Is it under deliberate attack or are the changes just naturally occurring?

Go big or go home. Farmers in the past were able to raise a family on a 160 acre farm. Now anybody not farming thousands of acres is earning their primary living someplace else.

Regulation. Zoning EPA its never ending the stuff people in rural America now have to contend with.

Hunting fishing trapping. Not only is there no longer a fur market but hunting for food ahead of hunting for entertainment is about gone. Neighbors can not trespass on each other as urbanites have paid for exclusive trespass permission.

Kids from rural areas usually move to cities for the employment opportunity, and kids from cities move rural as soon as they can afford it. Makes farm ground more profitable as a development than as a farm.

So, deliberate manipulation or just change because of population growth or is it something else?

Its laziness, My grampa paid for a farm with 12 cows and a team of horses. This generation of farmers or offspring of farmers should I say are cashing in on high rents and letting their barns fall down, Most came by their land through inheritance. Getting big has its benefits but so did staying small, just wasnt glamorous enough for most.
Dont blame the big guys, They are just hard working opportunist. Contrary to belief, They did not force out the small guy.

Is it under deliberate attack or are the changes just naturally occurring?

Go big or go home. Farmers in the past were able to raise a family on a 160 acre farm. Now anybody not farming thousands of acres is earning their primary living someplace else.

Regulation. Zoning EPA its never ending the stuff people in rural America now have to contend with.

Hunting fishing trapping. Not only is there no longer a fur market but hunting for food ahead of hunting for entertainment is about gone. Neighbors can not trespass on each other as urbanites have paid for exclusive trespass permission.

Kids from rural areas usually move to cities for the employment opportunity, and kids from cities move rural as soon as they can afford it. Makes farm ground more profitable as a development than as a farm.

So, deliberate manipulation or just change because of population growth or is it something else?

the issue with making a buck off farming is big ag has made food cheap, too cheap. Consumers are hard pressed to pay more than what you can get something at walmart for.
Small farmers have to learn to eliminate the middlemen and sell direct, grow products that taste better and are better for you and sell themselves and their superior products. Like I said more work, farming as most occupations can be very profitable but you have to work at it. Are you willing to pay 3-4x for a fresh garden tomato vs the pale hard flavorless ones you get at the store?

I just feel like starting some 'fecal matter' today! Im not agreeing or disagreeing with anyone on here but I feel I'm in a position to comment since I make my living farming and ranching and we do direct marketing and some agritourism as well. My wife also works full time as a teacher. First and foremost it comes down to what you want to do and have time and ability to do. Young people leave the farm for 2 main reasons. 1 hate it. Can't stand lifestyle. Want paid vacation 40 -50 hour work week weekends off to go fishing ECT. 2. The old generation won't step aside and give them a chance so they go to work and now there 50 to 60 years old and don't want it at that age.
Now you come to making money. There is lots of money floating around in agriculture but not everyone can capitalize on it, simply because they don't know how. Times have changed. I'm not any kinda expert but old school farming like you guys are talking about is gone. If you don't treat it like a business you won't last long period. It's great to say it's all bout hard work blah blah. It's not! I watch my dad work his (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) off milking cows and he has made a living but never been able to make any real money cause he just can't see it.
I also want to point out there is not a thing wrong with farming and having a job. So.e of the best operation I know are part time, and they make money too. Think of it like a big old savings account on the side.
Here were I'm going to start something, since this is trapping sight let's take everything that has been said and apply it to trapping.
Why dont you guys just do some direct marketing. Or find that niche market and capitalize on it. Why do most trappers have full time jobs? Must be the big trappers ran them out? I can do this with every comment on here! Truth is trapping and the fur industry is a multi millions dollar industry. Someone is making money I promise you that.
In my humble opinion most people lack the skills to be self employed and some who could don't want to. Nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with having a career or job you like and making your living doing that. Not every business is a multimillion dollar operation. But the small time guy makes lots of sacrifices to do what he loves period.