Farming

 Farming can be understood largely in terms of finance.  Looked at this way, a farmer would want to start somehow-almost always by inheritance-with title to a certain amount of land.  This could then, by timely and careful investment, grow over a lifetime by using the equity in already held land to finance purchase of more land.  This works as long as the primary drivers of land value stay in place.  That is, there must be an underlying and ongoing pressure on price.  If land drops in value, this would not be a disaster as long as the assumption is made that price will fluctuate but the long term trend is up.  And efforts have been made, mainly through the establishment of a comprehensive crop insurance, to take the risk out of this approach, both the risk of bad weather and poor crop prices.  

This will hold until and unless we come to a time of major upset in the world, where constantly increasing land values are no sure thing.  

This neglects the land, treating it as commodity.  An alternative vision would put the care and improvement of soil health and the care of other species on a par with simple farm production.  The benefits of the improvement in the carbon cycle that can result from good land care, the increased water holding capacity of the soil due to restrictions on tillage and careful farming practice accrue to all, and not just the farmer's individual bank account.  Good farming, by this standard, leads to a better quality of life for all.  This farming is the polar opposite of the first example.  

It is very much a secondary tendency today.  If we want it to succeed for the benefit of all our lives, for the care of our own grandchildren through care of the earth, it will have to be supported by all.  This is a vision well beyond simple capitalism.  It is, however, necessary if we are to survive on earth.