i read that vertical city farming will be the next big thing. i read that a lot of the rural farms will go abandoned once all the food is grown in the city. how can the rural land be used? and if this were to happen what do you think of creating get a way lots where 40 acres per small cabin and forests regrown? also have food forests where the farms that will not go abandoned. just trying to figure out a good land set up here. here is a link to the urban farms:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443855804577602960672985508.html

Broadacre farming isn't going away anytime soon.

Intensive urban farming may start growing a much greater percentage of fresh veggies, but staple crops...fugghedaboudit.

The rural organic farmers and truck farms will get hit hardest. Big ag staple crops will still be grown.

Maybe a better fuel source than corn could be grown if there really is surplus farmland. The market will find a use for the land.

SUBURBAN FARMING

In Western Washington Puget Sound area there are many districts that are zoned to a minimum of 5 acres. Too large for urban living and too small for conventional farming. Ideal for co-operative farming.

On the Key Peninsula se have such a co-op where commuters can order produce on the internet on the weekend for delivery to a pickup site mid week on there way home. This allows local small acrage producers to each do what they love and yet supply a great variety of food to the local community. Besides vegetables, there is the bee lady, the raw milk dairy, The pickle lady. the berry farm. the flower lady, the lushes apple orchard, the coffee roaster, and a couple of bakers.

Even if cities were capable of growing all of their own food, we would still use all existing farm land regardless.
Many would convert to ethanol crop production, and the remainder would continue growing for the export market.
Cereals are, by far, our largest export. Without this export market, our economy would collapse.
Our balance of trade would become so lopsided that nobody would dare to trade with us.

Just IMHO plants are happier and healthier if they grow in the ground. Although vertical planting is a great idea for those in areas that they are limited, I think the best for us come out of the ground. I can't imagine people abandoning that, but that's just me. 5 acres could be large enough to sustain a few animals too or be an orchard. It doesn't have to just be staple crops that we turn to.

The Urban farming food production scene will definitely ( and should) increase in the years to come. However the rural broad acre space will always be a key component