Topic 4: Rural America

     In recent times, agriculture has become very industrialized. There are no longer a large number of family-owned farms producing diverse crops, as they have been replaced with large-scale farms usually only producing one crop or animal product. This has hurt the smaller farms and has brought lower wages and increased poverty rates. Smaller farms cannot compete with the efficiency of the larger ones, and often are forced to go into contracts to sell their products. The increased efficiency is a good thing because it helps feed people as the population continues to grow, but because of it, the standards of living in rural America are growing worse.
 
     CSA is one way to support local farmers. It stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a commitment between farmers and a community of supporters that provides a direct link between producers and consumers, instead of being sold to stores beforehand. CSA members cover a share of the farm's yearly operating budget and the harvest for that season is distributed among them. The goal of CSA arrangement is sustainability and to keep crop prices at the fairest they can be. Most products bought from stores are much more expensive because of what is known as 'externalities.'  Stores have to mark up their prices from what they paid to buy food from distributors, who have to sell for more than what they paid buying from slaughterhouses, and so on. The cost eventually ends up higher for the family buying the meat so the store can make a profit.

     A solution to the poverty in rural America can be more farmers keeping their farms independent of the larger industrial ones and selling their products at farmers markets. Many people enjoy getting food straight from the markets because they're fresher and haven't been treated with any chemicals. People also like to support local farmers which they can do at the markets. In places where there's no CSA arrangements, this can help farmers make money.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-to-bring-farmers-markets-to-the-urban-poor/2013/09/20/23cbe10c-14ac-11e3-880b-7503237cc69d_story.html