These high winds are catastrophic when it comes to soil erosion and overall health. Thankfully, farming practices have changed since the dust bowl of the 1930s. If that weren’t the case, Centrol Crop Consulting agronomist Lee Briese says the impacts would be far worse. “The atmosphere was filled with millions of tons of soil moving and leaving farms, and unfortunately some of the highest fertility is at the top,” says Briese. “Of course, we’re losing moisture at the same time. There isn’t much farmers can do during an event like this, but there are things they can do in the future.” Before the winds picked up, farmers had started fieldwork and seeded small grains in south central North Dakota. Briese says now that the dust has settled, farmers should find the holes in their farming practices and start filling them.Hear more in this Red River Farm Network interview with Briese.