As many have exited farming, land-holdings of the remaining farmers have increased. For example the average farm size increased by 80 percent from 1954 to 1987.
Critics of federal farm policy note that federal subsidy programs have been directed towards farmers with a high volume of production and sizable assets. This strikes many as unjust especially as scores of small scale farmers have been forced to abandon their livelihoods due to financial restraints. Because their land holdings tend to be small, African Americans have been disproportionately affected by the decline in small farms; Between 1954 and 1987 the total number of farms decreased by 55 percent while minority owned farms decreased by 91 percent.
Where Have all the Farmers Gone?
Farmers and the "Agri-business Chain"
Reducing Risk Through Pest Control
Increasing Yields With Chemical Fertilizers
Genetic Engineering and Agriculture
Rationalization Through Mechanization
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