Reflecting on the Dust Bowl

By Jade Greene

History has many lessons to teach us, including how to treat our soil. Nearly 100 years ago, beginning in 1931, one of the worst human-made disasters struck the United States – the Dust Bowl. A prolonged drought and poor farming practices led to millions of tons of topsoil being blown away by winds. Over the next decade, intense dust storms made farming nearly impossible and caused unimaginable human suffering. Finally the drought broke in 1941.  Following this horrendous time, the Dust Bowl has granted some very important lessons that every farm needs to embrace to prevent future disasters.

A Brief History of the Great Plains

Before settlers colonized the Great Plains, the land was lush with over 400 different species of native grasses. These deep rooted plants (some with roots extending over 100 feet) could tap into the soil’s moisture and persevere through periodic droughts which naturally occurred in this area. The grasslands were the second largest biome in North America (after boreal forest), extending from Texas north into the heartland of Canada. Constant wind, low rainfall (<25 inches per year), and wildfires dominated the weather patterns. Over the millennia, highly fertile soil developed under the grasses. These incredible spaces supported Indigenous Peoples and a diverse web of animals including millions of bison, prairie chickens, antelope, prairie dogs, grouse, and many more native species. 

Inspired by Manifest Destiny, white settlers began colonizing this area more aggressively in the mid to late-1800s, although challenging weather conditions made progress slow. After hunting the bison to near extinction, the Indigenous Peoples were also forced off this land and the homesteaders moved in to stake their claim. With horse drawn plows, they modestly cultivated the fertile soil. 

Egged on by economic forces, farmers in the Great Plains plowed up more and more of the remaining native grasses, cultivating millions of virgin acres with wheat. By the 1920s, bolstered by tractors and unseasonable high rainfalls, the Great Plains’ farmers harvested more wheat than ever before in human history. But unfortunately, their luck was about to change.

What Caused the Dust Bowl?

Farmers used very aggressive farming methods which harmed the soil:

• Deeply plowing up the soil (till)
• Leaving fields barren after each crop (no cover crops)
• Planting the same crop year after year (no crop rotation)
• Removing native vegetation

These poor farming techniques prepared the soil to be vulnerable to erosion in dry weather conditions. Unfortunately, beginning in 1931, a significant drought was about to plague the area. The hot, dry conditions and ripping winds blew away tons and tons of topsoil. Soil that took thousands of years to develop was swept away in seconds. The dust blew with the wind, forming great storms which buried crops, even whole buildings, and caused human illness.

Year after year the drought and dust storms continued. Steadfast homesteaders clung to the land, hoping for rain. They used windmills to draw up water from the deep Ogallala Aquifer. Subsistence gardens were often destroyed by dust, static electricity which was carried through the dust storms, or hoards of grasshoppers that ate everything organic. Livestock starved or were culled by government programs. People canned jack rabbit meat and invasive Russian thistle tumbleweeds for food. Most families relied on government assistance for food and work. Respiratory issues and hunger impacted all. It was a very hard time.

How Did the Dust Bowl End?

President Franklin D. Roosevelt dispatched the newly formed (1933) Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal program, to some of the worst hit areas to plant drought resilient trees and grasses. He also set up the first Soil Conservation Districts to educate farmers on best practices. Dust Bowl residents noticed the ferocity of the storms declined as millions of trees and grasses began to take root. 

The ultimate fix was when the drought finally ended and near-normal rainfall returned in 1941. Regular rain infiltrated into the soils and held down the dust, ending the Dust Bowl. Sadly, the topsoil is gone and will take thousands of years to rebuild. Part of the reason that subsequent farming practices became so heavily dependent on chemical fertilizers was this loss of topsoil and resultant poor tilth.

Could It Happen Again? 

Unfortunately, dust storms have indeed happened again in the Great Plains, caused by droughts (notably in 1974-76 and 2000-03) but nothing as devastating and long lasting as the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. 

Any area that is prone to erosion is subject to dust storms. There was a dust storm in California a few weeks ago. Even in Bucks County, dust can be seen blowing on the wind during this 2024 drought.

Prolonged drought and poor farming techniques can lead to erosion and dust storms. Farmers, land managers, and government decision-makers must remember the lessons of the past to protect soil.

What Are the Lessons Learned?

Soil is a precious resource that should be treated as such. Proper farming techniques (eg, regenerative agriculture), which have been fleshed out over the years need to be implemented on every farm, including:

• • No or low till farming – disturbing the soil has major impacts to soil structure and causes erosion
  • Crop rotation and diversity – changing crops gives the soil a chance to rest and build up nutrients which are depleted when the same crop is planted over and over
  • Cover crops – when the season is over, do not leave fields barren, plant cover crops. These plants protect soil from erosion and increase soil nutrients
  • Contour farming – farming in rows hugging field slope-lines to prevent erosion (pictured)
  • Compost and organic matter – adding compost and organic matter improves soil structure and holds more water 
  • Continue supporting Soil Conservation Districts – these government agencies support farmers and educate the best techniques to protect soil
  • Support small farms – during the Dust Bowl, most farms were family farms, today, most farms are huge politically-connected corporate farms which are propped up by government subsidies. Small farmers are more likely to employ the above soil conservation techniques 
  • Plant native plants and increase wild spaces – native plants evolved for the local climate conditions and naturally protect soil. Wild spaces and native plants need to be protected and promoted

In addition to erosion issues, ignoring these lessons also forces farmers to use artificial amendments of fertilizer and pest controls which come with their own environmental and human health impacts. 

A Local History: America’s First Private Soil Conservation District, Honey Hollow

The poor farming practices employed in the Great Plains were used all over the country, including here in Bucks County in the 1920s. Noticing topsoil erosion issues in the 1930s, five landowners in the Honey Hollow Watershed in Solebury banded together to form the first privately owned Soil Conservation District. By implementing terraces, contour-plowed fields, diversion ditches, wildlife hedges, ponds, and tree lands, the farmers of Honey Hollow protected the soil. This model became an example for other Soil Conservation Districts on a national level and was honored as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1969. (read more)

Ask your local farmer about their soil and how they help to protect it. Remember, It’s not dirt, it’s soil!

Source:

Egan, Timothy. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006.