Have you heard the news lately that many weatherman are calling 2012 the year of the second Dust Bowl? The weather channel has even run an article on the comparison between 1930 vs 2012 dust bowls. When I went home over July 4th I even went out to the field to see how the crop was doing. Amazingly, the corn was huge! With the ideal moisture in the spring and warm temperatures it was had to believe how tall the corn was at that point after going 2 weeks without moisture. Grandpa and I took a picture of the stalk's height on the 4th of July and measured out at 8'8″. Grandpa's old saying of, “Knee high by the fourth of July” was blown out of the water.
Grandpa was amazed at how genetics and fertilizers had modified corn to be so resistant of droughts, and the way the stalks now develop their root systems. Today, in the last of our video series on the Great Depression, my Grandparents talk about what it was like living through the Dust Bowl. In here they discuss steps they took to preserve food, how corn was planted back then, and just how bad the dust got.
Video #1: Marriage Advice
Video #2: Living Through the Great Depression
Since going home over the fourth much of Iowa still hasn't received much moisture, but my dad said the crop is still green. The nervous question facing many farmers in the fall is “what will the real yield be at harvest?” For many suburban folks the question for us will be “how much will the drought affect us at the grocery store?” Unfortunately, I think many of us will begin to see the affects of the drought in the late fall, and early winter. I have a feeling that the drought of 2012 is going to cost us all – ALOT!
What are you doing to prepare for higher grocery prices?
1 Comment
Great post and photos too!! Thanks for sharing. We are trying to cut costs all together. Growing food helps too. To prepare for growing grocery costs coupons are still the answer for non-generic must haves. Discount stores really help like Grocery Outlet stores ect….