all switching to all grain did for me was to make me brew less and less. No real quality upgrade, no winter brewing, Fast extract days started happening more and more until all grain just wasn't getting done at all after a couple years. the important part is the boil and fermentation and no one really picks their all grain ingredients based on quality anyways, they buy the same 2/6row from the same 2-3 maltsters from whatever retailer has it the cheapest.
No real quality upgrade... Wow... Completely untrue for me.
No winter brewing... Why no winter brewing? Don't you have things like jackets where you are? I brew year round. Just means I need to adjust the mash slightly when I'm brewing in cold weather (under 20F). I have insulation I can add to the mash tun above what it already has for that. Easy as you can get.
the important part is the boil and fermentation... While the boil and fermentation ARE important, so is mashing the grains to get what you want. Using extract you're getting what someone else thinks you should use. Sorry, not for me.
no one really picks their all grain ingredients based on quality anyways... WTF?? I pick my grain BECAUSE of the quality of it. I pick my two base malts from one specific maltster every time I've purchased grain (I go in on group buys for this reason). The other grains I purchase come from either the same maltster, or one of two others. For me, quality and consistency of ingredient, as well as ensuring it's as fresh as possible are two of the reasons why I brew all grain. I crush the grains I'm using the same day/evening I'm brewing. Typically within 1-2 hours of when I actually start mashing.
I also get my hops in bulk, but break them up into 1-2oz bags (vacuum packed) as soon as I've opened the larger bag. They stay in the freezer too, to ensure freshness.
the fresh barley we harvest here, has to be shipped all the way to Wisconsin and back before we can mash those fresh ingredients, that are so much fresher than the extract that comes from Wisconsin
Then why don't you USE those grains instead of the extract??? Seems more than foolish, IMO, to use inferior ingredients in a brew when you have fresher available. Provided you WANT to use the fresher grain. Personally, I'm not using US 2-row in my batches.
Seriously sounds like you don't have the right personality, or care enough, to brew all grain. Which is fine IF that's what you like to do. But, don't discount, or look down your nose at people that spend a bit more time, energy, effort, and CARE more about what goes into their brews. If I brew something and decide I want more or less body, I simply adjust the mash temp accordingly. I change nothing else and I'll see the effect of that one change. You, going with extract brewing, don't have that flexibility (at all).