History Repeats Itself for the Uneducated

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48076883/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/#.T_biAfXkq7V

      Something tells me we as a nation just aren't learning or improving our practices. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s was more a result of our abuse of the top soil layer that took thousands of years to build up. Instead of leaving every other field planted with grasses for hay or not, we planted every field with row crops as far as the eye could see. No mulch, no replenished top soil. Nothing to help crops last through a drought. The several years of drought destroyed the top soil and water reserves to the point nothing could be grown. Winds would come and sweep up the dried up manure and dirt, launching it into the air and all across the country.
   
      And we could face this again? How? We have moved animals and crops farther and farther away from each other. We spend millions "fertilizing" our fields with lab created Phosphorous, Potasium and Nitrogen. The fertilizer's main form is as a salt which ends up killing the living organisms that ironically make the top soil healthy. We have left the idea of crop rotations because we want more and more on less land. Manure that is dumped on crops hasn't had a chance to decompose. We can't rely on the already existing soil organisms to break it down because they were already killed off. So what happens? The manure dries up and ammonia is released into the air as a gas. What if another dust bowl were to happen? Same thing as 80 years ago...

    Fun fact of the day: 70% of corn grown in this country, and we do grow a lot of corn, is fed to animals who can't really digest it... Cows. What if we took all those acres and grew grass on them in order to feed those same cows what they should really be eating? Did you know the alfalfa plant has roots that can reach 20 feet down? Planting that not only would not only act as a hedge fund against drought but would help bring more nutrients to the top soil; that precious thing we so readily abuse. We would then be able to produce cattle so cheap that beef would surpass chicken and we may start seeing things like beef nuggets... gross concept but still. The beef would be much healthier than what is being produced on that same scale now. Even the environment would be improved by having cover crops on the land instead of seasonal plantings. Cover crops trap the dust and dirt, clean the air, and even lower the surrounding air temperature by a few degrees. If we plant a variety of grasses all together, we wouldn't spend so much on irrigation and maybe our lakes like Lake Mead and water tables could restore themselves. As the underground aquifers replenish, older trees then have a constant source of abundant water to tap. The hundreds of gallons of water a tree pumps into the air cools the temperatures down. The cooler temperatures again lead to less water use.

     I know 90% (not sure of accuracy) of America has watched the Lion King.  Life is a great circle and we are wrong to think we can do things individually. Support your local farmer who understands these ideals and in the end you will be supporting yourselves.