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Next month, the bakers of America will march on Washington. Agricultural economists are freaking out: “Some fear a bout of bad weather could unravel the country’s centuries-old identity.” What’s happening? The essential building blocks of the American diet, wheat, corn, and soybeans, are all at record or near-record price levels, because the Chinese are eating more meat and the demand for ethanol inevitably continues. Locally, this should make the near future very interesting–people will continue to make money hand over fist at the Chicago Board of Trade; farmland prices will increase, evening out the battle between ‘burbs and farms; and politicians will continue to lavish money on midwestern states. You’ve got reason to be skeptical about the ethanol obsession, incidentally; Europe certainly is. Now’s probably a good time to reread your Frank Norris:
Get Paul Thomas Anderson on the phone, I’ve got a movie idea.
