Dave wrote:
On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 19:29:41 -0500, katy
said:


Michigan is still small farm based...as are several other states...


Perhaps. But according to a 1991 study at the University of Michigan the
number of family farms declined from 77,946 in 1969 to 51,172 by 1991. I
doubt that the trend has reversed itself in the last 15 years.

No, it hasn't...and for a very good reason. Developers have
exploited good farm land, forcing townships to raise the value of
raw land to a point where the tac structure alone became a burden to
farmers, driving them off the land. When your farm is making less
and less profit and some developer comes along and offers you a
bushel of money for it, you take it and to hell with the farm, even
though you ahve no idea what else you'll do for a living. Problem
is, now that all taht good farmland has been turned into residential
and commercial development, real estate is now devaluing rapidly.
The economy in MI is at an alltime low and people are leaving the
state in droves because of the job market not being able to support
the population. We are in a fortunate position where we do not have
to make a low sale on our house just to get out from under it, but
many in the state will be taking big losses, especially those who
bought the over-inflated pricey real estate in the first place. The
whole thing is a sad situation...onl;y people who benefit are the
devlopers and the realtoes....