The Inner Monologue

Ah, the family farm—that hallowed institution, romanticized in political speeches, heartwarming commercials, and Instagram posts featuring sun-dappled fields and smiling children holding baskets of organic kale. We’re told that supporting small farms is a moral imperative, a stand against the soulless corporate machine. But let’s ask the uncomfortable question: Are we propping up an inefficient economic model just because it feels good?

The Walmart Effect: A Familiar Story

Remember when Walmart bulldozed Main Street USA? Mom-and-pop stores couldn’t compete with lower prices and wider selection. Critics wailed about the death of local business, but consumers—shockingly—preferred paying less for groceries. The same thing happened with supermarkets replacing the corner grocer, and Ford’s assembly line burying boutique automakers. Progress, it seems, has always been messy.

So why do we treat farming differently? If corporate-scale agriculture can produce food more efficiently (and yes, cheaper), shouldn’t we at least consider whether clinging to the family farm is just economic Luddism wrapped in pastoral fantasy?

The Price of Nostalgia

Small farms are charming. They’re also expensive to run, often reliant on subsidies, and produce at scales that can’t compete with industrial operations. When you pay $8 for a dozen “artisanal” eggs at the farmers’ market, you’re not just buying breakfast—you’re subsidizing inefficiency.

Meanwhile, Big Ag produces the vast majority of the food that actually feeds the country (and the world) at prices people can afford. Yes, there are valid concerns about environmental impact and labor practices—but are small farms really that much better? Or do they just feel purer because they’re run by a guy named Jed in overalls instead of a guy named Chad in a boardroom?

The Monopoly Boogeyman

Critics warn that corporate farming will lead to monopoly pricing—that once Big Ag crushes the little guy, they’ll jack up prices. But history suggests otherwise. Walmart didn’t raise prices after killing Main Street—it kept them low because competition still exists (hello, Target, Amazon, etc.). The same could hold true in agriculture: if one megafarm gets too greedy, another will undercut it.

Besides, if we’re worried about monopolies, why aren’t we dismantling Big Tech or telecom giants first? Oh right—because no one writes folksy ballads about the lost romance of Ma Bell.

The Bottom Line

Maybe the family farm isn’t some sacred institution—maybe it’s just another cottage industry being outcompeted by scale and efficiency, like blacksmiths and buggy whip makers. That doesn’t mean we should let agribusiness run unchecked, but it does mean we should stop pretending that small farms are inherently more virtuous or economically sustainable.

If we really care about feeding people affordably, maybe it’s time to stop fetishizing the past and start asking whether our agricultural policies are driven by data—or just sentimentality.

But hey, if you’d rather pay triple for your milk because it came from a cow named Betsy who gets daily massages, that’s your right. Just don’t pretend it’s for the “public good.”

—The Pragmatic Peasant