The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[OakesCS]

The US farming industry has evolved since 1980. Much consolidation in operations and consequently much more efficient. In 1980 there were mostly independent farms supporting their own operational costs. While there r still many independent land owners, the farming of that land is frequently thru a corporate lessor who carries the operational costs although with a much lower capital and personnel expense rate (if adjusted for inflation) relative to the aggregate of independent owner-operators in 1980.