> Being from the midwest I always sort of laughed at these land parcels being called 'farms' since economically it really can't be farmed outside of selling nic

> Being from the midwest I always sort of laughed at these land parcels being called 'farms' since economically it really can't be farmed outside of selling niche products at affluent farmers markets The midwest can't be economically farmed outside of being propped up by a trillion dollars in government welfare called "the farm bill." That includes paying farmers to not grow anything, and to grow food that is shipped to warehouses where it rots. Then there's all the non-farming federal spending in those states. Then there's all the military spending to employ all the midwest kids coming out of high school with no job prospects. Then there's the tariffs and other trade policies to protect midwestern farm crop prices. Then there's the mandated use of ethanol from corn in gasoline. Then there's the price fixing on sugar which drives processed food to use corn syrup. Also, he farm was a hay farm for fifty years goes a bit contrary to the claim about "niche products ad affluent farmers markets."