A follow-up thought on economic viability, specifically what it is not: a “get out of jail free card” to to evade any discussion of a course of action that could have any adverse economic impact. Frankly, I think that as an industry we have too often cried wolf, and declared that if X happens, then that’s it for ag. We have damaged our credibility by relying on this oversimplification. There may be some things which we are compelled to do, and we will survive.
But what is worse, is that by doing so, we have obscured the real economic threat to ag: the incremental but steady erosion of our economic position. So will something like a complete fumigant ban, or a $100 per acre foot steelhead trout fee, more expensive regulatory regimes be the end of ag? Individually, no. But collectively? That’s the question.
