Brickbat: Buying the Farm

The government of the Netherlands said it plans to buy and close 2,000 to 3,000 farms and businesses to meet European Union nitrogen pollution-reduction goals. The government insists it will offer more than the farms and businesses are worth. But Nitrogen Minister Christianne van der Wal warned that if the owners do not voluntarily accept the offer, it will, "with pain in the heart," force them to sell. "There is no better offer coming," she said.