The Dirty '30s, Shearing Sheep, Water Woes, & Agritourism

Weekly Edition #14

Good Morning. Welcome to the Gravel Road - your weekly agri-news infotainment. Sure hope you have us in your Final Four bracket of newsletters…

Here’s what we have this week:

• 💨 The Dust Bowl

• ✂️ Shearing Sheep

• 🍅 Agritourism

• 🐑 Top Ten Wool Uses

WISDOM

The wind howled across the desolate plains, carrying with it clouds of choking dust that blotted out the sun and left a layer of grit on everything in its path. The land was parched and barren, the crops long withered and dead.

This was the Dust Bowl, a period of devastation and despair that scarred the American heartland in the 1930s. For nearly a decade, the people of the Great Plains were forced to endure relentless dust storms, crop failures, and economic ruin.

The story of the Dust Bowl is a haunting reminder of the devastating power of nature and the enduring resilience of the human spirit.

To avoid repeating, we must learn from the main factors that caused the Dirty ‘30s.

Drought

A severe drought struck the Great Plains region in the early 1930s. This prolonged lack of rain caused the soil to dry out and turn to dust.

Federal Land Policies

The Homestead Act & following government programs led to a massive influx of new and inexperienced farmers across the region. Encouraged by the frontier spirit of Manifest Destiny.

Their lack of knowledge of farming in the semi-arid climate led to widespread cultivation of marginal ground.

Over Farming

To break even during a period of falling wheat prices, farmers turned to more intensive farming techniques.

Deep plowing & cultivating poor ground destroyed the natural grasses that held the soil together & prevented erosion.

Soil Erosion & High Winds

The combination of drought and over farming caused the topsoil to become loose and vulnerable to wind erosion.

Sustained high winds, common among the Great Plains, plus loose topsoil, resulted in dust storms that would darken the sky for days.

Lack of Vegetation

The destruction of the natural grasses and the loss of topsoil led to a decline in vegetation.

Livestock feed was scarce & raising crops was nearly impossible.

Economic Depression

The Dust Bowl occurred during the Great Depression, which made it difficult for farmers to earn a living.

Falling crop prices made what was able to be raised, nearly worthless. Financial collapse followed.

The results of the Dust Bowl were devastating:

• Thousands of deaths

• 500,000 families left homeless

• 2.5 million people left the Dust Bowl states

• Bank closures, business losses, and skyrocketing unemployment plagued the region.

• Countless emotional and social impacts were felt, many of which can still be seen today.

So what can we take away from this tragic period of US history?

There are lessons to be had for farmers and ranchers everywhere as it relates to how we respect nature. Soil conservation, water resource management, crop diversity, and other land management practices are all prudent steps we can take to limit the chances of another Dust Bowl.

However, maybe the greatest lesson to be learned is perseverance. Those of us fortunate enough to live in the Great Plains today owe a huge debt of gratitude to the perseverance of the men and women who forged ahead, against incredible odds, and left the agricultural legacy we enjoy today.

SEEDS

• 🍓 Agritourism: The global agritourism market is expected to hit $117 billion within 4 years. A great opportunity for growers of pick-your-own produce and those willing to provide farm tours & dude ranches to double down and capitalize on this trend.

• 🐷 Swine Fever: The incurable African swine fever is surging through China hog farms; with some regions being 50% infected. Expect prices to drive higher as China’s hog output declines.

• 🥩 Plant Closure: Toronto based beef processing facility TruHarvest Meats is closing for financial reasons. This plant is only one of three in Ontario which will greatly decrease slaughterhouse space for regional beef producers.

• 💦 Water Woes: The Colorado River is the dryest it’s been in more than 1,000 years, causing the Biden administration to offer farmers & ranchers in Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado cash to not farm. The offer is $150 per acre-foot of water not used, part of a total $125 million allocation, but many producers say it’s not a big enough payment to warrant their ground being fallow.

• 🍗 Cell Chicken: Cultivated meat (growing meat from cells outside the animal) took a step forward by obtaining a preliminary safety approval from the FDA. Singapore start-up company, GOOD Meat, plans to produce cultivated chicken for the US market later this year.

How To: Shear a Sheep in 6 [backbreaking] Steps

Sheep must be shorn each year (unless you have hair/shedding sheep) and this typically happens a few weeks before lambing. If you’ve ever wondered how they get their haircut, you’re in luck. I had some pictures taken while recently shearing one of my folks’ ewes to try and explain the process.

Before we begin - the equipment. The shearing machine has three main components:

• Handpiece (motor unit)

• Comb

• Cutter

The sharp comb slides back and forth across the stationary cutter. This slides along the sheep's skin and cuts the wool.

1. The Belly

• Sheep is on her hip with her right leg tucked between my legs.

• Belly wool is the dirtiest and usually thrown away.

• Inside of the legs and under the udder shorn in this position.

2. The Hip & Rear

• Sheep is shifted to lay further on her hip.

• Outside of leg & hip area sheared.

• Around the tailhead cleaned up.

3. The Head, Neck, & Shoulder

• My foot steps between her back legs.

• Sheep's neck is stretched to tighten wrinkly skin.

• Shoulder is sheared to open up for the long blows.

4. The Back & Sides

• Sheep is laid on her side.

• Shear from her tailhead to her neck.

• These are called the long blows... they're the "money makers."

5. Shoulder, Leg, & Side

• Sheep's head is tucked between my legs.

• Right shoulder and leg sheared.

• Remainder of the side wool taken off to the last leg.

6. Last Leg & Hip

• Sheep's head is brought back in front and her weight is shifted back against me.

• Last leg is sheared.

• Finish shearing the ewe with the last hip.

The Fleece

• When done properly, the entire fleece (wool) should be in one piece.

• It's then packed into a wool bag & shipped to a wool buyer.

And that’s all there is to it. Here’s a quick video I made showing the whole process:

THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN: Wool Uses

So you got your sheep sheared. Now somebody has to do something with all that wool. Prices may be lower than my ranking in my March Madness pool, but there’s still a wide variety of uses for wool.

Here’s the top ten uses for wool along with their approximate percentages:

1. Apparel (clothing, accessories, etc.) - 45%

2. Carpets and rugs - 35%

3. Blankets and bedding - 5%

4. Industrial uses (insulation, filters, etc.) - 5%

5. Upholstery - 3%

6. Felts and padding - 2%

7. Yarn and thread - 2%

8. Felt hats - 1%

9. Tennis ball covers - 1%

10. Musical instrument parts (piano hammers, etc.) - 1%

MEME OF THE WEEK

That's a wrap, folks.

THANK YOU to everyone who works off the beaten path to feed our nation.

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