Dust Bowl 2008

This year’s corn crop is the largest since 1933 USDA Sees Huge Corn Harvest. The large harvest in 1933 is blamed on poor agricultural methods that pushed fields beyond sustainable crop levels in response to previous demand during World War I. The abnormally high rainfall and seasonable temperatures in 1933 allowed for a record harvest, and are mirrored in 2007. This is being attributed to El Nino. The next year in May 1934 started the famous Dust Bowl. Dust Bowl - Wikipedia Caused by a lack of rain and the soil being exposed to high winds. Farming methods are much improved compared to 1933, and because of ethanol, demand remains high for corn. Another difference is that 1933 is an abnormally high hurricane year Wet Southeast and Gulf Coast. Recent scientific studies indicate that the normalization of coastal and ocean temperatures caused by global warming could be reducing the number of hurricanes this year. The lessons learned in 1934 should allow us to avoid a dust bowl in 2008. Given that some years after El Nino have had reduced rainfall, corn futures could be a good investment this winter.