One Third of Farm Income

According to this article, more than a third of U.S. farm income in 2019 will come from the U.S. government in the form of the trade war bailout, crop insurance payouts and other federal assistance. This seems like a big deal until we realize that the total US farm income is only $88 billion. At the same time, US grocery sales are roughly $800 billion. The US medical complex generates over $3 trillion in economic activity. In 2014 US auto sales totaled $1.1 trillion. The New York Federal Reserve bank has added $115.14 billion in short term liquidity to US financial markets. Even though everyone has to eat daily, and what they eat originates in the earth, food itself is a minor part of the national economy.