[Ludi]

Those kind of guvmint subsidies are ok, apparently.

Appaerently.

I happen to find these kind of subsidies abhorrent, not only because of the environmental damage they do but because of the cultural damage they have done over the generations. 99% of Americans and a high percentage of Californian's are not even aware these subsidies are in existence. Farm subsidies on all levels take place in the background out of sight, out of mind. If I had not grown up on a small farm surrounded by small farmers I wouldn't be aware of them myself, but one thing I know for certain the smaller the farm the less likely they are to be helped by these subsidies rather than damaged.

One example is the water waste pointed too above, another is the sheer fact that subsidies for mega-farms strongly encourage mono-cropping, which promotes disease spread and destroys ecological diversity while encouraging poor grain based diets. Most farms around here do a two or three year rotation of Corn/Soybeans/Potato's or Corn/Soybeans because it is so much better for the soil, but hey none of these are mega-farms either. The endless acre's of wheat or corn grown in the plains states are a whole different kind of farm theory that depletes the soil and is using up the Ogalala at a huge rate of consumption.

I'm happy to see we agree on something!

[Keith_McClary]

Name me one other country that dedicates so much water and energy to irrigating desert to grow these kinds of crops?

Not any more.

The Aral Sea – Geo-Engineering Gone Awry
What Happened to the Aral Sea?
The salt flats and beached fishing boats stand as a testament to human engineering gone awry.

In the 1950s the Soviets set in motion their grand design to grow cotton and rice in the desert. Unfortunately, their rice paddy dreams sowed the seeds of a social and ecological disaster.
1973:

2009: