Glad to see this thread come back to life. Since my main occupation is farming I can relate to alot of what has been posted here. First of all, I doubt if anyone is plowing under any crops. The main reason for farm subsidies is to be sure THIS country has a steady food supply. Of course, being in the beef business, we get little subsidies. Beef considered a luxury. I too have had to scale back. I still have a 2004 duramax diesel for feeding and hauling but have parked it because of $3.50/gallon diesel and 10 miles /gal. Bought me an '83 Ford ranger for $800 and get 30 mi/gal. Not near as comfortable, no radio, smokes a little but..... Just my 2 cents worth. Jimmy