> "working the fields" cannot be made a good job for humans
Manual farm labour is extremely hard work, "stoop" labour causes back conditions, and man+machine agricultural labour has a history of accidents.
People already have left the countryside in the West; farming is a few % of the population, plus seasonal immigrant/guest workers.
I'm quite happy to be on this side of the agricultural revolution and increase the automation in farming. If we want meaningful jobs, we have to address the question of "meaning" directly, in the context of the society we wish to have.