Later, farmers reported damage to young crops after "cover crops" - designed to protect them from the elements - were blown away.

BBC: Fen Blow phenomenon: Farmers concerned as winds threaten

The weather impact was exacerbated by decades of extensive farming without crop rotation, cover crops and other techniques to prevent wind erosion.

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Farmers can also add carbon-rich compost to the soil, and plant "cover crops" such as rye or vetch during parts of the year when land otherwise would lie idle.

NPR: Iowa Farmers Look to Trap Carbon in Soil

Farmers are used to holding some profits in reserve to cover such years as 2012, when crops are failing.

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