Farmers of the era could not feed even themselves and had to abandon not only the land but a way of life. Poor farming techniques and insufficient land conservation practices in the 1920's left a legacy of misery. Erosion will never be completely stopped, for it is one of nature's most powerful and persistent forces. Without erosion we'd have no beaches or fertile bottomlands. Yet farmland erosion continues today as a major concern even though the devastating dust storms of the past are no longer the prime cause of soil loss because of better cultivation practices.
Economic impact can still be significant when erosion is water caused.
Replacement of agricultural topsoil may be prohibitively expensive, and depending on the magnitude of loss, may not be possible. And that is before on-site costs of labor, fuel and amendments needed to prepare the soil for planting. Add in lost time and multiply by total acreage and the bill becomes staggering. Vineyards and orchards are often planted on slopes where it would be difficult or impractical to plant short duration vegetable crops, such as broccoli or lettuce, that require significant irrigation. In modern tradition the lanes between trees or grape vines are disced clean, exposing them to the ravages of water and wind scouring.