Environmentalists, conservationists and conscious consumers are realizing the connection between the environment and the food we eat. We are also creating a dichotomy of how we see our agriculture: On one hand, farming is a bucolic existence where hard work is paid off by living in the beautiful countryside. On the other hand, farming is an industrialized, energy-inefficient, polluting enterprise where the farmer doesn’t even live on the land. From organic agriculture to E. coli outbreaks, Americans are changing the way they see farming. Agriculture is getting more attention in mainstream news these days, mostly due to ethanol pushing up the price of corn. We are on course to break records in production. Despite this and despite having some of the most fertile ground in the world, the U.S. is a net food importer. We are now dependent upon foreign countries for the majority of our food supply, and we’re losing our Farmers and farmland at an alarming rate. These changes aren’t inevitable and aren’t simply the result of a free market. Billions of taxpayer dollars go to farmers each year, with all sorts of strings attached. Our policies are greatly affecting the face of American agriculture. However, they are also essential to creating the kind of farming that will provide us healthy food, healthy rural economies and a healthy environment. Bridget Holcomb is the Agricultural Policy Coordinator for Illinois Stewardship Alliance, a non-profit working for local, sustainable food systems.