I read Alberta Farmer's thread as a serious enquiry, but didn't reply as I thought he was looking for a foreign buyer conspiracy. I've noticed spring rallies for more years than I care to remember, but looked closer to home for conspirators.

Imagine an agribusiness entity that is involved in many phases of agricultural production; one that has an interest in freight, both moving inputs and crop production; one that has an interest in seed production and sales; one that has an interest in fertilizer production, distribution and sales; one that has an interest in crop protection sales and application; one that has an interest in crop production handling (drying, storage, marketing); one that has an interest in  crop end use (feed, ethanol...)...
Does such an entity exist? Would other entities sit on the sidelines while watching the competition get all the action. Wouldn't all involved in ag production benefit from increased acreage rather than cutting staff, idling rail cars, idling ethanol plants....
Doesn't take a very big carrot to entice eager farmers to plant fence row to fence row.