more ripples: counter-current

It has happened again.

Probably some of you have had the same experience.

Some nice, interested person has told you how important good food is to them, how vital good land management, how determined they are to eat well and manage land responsibly. They've got some land; you're a farmer; they have a proposition for you: You farm their land, and they get half the food.

Period.

Remuneration? Oh, no; my contribution is that you get to use my land.

I'm struggling with frustration here.

Let's talk about this, folks! Right now the average American spends about 15% of his income on food. That's about 1/3 of what Europeans spend. In less developed countries, the percentage of income dedicated to food is even higher than in Europe. (In the US, we'd rather spend 40% on sickness-care, 15% on food.)

Fifteen percent of an income of $60,000 is $9,000. Forty percent is $24,000.

Around here, grazing land rents for about $15/acre/year. Ten acres: $150. Per year.

Yet the land-owner thinks land use for food is a good exchange.

How important is food to him -- really? Or is it the farmer's labor that seems of negligible value?