During the drought and depression of the 1920s and 1930s, livestock prices dropped dramatically. The money farmers received for selling their cattle did not cover the shipping costs to send them to market. In response, the government purchased cattle and hogs with the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 to reduce the number on the market. Some livestock went to feed the hungry, the rest were shot and buried in mass pits. The farmers received $14 to $20 per head for cattle and $8 for calves at an 80% loss. This image is from Gregory County.
The exhibit "Drowning in Dirt: Joseph Hutton and the Dust Bowl" is now open at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum. Come visit the Museum and learn more about the 1930s Dust Bowl and its effects on South Dakota.