Farmers on the Prairies (cont'd.) Results: -lost soil and seeds to the winds -could not grow anything valuable -could not pay their mortgages -lost their farms and homes		The situation worsened when a long drought hit southern Saskatchewan and Alberta. The drought turned the rich topsoil into dry dust and made it impossible to grow anything valuable. Farmers who tried to plant new seeds could not keep them in the ground because strong winds often blew away both soil and seeds. Prairie farmers without crops to harvest could not pay the mortgages on their farms. Thus, many of them lost their farms and homes to the banks.