I think the government should buy up farmland in Nebraska and Kansas...

[kentuck]

Because I think it is possible that we are entering a time that will be more difficult than the Great Depression. People will need food and shelter and work. It will be necessary to return to the earth in order to survive.

People will create their own little towns from survival communes. They will build their own simple houses. They will farm the land to grow food to feed the rest of America that can no longer afford the prices of the corporate farmers. The government will buy the food, much like they did in the Great Depression, and distribute it to the neediest people in our country.

I think that time may be closer than we think? I do not think we will be a manufacturing country for much longer. I think we are returning to an agrarian society. The times will be very difficult and those that survive will be those that hang together.

Our empire is dying. We will need to change to make it in the new country. Cities will die. Detroit is only the first, even though it is still hanging on. Others will follow. American cities will become like ghost towns with only a few businesses able to maintain an existence. Jobs will disappear. We will have to return to the land out of necessity.

This may seem like a paranoid dream? But I think this is a possible future scenario. It will probably happen after two or three years of natural disasters, such as drought or another dust bowl? I think a wise government would prepare for such an event. Buy up the land so people will be able to work and survive and feed the hungry of this nation.

This is the vision I have of America.

[teddy51]

1. I suspect that your vision isn't to far fetched either. We are headed directly

into this scenario at an alarming speed.

[SpiralHawk]

2. make sure they are clean sustainable organic farms, and...

you got an idea there...k and r

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Kansas farmland has way too much natural gas under it.

Oil too.

But there are plenty of dead and dying towns all over Kansas.

[virgogal]

4. Who would they buy all this land from?

[RKP5637]

5. I don't think you're too far off base. IMO I think we are going to see radical

changes in this country. This insane Ponzi scheme with endless virtual cash is insane. I think we will be in a major global financial crisis and once faith in the currency falters and China takes the lead in 2016, as some have postulated, we will have to do a radical realignment for survival.

Sadly America has done its best to work itself into being non-essential to the world once our financial status diminishes. It seems our core industry is implements of war, not much to brag about IMO in the big picture.

[theophilus]

6. I agree something must be done. Plans need to be made.

There will be food shortages. Climate change will strike hard. Even if people don't believe we are causing it they might agree something needs to be done so that millions won't starve here in the U.S. We might have to dig up the Southern Californian highways to get at the very good farm land underneath....who knows? But things will need to be done so that people can survive here.

[kentuck]

7. A report today said there were almost 46 million on food stamps

A record high. Let us not overlook what is in front of us.

[lunatica]

8. The government could build high rise farms and leave the land alone

And they could grow food in a revolutionary way not dependent on the vicissitudes of weather or pests. Cities like NYC could have one of these every few blocks and be totally self-sufficient in feeding all the residents. Food would be fresh for millions of people on a daily basis and even through the Winter months. These could take care of hunger all over the world. Food would be plentiful everywhere. Science does have many of the solutions. This one is a no brainer.

[CoffeeCat]

9. I live in Iowa...

...and I'm not sure about other states, but most of the land here is owned and big Ag owns
so much of it. Big, corporate farms own a ton of land, and it would be difficult to find
available, cheap land on which to farm or set up communities.

Possibly, small communities could flourish out of existing small communities. I live just
outside of Des Moines, in a suburb of about 50,000. In every direction, there are very small
towns (500 people or fewer) with very little in them. I could envision small communities
growing out of these areas.

Your post reminds me of the daydream I have constantly. We currently live in our suburb in
a nice house. It's not huge or anything--but it's a 4BR, 3 bath under 10 years old. I
so wish that we could move into an inexpensive condo with a mortgage less than $700. I feel
that life and the economy is too unstable to keep maintaining a big home with all of the
trappings--maintaining a yard, upkeep, inside and outside repairs, landscaping, etc. Every
home is a money pit. I wish we had low payments and a more simple life.

I agree that whatever we're headed toward--won't be the same. People will be downsizing and
it will be tough to maintain a $2,000, $3,000 or 4,000 mortgage, as many are. I'd like to
get situated, simplify, be secure and save more money. The world is too volatile.

Look what's happening in Greece. Italy is next, and the entire EU is vulnerable. Not to mention
how unstable our financial industry is. They're still playing the old games that crashed
the market in 2008--credit default swaps and derivatives. It's nuts.

[MuseRider]

10. How about you all give us your houses?

Then when you leave the cities we can turn it into the uncrowded farms we used to have.

There is plenty of land being abused by the large corporate farms that should be removed from those businesses who have put people out of work, destroyed the land, been made almost unusable without tons and tons of herbicide and pesticide by their poor practices and fodder for the next dust bowl with their constant deep tilling. People can learn to bring back the land and farm there. We were doing pretty well with family farms until this became so abundant. Or you can stay in your house and grow your own food in your yard and have neighborhood gardens.

Little towns out here are already working like this. Did you not know that?

Just what do you think the small holders are doing? They are feeding you. Now. Unless it is organic it is cheaper and better for you than what you get from the corporate farms. The main difference is you have to look for it. You have to buy it and learn how to store it.

[TwilightGardener]

11. I think most available farmland already belongs to farmers or agribusiness. I doubt there's

lots of productive farmland just sitting there, and not already making someone some money, unless it's temporarily fallow or there's some sort of conservation or subsidy situation going on. In Nebraska, the last few years, an interesting reverse situation was happening--because corn and bean prices were going up, land was being put BACK INTO production and not sold or used for development. And then, of course, a big chunk of Nebraska is not suited for farming (Sandhills) or must be irrigated (the western half--Ogallala aquifer) to be productive. Not sure this could work, unless at massive expense.

[Motown_Johnny]

12. If Detroit is dying why are the Lions 6 and 2?

:sarcasm:

[kentuck]

13. Adversity builds character?

and winners?

[GeorgeGist]

14. Surely you jest.

The government has no such vision.

[Horse with no Name]

15. There are pockets of land out there

I live in one of the poorest towns in Texas. The Depression hit here a long time ago. Because of that, you can still afford to live here.
Houses and land are very affordable.
Those are the places that people need to find and go to.

[Downwinder]

16. In the Thirties they set up County farms. n/t