First comes "residential" or "multi-family" zoning which makes the assessed value of the farmer's land skyrocket, along with his property taxes - so he can no longer afford to farm the land, or live in his house for that matter. So he sells the old farm and retires to a condo. Then they put up a bunch of shoddily-constructed houses on postage stamp-sized lots that sell for a half-million dollars each, and call the subdivision something like, "Old Farm at Valley Crossing." How quaint.
You are exactly right. The politics of sprawl have destroyed our best croplands. Was suburbia worth it? I don’t think so.
My dad and mom live out in the country and grow a huge garden each year. We decided some time ago that the majority of vegetables we would eat would come out of that garden, and we have never looked back. The foods that Dad grows are better tasting, more nutritious, and in every way superior to those produced by big-corporate agribusiness. What few vegetables we do buy come from local farmer’s markets or the organic section of Whole Foods Market. We are all healthy and well, and Dad and Mom have the satisfaction of growing and canning and the rest of the gardening experience. It’s a win-win.
Food is too important to be left to the vagaries of free trade. Our national policy should be for the United States to be self-sufficient in foodstuffs. As president, I would place heavy tariffs upon all imported foodstuffs with the exception of luxury foods (Brie, caviar, etc.) and those items that cannot be produced within the continental United States due to climate (coffee, tropical fruits, etc.). I would furthermore exempt all genuinely family-owned farms from all federal taxation as an incentive to stay in business.
Food self-sufficiency is food security. Eat local.