The Only Thing That Lasts Chapter 6: The Wine of Wrath
9 snips
Jan 30, 2025 Explore the Dust Bowl's history and its role as a man-made disaster during the Great Depression. Discover how unsustainable farming practices and flawed policies contributed to long-lasting agricultural consequences. Dive into the evolution of farming in America, shaped by technology and shifting policies. Uncover the USDA's climate-smart initiatives aimed at enhancing environmental benefits and farmer resilience. Finally, reflect on how farmland's value transformed from a community cornerstone to an economic asset over the decades.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Steinbeck and the Farmers
- John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath after meeting dispossessed farmers.
- He later revisited the farmers and found that they felt sorrow, not hatred, for the land.
Rain Follows the Plow
- Scientists mistakenly believed that cultivating the Great Plains would increase rainfall.
- This theory, "rain follows the plow," ignored the region's environmental realities.
Uniformity and the Dust Bowl
- The Dust Bowl was caused by too many small farms coupled with drought and wind.
- Uniform cultivation practices across vast areas exacerbated the problem.
