The lion's share of agricultural resources have been focused on improving program crops because of the structure of federal farm policies. However, with the dramatic changes in farm legislation, that may now change, giving producers the ability to grow more and better forages more economically. Intensified public and private research efforts regarding alfalfa and other forages will be required to give producers the edge they will need in supplying the growing need. While the forage grower's first reaction may be that lower prices for his or her production would be a negative development, it is not necessarily so. As an example, Intel, one of the most profitable companies in the world, has achieved that status by reducing the price of computers drastically in the past decade.
Producers can do the same by focusing on net income rather than price.
A key ingredient to producing more for less, and at the same time increasing profitability, will be information. The information age encompasses far more than the Internet. Producers will be able to put themselves in the position to replace capital with information as a way to make their operation more profitable. Information regarding production, marketing, management, transportation, and other factors will provide the opportunity for enhanced net returns for producers who are willing to utilize that information. Increased accessibility of information will also have an impact on the changing structure of American agriculture.