I don't think it matters much, who owns it, it is for sure our younger generation is not bl00dy silly enough to want to farm it.

Farming in Oz today is a recipe for going broke, while working your guts out. I learnt years ago that you would be punished for doing anything useful. Once I stopped producing food, I did quite well growing advanced shrubs for Gold Coast housing estates.

The dairy farmers gave up milk, & grew turf for the same reason.

A few still grow lucerne, for the race horse mob, & green chop for the cattle feed lots, other wise, it is better to sell building lots.

Hell, even the strawberry farmers have given up around here.

Dear Yabby,

I don't have to "deal" with becoming a grandmother
for the first time. It's the best thing that's ever
happened to me and my grandson who's now eighteen
months old is the joy of my life. What I have to
deal with is your so called "sense of humour."
I notice that in your postings to men you don't
display that sort of "humour." Perhaps that does make me
"sensitive," but if someone continues to prod you -I
think you'd become senstive after a while. Ducks will
often try to nibble bits out of you - so I guess its
a human trait as well.

Hope I am not diverting but last night ACA had a story farmers got 40 cents a kg for pumpkins we paid near 3 bucks.
So yes why farm.
In a short stay from my sixth year to near 9th my dad took us to Sydney to live.
Different times and folks.
I still know the names of every family in that 40 house street.
Still know who gladly took dads veggies who gave us eggs.
easy to remember who did not.
We live now in social isolation.
It can be hard just to get a neighbor to say Gday.
Few want the free veggies, most need them but will not take them.
Arriving at a pensioners block, away from home see,s them taken with joy.
No not personality's its a wish to not know much about neighbors that is changing.
If one is in trouble? bowled over in the rush .
Shame you folks did not live closer the real joy in gardening is giving the stuff away.
Chipped spuds deep fried mine, and left over silver beet with free range egg from my bartering mate for breaky.

Dear Belly,

You're right about the joy to be found in
giving the excess of what you grow away.
I consistently take bags of my gorgeous
lemons - (every winter), to two aged-care
facilities. The chefs accept them with
great gusto and make all sorts of things
for the oldies out of them. The same goes
for my delicious tomatoes when in season.

Dear All,
I was rather surprised to realise that despite the heading of this post referring to the Global food bowl depleting, so far, apart from a mention of China, no thought has been apparently given to those folk in other countries cannot grow crops or food because of adverse climates.
Of course most of us grew up with home grown vegies and fruit, but a lot of areas around the World are lucky to receive water, let alone grow crops. I would like to see more of the roadside market gardeners in this Country, a lot of whom work on an honour basis, take the food and put the money in a box. But not all people around the world can do that. I am not concerned for myself, but future generations. Thankyou for your posts so far, I like to digest other peoples' points of view.
Enjoy your day,
NSB

NSB,

On the subject of feeding the world, there are many challenges, not least the industrialisation of agriculture. Monoculture verses biodiversity. In third world countries, women are responsible for growing most of the food and rely on the biodiversity of nature and knowledge handed down through generations to feed their families...globalisation is interrupting this flow.

http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/focus-on-hunger-interview-with-vandana-shiva/