"Rural Americans" own neither the energy nor the food production located near them.

By and large, rural America is subsidized by the rest of America, be they urbanites or large companies. And to be frank, that's fine; I support generally allowing people to find the best way for them to live, within reason. (Where people like me start getting snippy--and we do, we aren't saints--is when that's not acknowledged. "Real Americans" and the like.)

You’re assuming rural Americans actually own the food and energy they produce.