In 1896 William Jennings Bryan said it best. "Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic, but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country." As long as the North American farmer can supply our food at a price that allows us to spend the greatest part of our income for our cars and TVs and recreational items, our high standard of living can continue. But, when our farmers can no longer produce our low-cost food, or when they have no economic incentive or ability to produce this food--truly, again, "the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country."