Oklahoma farmers fighting to survive the Dust Bowl

[EE_]

Portraits of true grit: Amazing black-and-white photos capture the everyday struggles of Oklahoma farmers fighting to survive the Dust Bowl

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234453/Portraits-true-grit-Amazing-black-white-photos-capture-everyday-struggles-Oklahoma-farmers-fighting-survive-Dust-Bowl.html#ixzz2Cdpb06eW

[Ponce]

This time around is more than mother nature that we wil be fighting.......

[Shami-Amourae]

Don't they have a lot of man made reservoirs now so that stuff doesn't happen again in that region?
http://stateimpact.npr.org/oklahoma/2012/10/01/the-factors-that-fueled-oklahomas-golden-age-of-reservoir-building/

[Heimdhal]

Don't they have a lot of man made reservoirs now so that stuff doesn't happen again in that region?
http://stateimpact.npr.org/oklahoma/2012/10/01/the-factors-that-fueled-oklahomas-golden-age-of-reservoir-building/

The dustbowl was in large part due to the farming practices of the day. Simply put, they dug up everything that was holding the ground down. And yes, they significantly changed the practices, MILLIONS were spent researching and engineering farms that would work specificaly to NOT fall victim to another dustbowl. Of course, droughts, uncommon windy seasons, etc also had a big part in that, too.

Really interesting bit of history.

[palani]

All you have to do is fly over the sand hills region of western Nebraska to see the effects of man on environment.

The government programs require that you support yourself in the marketplace fr 5 years before benefits can be received. "Investors" in the sand hills region would put up a center pivot irrigation system, plant 100% corn for 5 years and get a 100% corn base. After 5 years they insure the crop, collect the government program benefits, plant, water for 2-3 weeks until the crop comes up and then they shut off the water. Crop dies. They collect the insurance and benefits.

The results of these practices are these blowout regions that are 1/4 section in size and circular in shape. Clearly visible from the air.

[willie pete]

there was an interesting story on PBS last night detailing the events that led up to and partly caused the "Dust Bowl"

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/