> The hours suck, the risk is high and the pay is low. If there wasn't such a strong emotional bond we'd pay a lot more for our food just to get people to do it

> The hours suck, the risk is high and the pay is low. If there wasn't such a strong emotional bond we'd pay a lot more for our food just to get people to do it. I'm not sure this is the case. It seems like we'd just move even further towards large agribusiness and automation and away from the mythos of the yeoman farmer. Agriculture is far from a free market, and this nostalgia is one of the reasons why (along with more concrete, rational reasons like national security). The idea that a reduction in labor supply would cause prices to rise isn't as much of a given in a market like this, especially after the market shifts to adjust. I find it very hard to believe that the type of family farmer-owner you describe is a necessary pillar of our food production system.