Cash or conservation?

With grain prices at an all-time high, many farmers are option out of the Conservation Security Program. Instituted in 1985, the program pays farmers to keep land out of production, particularly environmentally sensitive land such as areas prone to erosion. Well the program has been popular with hunters and environmentalists, some farmers are questioning whether it makes sense to get paid by the government—around $50 an acre—when they can reap the high prices that have been fueled in part by the rush to grow crops for ethanol.  Full story