A dust storm approaching Stratford, TX - 1939
by: DJ Rezac
This week most Americans are looking
forward to spending some quality time with our families, logging time on the couch
and of course the all-important Thanksgiving dinner. Here in the United States,
we set aside this Thursday every year to give thanks for the people, places,
and things we love the most. Although I like to think I do it more than once a
year, it is admittedly tough for me to keep things in perspective in this fast
paced world that we live in and to take time to gives thanks for all that I
have. However, this week I found something that really did the trick.
World renowned director and producer Ken
Burns, famous for his documentaries which include The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz and The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, has hit another home run
with the most recent addition to his trophy case, The Dust Bowl. This
two part film, which aired on most PBS stations on the 18th and 19th,
chronicles the hardships and perseverance of tens of thousands of people living
in the plains during a time period known as the “Dirty 30’s”.
During the 1930’s, as a result of the use of
farming practices suited for the heavy, moisture rich soils of the east as well
as 10 years of drought, billions of tons of top soil were blown away in massive
dust storms that blacked out the sun and anything else in their path. Towns
were decimated, livelihoods destroyed, families uprooted and many lives lost. The
film includes firsthand accounts from several people who scratched out a living
during the Dust Bowl as well as hundreds of striking photographs and rarely
seen video footage. I strongly encourage everyone to take the time this week to
watch this film on your local PBS station which will replay the series. To find
out when it will air on your station visit the PBS website http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/tv-schedules/
. The series can also be purchased on DVD or downloaded from iTunes.
Today, as the US experiences what we
perceive as “hard times”, I think it’s important to remember the things that we
have experienced as a nation not so long ago. Survivors of the Dust Bowl tell
how their parents refused to go on “Relief” (government assistance) until the
point of starvation for no reason other than their own pride and determination
to remain self–reliant. What would another Dust Bowl-like event bring
today?
Though the rains eventually returned
and soil conservation practices were adopted to restore the ability of the
ground to support agriculture, the area now relies largely on irrigation from
the Ogallala aquifer to sustain the necessary crop production. The recent
drought in the area has put a strain on the aquifer and unless rains return to
recharge it or decrease usage the subterranean river will likely continue to be
diminished.
The good news is that through
technologies including genetically modified (GMO)
drought tolerant crops, precision agriculture, No-Till farming, judicious irrigation
and continued use of the soil conservation methods we are producing more food
with fewer resources than ever before. Clearly if we hope to sustain our
population we must continue to embrace technologies such as these and continue
to improve them. It is important to keep our errors and lessons vivid in our
memories and look back as well as to the future to prevent another Dust Bowl.
This Thursday, besides being thankful
for my family, loved-ones and how truly fortunate I am to live in the greatest
nation of earth, I will be especially thankful for the mistakes I have made as
I realize now their true worth:
The mistakes we make today are the
seeds of tomorrow’s harvest.
