Pages

Saturday, January 10, 2015

With an outstate Minnesota perspective ever present, Sorensen at Bluestem Prairie delves into the "real ag" and family farm dilemma.

This link includes links back, and parallel, on the issue.

It would be nice if somebody with expertise I lack would publish analysis of the water availability issue impacting agriculture, the MPCA, the DNR, and Met Council growth lust.

If anybody wanting to take on the inquiry/authorship task, either from personal expertise or via interview reporting on those with the expertise and how they are thinking and planning, a guest editorial/report offered for publication on Crabgrass would be welcome.

A family farm with insufficient water is not a promising thought. The question of whether Big Ag is more or less of a drain on the aquifers (measured in, say, gallons of water per bushel of corn/soybeans, whatever, per gallon of milk, all the meaningful measures if there exists reliable data) in comparison with more widespread Family Farm Ag is a question about which I have seen no sound answer given. It would seem to be a kind of inquiry for which government funding should be available - at least in an ideal world where the future health and sufficiency of our aquifers is considered in policy and planning.

Readers with any knowledge of agriculture-water issues and questions are urged to submit comments.