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Thread: Permaculture Greening the Desert

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    Permaculture Greening the Desert

    This is interesting, because it shows hope for us and the planet in so many ways, getting away from industrial fertiliser pollution and spraying harmful chemicals in agricultural settings. Going back to the old ways, but not everyone knows how. There are techniques, however, if we dare to turn 180 degrees.

    This video shows how Geoff Lawton went to the Jordanian desert in 2001 and turned a ten acre bit of desert and turned it into a orchard, if this can be done in the Jordanian desert imagine what can be achieved not just here but everywhere.

    Last edited by Elen, 28th July 2016 at 13:12. Reason: Video was deleted by YouTube and I found another one

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    Couple turns desert into oasis

    And in this short video, we see how it's done in reality, if your heart is in it. This sits right with me.

    China View reporters visited a woman in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. She and her husband have dedicated themselves to planting trees and fighting desertification for nearly three decades.


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    From desert to oasis in 4 years. The result.

    We see the result after 4 years of a fantastic challenging desert. See for yourself; it's really, really dry there and it's working. Actually he went to the site where they made the film Lawrence of Arabia, just to make sure it was dry enough for the test.

    From what it looks like to me, we can do this and after a while it will take care of itself, after all plants including trees, attract rain. It will spread with the knowledge, my brothers and sisters. The mixture of certain plants need to be present as the unit of that mixture is the key. And the beauty of it all, it will attract LIFE, more life! Insects, birds etc. etc. Here is the proof. I was not aware that the desert contains fertile nutrients.

    Here is his web-site: http://geofflawton.com/


    Last edited by Elen, 28th July 2016 at 13:18. Reason: Video taken off and replaced

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    Permaculture well no

    Sowing the seeds in the desert the man who turned a desert into a forest

    Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008) was a farmer and philosopher who was born and raised on the Japanese island of Shikoku. He studied plant pathology and spent several years working as a customs inspector in Yokohama. While working there, at the age of 25, he had an inspiration that changed his life. He decided to quit his job, return to his home village, and put his ideas into practice by applying them to agriculture. Over the next sixty-five years he worked to develop a system of natural farming that demonstrated the insight he was given as a young man, believing that it could be of great benefit to the world. He did not plow his fields, used no agricultural chemicals or prepared fertilizers, and did not flood his rice fields as farmers have done in Asia for centuries, and yet his yields equaled or surpassed the most productive farms in Japan. In 1975 he wrote The One-Straw Revolution, a best-selling book that described his life s journey, his philosophy, and farming techniques. This book has been translated into more than twenty-five languages and has helped make Mr. Fukuoka a leader in the worldwide sustainable agriculture movement. He continued farming until shortly before his death in 2008, at the age of ninety-five


    his best work and the most interesting

    The One-Straw Revolution


    This was the first of 3 books (translated into English) by this amazing Japanese farmer and philosopher. Comparatively little-known here, Fukuoka (RIP) is famous in India, where his techniques are being used to revive desert areas.

    His communion with nature created, over the years, a natural farming technique requiring no machinery (no plowing or digging, ever!) or fossil fuel, no chemicals, no prepared compost and very little weeding. Yields are comparable to the most productive farms. Natural farming creates no pollution and the fertility of the fields improves with each season. He calls it "do-nothing farming" but it is more like "do-little" (harvesting is the most laborious part of the year).

    In this book he tells the story of how he came to farm in this way, with a fascinating overview of his philosophy and farming techniques. Along the way, he has wonderful comments about many different things we take as normal in our lives. I was gripped with excitement at the tidbits of his philosophy scattered like gems here and rushed to buy his other two English-language publications. Although I am not a farmer and never likely to become one, his viewpoints are widely relevant. Many of his predictions, based on his amazing understanding of the power of nature and of the dangers of scientific thinking, have already come to pass.

    He taught (and proved in his farm and elsewhere) that "nature is in balance and perfectly abundant just as it is. People, with their limited understanding, try to improve on nature thinking the result will be better for human beings, but adverse side effects inevitably appear. Then people take measures to counteract these side effects, and larger side effects appear. By now, almost everything humanity is doing is mitigating problems caused by previous misguided actions."

    In his next, "The Natural Way of Farming", the author continues his critique of scientific farming and of our separation from nature. Finally, his translator comments that "Sowing Seeds in the Desert", his last work, is probably his most important. Fukuoka shares more of his philosophy and writes - in the later part of the book - about his world travels (via government and university invitations) to revegetate the deserts of the world using natural farming.
    Last edited by jonsnow, 27th October 2015 at 17:12.

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    That is a great post jonsnow, I was not aware of Masanobu Fukuoka's philosophy of farming, very interesting. He could be the start of this whole thing, you know. Geoff never said that he invented this, he learned it from somebody in the 1980's. Shows you, farming shouldn't have to be hard work, as nature will work for you if you co-operate with it. For me it's lovily seeing it put into practise.

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    Elen we farm wrong completely

    All seeds should be Primeval Code or stored at ancient fertility sites
    http://www.rexresearch.com/ebner/ebner.htm

    All lands should be covered with terra preta ( yes I know how to make ancient fertile soil )
    you need clay
    sea water
    rock dust
    thousands leaves
    egg shape mound few other things


    http://www.carbon-negative.us/soil/home.htm

    All water should be moved underground never see the sun see work of Water Wizard living water should be used
    as this is best however if it is not possible ferrite water is easily made ( magnetic water )

    only copper tools to farm the lands iron is banned see water wizard

    Water Wizard, Victor Schauberger

    all seeds should be planted Masanobu Fukuoka's only strong survive
    Living Energies: Viktor Schauberger's Brilliant Work with Natural Energy Explained

    other stuff use frost guard use electric culture


    the topic is vast there is more I have not said or even know I am always learning

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    This is pretty amazing stuff, and I love seeing it. Thank you for posting these videos, Elen, and thank you Jonsnow for the additional info. I've briefly looked at both Fukuoka and Schauberger's work before but deserve to look at it in more detail. I tried one of Fukuoka's techniques once of scattering different kinds of seed together and letting nature sort of what the conditions are best for, and the winner out of carrots, radishes and I think beets, was radishes in my case, and in the small patch I sewed them in I got more than I had any use for and gave a lot of them away. And then some carrots sprouted after them in the same place.

    I've been trying to research cheap irrigation systems that are not unnecessarily heavy on water consumption that I can implement on a terraced hill. Probably a reservoir in a barrel at the top putting pressure on the lines going downhill below it. When energy becomes more affordable, like maybe a household unit that supplies all our power without having a monthly electricity bill, I'll be interested in heating a greenhouse all winter.

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    bsbray if you wish for water it is everywhere and its free. Where water comes from and how to harness it for free hint if you drill in the most unlikely places you will find it like under solid rock . Oxygen and hydrogen create water the water in the earth is Primeval ( newly made )

    new water for a
    thirsty world
    by
    Michael H. Salzman



    Well under floor heating is the best way to go and its free drill a hole geothermal heat.


    John DeLAND
    Frost Guard

    This is the future for cold weather cannot kill plants it is worth reading up about if you are a farmer how does it work harmonic resonance from the natural law of reality its complex but it works I think

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    Great Thread and oh yah information

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    Inspiring share, thank you. There's a lot of arid land/deserts in Australia where this knowledge could be applied too.

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    Permaculture: Geoff Lawton at TED, Ajman UAE

    Thank you Sandy and thank you Joanna, it's much appreciated. I think he is already working in Australia. It will be seen in time.

    This next video is a talk that he made on TED. He makes a lot of sense. It is so heartening seeing the audience "a room full of Arabs" that are showing a lot of interest.

    And this is really going world wide. I am grateful to experience this now.

    About Geoff:

    Geoff Lawton is an internationally - renowned permaculture educator, consultant and practitioner. He emigrated from England to Australia and later studied permaculture with Bill Mollison in Tasmania. He established the Permaculture Research Institute at Tagari Farm in New South Wales, Australia, a 147 acre farmstead previously developed by Mollison. PRI was eventually moved to Zaytuna Farm, in The Channon, where it continues today.

    Since 1985, Geoff has designed and implemented permaculture projects in 30 countries for private individuals and groups, communities, governments, aid organizations, & multinational corporations. He has taught the Permaculture Design Certificate course and designed permaculture projects in 30 countries. The Permaculture Research Institute supports the establishments of Permaculture Master Plan sites worldwide as demonstration sites and education centers that network their research information through.


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    Cold climate permaculture design and farming

    From greening the desert to cold climate survival. This is for the ones living in colder climates. Cleaning water naturally. And long term planning.



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    Fascinating topic - enjoyed reading the posts and watching the videos.

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    X 2, fascinating, thankyou for making this available here Elen.

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    Masanobu Fukuoka - Natural Farming Basics

    In all fairness to jonsnow, here is a video about natural farming with Masanobu Fukuoka. Here is an idea about seeding, make clayballs with seeds inside of it, and use a slingshot. I'm not making fun, it's for real.

    His attitude is very interesting and simple; respect nature and nature will look after you.

    Thank you for sharing the information on this Japanese farmer.

    Last edited by Elen, 28th July 2016 at 13:22. Reason: Somebody is taking all the videos off and I replace them

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