This country has a cheap food policy.  The farmer is at the beginning of the food production but there are lots of middle men in the process to get the vittles served on your dinner table.

Organic food production is rising and oats, wheat and corn acreages are increasing. The USDA has not made a decision on whether land in the CRP (Conservation Resource Program) or soil bank program might be released for crop production if supplies tighten nationally.  Corn prices have increased and diversion to gas production is part of the reason.  But with rising fertilizer and fuel costs, farmers are adjusting to the market faster than they used to to survive and stay viable. In Northern Maine, potatoes, broccoli, limited silage corn, grains are the major crops produced.  With rising fuel costs and the spin off on how it affects other items competing for a portion of your hard earned dollar, you may decide to get that garden planted or even to consider owning a hobby farm.  The Northeast is an area of affordable acreage if you are considering that way of life.  Heck, throw up a wind generator and become less dependent on the bread basket region of the nation or foreign oil.  Can you picture yourself in overalls with a blade of hay in your mouth ?  If local food processors start demanding a three year crop rotation rather than the potatoes in Aroostook County this year...grain the next and then back to spuds, there is going to be a demand for more open fertile tillable acreage.  You might think an investment in a farm makes a lot of sense.  Agweb.com is a site that might get your farm journal thinking started. Remember, the trend back in the late 1800's was 96% of us were farmers....it is in your veins. For generations in your family a few years back, it was all about the "Heart of the farm, joy of the work and outdoors." Farmers had woodlots to heat homes and potato storage sheds too...could you handle splitting wood with the family this weekend and getting the back 40 plowed and planted? Could you raise milk with cows that supply the local Houlton Farms Dairy operation? Or beef to supply the burger industry?