Southwest Kansas in the Dirty Thirties

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Here in Southwest Kansas, the soil is deep. There is no solid rock base under the soil as is true in some places. This soil is made of clay, sand, and sediment laid down thousands of years ago when this part of Kansas was covered by water. This type of soil is known as loam. Loamy soil is ideal for growing crops.

Southwest Kansas has this very good soil but lacks sufficient rainfall to produce bumper crops every year. Irrigation is used where water is available but most cropland is dryland.

When I was a girl in the thirties, there was a devastating drought. Our loamy soil became very dry and fine. The wind blew the topsoil because our farming practices of the time left our fields in poor condition to resist this severe weather. This period of time became known as "The Dirty Thirties".

One of the farming practices of that time was to burn the stubble - the plant stalks left after harvesting. At this time, all fields were planted back to a crop and burning made it easier to plant. But, burning destroyed the organic matter that would help the soil. One of the favorite farm implements of the time was called a "one-way". This implement would turn the stubble under, saving the organic matter, but it left the soil exposed to the hot sun and dry winds.

1930's One-way Disk Plow

When the great drought of the thirties came, our fields were in poor condition to resist. "The Dirty Thirties" were hard on both land and people. The wind would blow dirt like snow drifts around farm buildings and fence rows. The farmers would try to stop the drifting by plowing deep rows in their fields but these would just fill with the blowing dirt. This was a time of depression for farmers and many left the land, never to return. Many farmers who came through this period, including my husband, developed emphysema from breathing the dust.

The rains did come again and the drought was broken. Here in southwest Kansas, we changed our farming methods. We no longer burn stubble on dryland farms and we use an implement called "blades". "Blades" cut under the soil, cutting off the roots of weeds, stubble, and other organic matter - leaving it on top of the soil and protecting the soil from the sun and wind.

Another farming practice used by many farmers here in Southwest Kansas is called "summer fallow". As one drives by on the highways and byways, one might notice a number of fields with nothing growing on them. This is "summer fallow". In this method of farming, some of the farmer's crop acres are left fallow. The weeds are killed with the "blades" and left on top of the soil. The rains that fall during the summer soak into the deep loamy soil, much like a sponge soaks up water. The organic material on top holds in the moisture and also protects the soil from the wind and sun. When the farmer plants his wheat in the fall, he has two years of rain stored in his "summer fallow" field - thus increasing his chances for a good crop.

We here in Southwest Kansas have learned to live with "Mother Nature" rather than fighting her!