Our family owns a farm in Indiana (principle crop is corn) that is small by modern family farm standards (200 acres). We only need one person to manage the enti

Our family owns a farm in Indiana (principle crop is corn) that is small by modern family farm standards (200 acres). We only need one person to manage the entire farm. I imagine only one person would be needed even if the acreage was much, much bigger. There is tremendous amounts of automation in planting and picking corn. Small scale production might be better for connecting and jobs and whatnot, but that can't compete price wise. Our small farm isn't exactly a huge money maker as it is. Modern farming is hardly just grunt work, a farmer has to be familiar with the land and the processes involved. It's actually a bit more technical than many may realize. And the salaries for farming reflect that; it is a pretty decently paid profession. People with this skillset won't go away. You just don't need many of these people per acre. There is such a thing as labor-intensive crops, of course. But I speculate that any replacement for low-paid "illegal immigrant" grunt work would end up being automation in the end.