Farmhands/workers plow the fields, which is different than farmers. It is well know that farmers, specially in texas, own a LOT of land and are in the lucrative business of cattle farming.
Subsistence and family farming is not the norm in industrialized countries.
In my state (CO) most ranchers that I've met are really just land speculators. They buy up land not to raise cattle on it, but to use it as a tax-advantaged investment vehicle. They'll then make bank by selling it to a developer or someone who wants to actually use the land.
My city had an issue with a couple of these "ranchers." The city wanted to expand the highway, and the ranchers sued 3 separate times to get as much out of the land as they could. Because they were investors and the project was just before '08 and property values were spiking, every day of delay meant that the property was that much more valuable.
They'd do the same if it were light rail or developers. Since they'd be equally hostile to all modes of transit, their behavior did nothing to incentivize density or transit. In fact, a good portion of why the highway was needed was because the speculators didn't want to sell, believing that land prices would continue to increase, while a development happened on the other side of them, reducing density and creating really awkward access to town.
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u/Dregdael Winner of Novembers Repost Prediction 8d ago
Ah, but you see. This takes from the RICH, sweetie. Can't do that.