I briefly mentioned that government had a role in helping corn become the giant mega-crop that it is today. The price of corn has steadily fallen over the years (factoring in inflation), and today the price of a bushel of corn is about a dollar below what it costs to grow it. Government farm programs were once designed to limit production and support prices, but were quietly reprogrammed over the years to increase production and drive down prices. During the Nixon administration, the government began to subsidize corn at the expense of farmers.