Although some farmers bemoan the fact that much of the "mainstream media" are not in touch with the realities facing the American agricultural industry, they are also glad to give credit where it's due.

In "America's Agricultural Angst," which appeared on Forbes.com on January 19, "New Geographer" columnist Joel Kotkin hit a homerun. He writes:

"Over the next 40 years the world will be adding some 3 billion people. These people will not only want to eat, they will want to improve their intake of proteins, grains, fresh vegetables and fruits. The U.S., with the most arable land and developed agricultural production, stands to gain from these growing markets. Last year the U.S.' export surplus in agriculture grew to nearly $35 billion, compared with roughly $5 billion in 2005."

Kotkin also demonstrates how the irrational arguments put forth by the green extremist movement in the United States is threatening our nation's food supply and economy. His first order of business is to point out the inaccuracy of the same Time magazine article that we criticized last year. "The romantic model being promoted by Time and agri-intellectuals like Michael Pollan hearkens back to European and Tolstoyan notions of small family farms run by generations of happy peasants," he writes. "But this really has little to do with the essential ethos of American agriculture."

Mr. Kotkin goes on to debunk the notions that a few, powerful corporations control the farming industry and that an all-organic food supply is the wave of the future:

"Families own almost 96% of the nation's 2.2 million farms, including the vast majority of the largest spreads. And small-scale agriculture, after decreasing for years, is on the upswing; between 2002 and 2009 the number of farms increased by 4%.

"This trend toward smaller-scale specialized production represents a positive trend, but large-scale, scientifically advanced farming still produces the majority of the average family's foodstuffs, as well as the bulk of our exports. Overall, organic foods and beverages account for less than 3% of all food sales in the U.S.--hardly enough to feed a nation, much less a growing, hungry planet."

Kudos to Mr. Kotkin for taking the time to research this topic and focus on the facts. Hopefully others will follow suit.