I realize there are issues and problems with the government's involvement in the agriculture business. But I think part of the problem I have with the discussion is just that I personally know farmers. Real life farmers who raise breeder cattle, farmers who raise sheep, farmers who raise hogs, farmers who have been dairy farmers for generations-all friends of mine.
People I know who've I've broken bread with and prayed with and watched their children grow up and get married. I've been on their farms and watched them nurse lame animals, watched their children win awards with their livestock at 4-H shows and county fairs. These are people who stay up all night when their sheep are lambing, who walk through knee deep snow in the middle of the night for days on end to get the new born lambs.
You can't attack farmers without recognizing the good people out there who fed the people in this country. And trust me, there are many many many of these people.
You know what I have always admired abouit my farmer friends, besides that most of their wives are school teachers so they can have the summer off to help on the farm and they are some of the hardest working people you will ever meet? They really have more faith than any people I've ever known. Faith that their crops will come in. Faith that their animals with not take ill and will produce. Faith that the market won't fall and they have enough to get through another season.
I've read all of your information and I thank you for it all. It's a lot to digest, no pun intended. I hope you read mine and consider my words as well.
BTW, family farms account for 98 percent of farms are family farms, and they account for 82 percent of farm production in the US.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib67/
One more:
http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/demographics.html