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Some of this is by design, food insecurity is one of the largest driver of unrest. Those in the power seats and politicians have a vested interest in taking an

by kls 6y ago

Some of this is by design, food insecurity is one of the largest driver of unrest. Those in the power seats and politicians have a vested interest in taking an active part in the management of agricultural production. I grew up on a small citrus farm, I saw NAFTA and the migrant worker bills ravage the small farmers first hand. The way it was done was unfair and amounted to a transfer of wealth to these entities but with that being said, I know why they did it. They need economies of scale, as well as the ability to offset risk, the easiest way to do that is to conglomerate the land together so that if there is a loss of production in one area output can be raised in another. This is hard to do with a co-op of independent farmers. Starving people are dangerous to stability it really is as simple as that, and that is why you see these entities involved in farmlands.

jackfoxy 6y ago
While this is entirely true, real assets don't get any realer than productive farmland. The Fed's super money creation policy of 2020 is resulting in a new landrush (pun intended) of well-funded entities into real assets.
jelliclesfarm 6y ago
Economies of scale is a real thing. There will always be large farms for food security. Food is too important and essential to be handed down to small farmers. Small farms are super-inefficient. Having said that, we can’t do away with small farms and family farms. The only way to save it is with automation and labour cost saving tech so it provides enough to be considered a career like any other. I see it as forming co-ops and co-op hubs. Jellicles Farm is creating Hundred-Acre-Hubs and then co-ops of clusters hubs. I want to focus on small acreage automation. Small robots/cobots swarming in small acreages managed by individual farmers. Labour is 40-60% of cost. And it’s becoming increasingly unreliable and unavailable and expensive for small farmers. Automation is the only way. It will satisfy local food security and niche crops. Commodities will still be grown in large commercial corporate farms as they should be..
- kls 6y ago
  Yes I get it, I remember the day I told my grandfather that I would never scratch a living out of dirt, that I respected him for doing it but that the reality of the world has changed and that it was time for him to sell before he lost everything. That was a hard day, it was his life, and his fathers life. His father and his grandfather moved to Florida and homesteaded the land, it was a hard pill to swallow, but he knew there was no future in it for the future family given the realities that it is the way America was aligning farming resources. I totally get it that is why I convinced him to sell the land, but it sucks when you are on the receiving end of policy set to realign a segment of the American economy, that being said, there are always going to be winners and looser of policy decisions, I am happy with the way life turned out, he was proud of me and the path I choose before he passed. I was just noting that there was a human toll that happened for all this farm land to be rolled up by the conglomerates. Not implying that it was the wrong decision on the larger geo-political scale. I would like to see the return of small farms if someone can make it viable, I would not trade the life I lived as a child for anything, but as I said above, I will never again scratch a living out of dirt, unless it is absolutely necessary for my and my families survival.
  - jelliclesfarm 6y ago
    Automation of small acreages is the answer. We are covered for grains, commodities and essentials. But we can maintain off grid homesteads and grow niche and high value crops on small acreages. Look at all the vineyards we have now, marijuana grows, lavender fields and an embarrassment of riches when it comes to gourmet consumption. Farming is magical. We convert sunlight and water through alchemy and plant genetics. There is absolutely nothing that compares.
    - kls 6y ago
      In all sincerity I wish you well and hope your endeavors succeed in this market. I cannot help but be cynical given my experiences with of being a farmer in the 70's and 80's. I do hope someone can solve the issue and bring a return to farming for the family farm. It was a good life to grow up in and is a worthwhile endeavor for someone to provide a solution to get back to.

by kls 6y ago

jackfoxy 6y ago

While this is entirely true, real assets don't get any realer than productive farmland. The Fed's super money creation policy of 2020 is resulting in a new landrush (pun intended) of well-funded entities into real assets.

jelliclesfarm 6y ago

Economies of scale is a real thing. There will always be large farms for food security. Food is too important and essential to be handed down to small farmers. Small farms are super-inefficient. Having said that, we can’t do away with small farms and family farms. The only way to save it is with automation and labour cost saving tech so it provides enough to be considered a career like any other. I see it as forming co-ops and co-op hubs. Jellicles Farm is creating Hundred-Acre-Hubs and then co-ops of clusters hubs. I want to focus on small acreage automation. Small robots/cobots swarming in small acreages managed by individual farmers. Labour is 40-60% of cost. And it’s becoming increasingly unreliable and unavailable and expensive for small farmers. Automation is the only way. It will satisfy local food security and niche crops. Commodities will still be grown in large commercial corporate farms as they should be..

kls 6y ago
Yes I get it, I remember the day I told my grandfather that I would never scratch a living out of dirt, that I respected him for doing it but that the reality of the world has changed and that it was time for him to sell before he lost everything. That was a hard day, it was his life, and his fathers life. His father and his grandfather moved to Florida and homesteaded the land, it was a hard pill to swallow, but he knew there was no future in it for the future family given the realities that it is the way America was aligning farming resources. I totally get it that is why I convinced him to sell the land, but it sucks when you are on the receiving end of policy set to realign a segment of the American economy, that being said, there are always going to be winners and looser of policy decisions, I am happy with the way life turned out, he was proud of me and the path I choose before he passed. I was just noting that there was a human toll that happened for all this farm land to be rolled up by the conglomerates. Not implying that it was the wrong decision on the larger geo-political scale. I would like to see the return of small farms if someone can make it viable, I would not trade the life I lived as a child for anything, but as I said above, I will never again scratch a living out of dirt, unless it is absolutely necessary for my and my families survival.
- jelliclesfarm 6y ago
  Automation of small acreages is the answer. We are covered for grains, commodities and essentials. But we can maintain off grid homesteads and grow niche and high value crops on small acreages. Look at all the vineyards we have now, marijuana grows, lavender fields and an embarrassment of riches when it comes to gourmet consumption. Farming is magical. We convert sunlight and water through alchemy and plant genetics. There is absolutely nothing that compares.
  - kls 6y ago
    In all sincerity I wish you well and hope your endeavors succeed in this market. I cannot help but be cynical given my experiences with of being a farmer in the 70's and 80's. I do hope someone can solve the issue and bring a return to farming for the family farm. It was a good life to grow up in and is a worthwhile endeavor for someone to provide a solution to get back to.