I take some silicon from high-purity quartz in North Carolina. I make CPU chips out of them. Have I not created wealth? Is not the CPU chip more valuable than raw, high-purity quartz?

I planted $10 worth of potato seed this year, and I'll be harvesting at least $100 worth of potatoes in a few months. It would take a lot of economics books to convince me I haven't created wealth. Unless they've redefined "wealth" to the point of uselessness as a concept.

It’s lower than you think as it has high present value, but is a waste product in less than a decade.