Do we grow enough food?

One nonprofit says the US once grew enough food to feed its citizens, but not anymore. But we could get back there, if Congress can shift its priorities.

Modern Farmer
February 09, 2025

Welcome to the Modern Farmer newsletter.

This week, we’re bringing an op-ed from our friends at Farm Action, a non-profit working for a more sustainable food system by fighting against corporate monopolies.

In this op-ed, president Angela Huffman argues that the US once grew enough food to feed all of its citizens—but not any more.

“Our taxpayer dollars are propping up some of the largest industrial agriculture operations in the country, allowing the big to get bigger. At the same time, small and mid-sized farms are being driven out of existence.”

Is this a fixable problem? Huffman says yes, but it will take a massive shift of priorities and resources. You can read more about it here.

We also have one author’s story of escaping city life and learning to farm on top of a mountain.

The US Doesn’t Grow Enough Food—But We Could

The number of US farms has been declining for years, making us more reliant on importing food from other countries. Farmers could grow enough food to feed us all, if we shifted government priorities.

Photo via Shutterstock

Also fresh this week

In Bad Naturalist, an Author Settles on a Mountain Top and Tries to Farm

Novelist Paula Whyman wanted to leave her city life and find an acre or two of rural pasture to explore. Instead, she found herself trying to restore 200 acres of farmland on a Virginia mountain top.