Farmland or McMansions?

"Intact farms and ranches produce a host of social benefits that make the nation livable. But as the countryside fragments into smaller parcels, it no longer produces food, fiber and the open spaces that add charm to rural America. Any midlevel corporate executive can outbid ranchers for the rights to a secluded hillside pasture, even though his seclusion is subsidized by the few ranches that remain."

"America is filled with spectacular views, often threatened by people who will never be satisfied until they own one. But the view isn’t going anywhere. Those who care to climb these grassy hillsides can discover it for themselves, at no cost. It’s only those determined to buy it -- to tame the landscape within a picture window -- who spoil it for everyone."