Loading ...“Between 2002 and 2008, fuel and fertilizer prices rose sharply, thereby contributing to substantially higher total farm energy-intensive input costs. During this time, inflation-adjusted annual average prices paid by farmers for fuel (including diesel, gasoline/ gasohol, and liquefied petroleum) rose by 182 percent, and annual average prices paid by farmers for mixed fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphate, and potash) increased by 202 percent. Across all farms, fertilizer and fuel costs averaged 12 percent of production expenses. For corn, soybean, wheat, and cotton farms, however, fertilizer and fuel costs averaged more than 20 percent of total expenses. Consequently, steep increases in energy-related costs have had a greater impact on farms producing these four crops.”
http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2011-march/farmers-develop-strategies.aspx#.VDbsArd0xdg
Add to those costs increases in taxes, medical care, equipment costs, etc. I figure in another 5-10 years, the ‘local farmer’ will be priced out of existence. Welcome to the brave new world.