It is possible that in the 21st century, in the sparsely populated areas of this country- the Great Plains-food will be produced profitably and safely at the same time farm and nonfarm people enjoy greater social and economic opportunities. But new institutions, such as virtual large farms and...

Retiring land from crop production under the Conservation Reserve Program is expensive and often unnecessary. Instead, more emphasis should be placed on providing incentives for farmers to reduce erosion by adopting better cropping practices. This would cost less than current programs and allow...