Robair Robair:
Yes.
It is true that pipelines would mean less competition for rail capacity and more room for crops. However, the biggest harm to transportation of grain was the demise of the wheat board.
On weather and markets, Dad's always said that "If you can't handle three consecutive bad years, you have no business farming."
A "bad" year would be one where the farm turns no profit, or even loses money. I can remember him in the kitchen looking through papers and saying "I paid $20,000.00 to farm last year."
When your livelihood depends on the weather and markets, you need deep pockets, good credit and a side hustle or two.
There's no reason why the wheat farmers can't form a voluntary cooperative.
We have plenty of such cooperatives in the USA that cover all sorts of crops like oranges, almonds, apples, blueberries, and etc. and they manage quite well without forcing people to join their cooperatives.