Celebrating 10-Years at the Greening the Desert Project, Jordan

The Greening the Desert (GTD) Project started with the purchase of land about ten years ago, and it expanded slowly until that mounted into exponential growth. Things started at the top, literally, with a large water tank that feeds a shower/toilet block just downhill. The toilets are dry composting, supplying fertilizer for plants on site, and the greywater from the showers and sinks goes to a nearby reed bed. The reed bed, still high in the landscape, is then able to send gravity-fed irrigation to many trees throughout the site. It’s all used onsite for beneficial biological cleaning.
The food forest with stone walls and earth-backed swales moves through the landscape to rabbit and chicken houses, which combine manures in a system that creates a cubic meter of compost every five weeks. That goes to the main crop garden, a shade-covered kitchen garden. The surplus fertilizer (compost) goes to food forest trees and the nursery. The runoff from the nursery goes through to the kitchen garden. The accommodation building has an office, a classroom, and eight bedrooms. It’s two stories high and made with earth brick and straw bale. The roof has a beautiful garden made up of wicking beds.
The project started in 2008, and the association working on it was created in 2011. Jordan is hot and arid, so the systems applied help with water conservation. At the same time, they save money by not relying on chemicals and, instead, utilizing natural process. While chemicals seem beneficial at the offset, they ultimately kill the soil and destroy fertility.
The current farm manager, Hayel Abu Yahia, took the PDC course with Geoff in 2013 and has been working on the project ever since, setting up wicking beds and teaching organic techniques. The project also works with local schools, and from there, it has been instrumental in setting up gardens at students’ homes. The project’s crew are working with 20 families and five schools, helping them establish systems similar to those on the farm. The surrounding community is adopting some of the practices.
Mayson Aledwan, Director of Al Kafreen Secondary School for Girls, says her school’s land was unsuitable for agriculture. They had tried to grow plant several times but had quickly failed. Working with the Greening the Desert Project, the school learned agriculture was available and all of the students could participate. The association created ponds and taught the students how to cultivate them. The students worked with citrus trees. The wicking beds, greywater systems from kitchens, and organic compost from waste were all techniques that taught them to manage resources well.
Sh. Hassan Elsetohy celebrates that the MAA has been supporting the Greening the Desert Project for over five years. During this time, the project has expanded greatly, and the results have equated to food abundance in the desert. MAA is an ethical, trust-fund charity focused on wise sustainable development projects.
Naima Ahmed is a housewife and permaculture teacher, and having a garden has had a huge impact on here. Rather than relying on markets, she can go to the garden to choose what she needs and eat what she grows. One of the problems Naima and many other gardeners face is space limitations, and because permaculture techniques can assemble gardens in small spaces, more people in the community are now adopting them, particularly the wicking bed system.
Yaman Amro, a permaculture graduate, notes that this site is quite different because it is maintained by locals and nearby families. It’s expanding to schools and other families and communal gardens where people can learn about permaculture and food resilience, including producing their own products and living off the land. There are many contributors as well, and Muslim Aid Australia (MAA) is a major one.
Now that Greening the Desert is expanding out through the schools, villages, and towns, the hope is that the project will be replicated in locations throughout Jordan and the region.
Jackie Scott, a permaculture graduate, was so excited about the project that she has included it in her programs. Young kids have their own gardens, raising the nutrition and diet of their families and are selling produce. In ten days, Jackie completed the course and went from knowing nothing about growing her own food to having a garden from which she eats daily. She is also teaching. She recommends everyone do a PDC course.
How can you help? Well, for those that feel inspired to donate to help this project you can do so, here: permaculturenews.org/permacul... OR www.maainternational.org.au/d.... Please specify the "Greening the Desert Project" in the description field and we guarantee your money will help fund this project.

[@chadstreblow3543]

I recently purchased a five acre lot in the high desert of Colorado. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do with this land, but have had no idea where to begin. This video and Mr. Lawton has inspired me begin my journey of turning desert land into self sustaining oasis.

[@NotaF3D]

Hey I'm working food foreetry in Denver! How far are you from the city?

[@dominikrode8184]

this has always been a dream of mine. have you had any success so far with it

[@thewanderer9740]

My little brother worked with you in Jordan, I am so proud of what you have done for my home land. Thank you Sir Geoff.

[@ibrahimabdelkhaleq5572]

How can I apply to work with them?!

[@rolfpoelman3486]

@@ibrahimabdelkhaleq5572 Greening the Desert Project has a website.

[@rolfpoelman3486]

Another update on neighbour Miss Abla Abu Elhajj, thanks.

Its great that the locals are starting to get the inspiration and making their lives better.

[@thomasellis8586]

This is deeply inspiring...confirms my conviction that Permaculture is the last, best hope of humanity. As Geoff himself put it a decade ago, "You can solve all the world's problems in a garden."

[@velvetindigonight]

That's what I thought till I discovered 'Restorative Farming', 'Rewilding' and 'Livestock Guardian Animals' (Dogs eat meat expensive, donkeys and lamas even camles eat grass!) and replacing the 'trophic cascades' in nature......... Really in places like the Knepp Estate, Sussex UK or the Loess Plateau in China etc., very little needs to be done to heal the Earth and us. Breath taking and inspiring. Enjoy.

[@PerryAdkins]

Thanks for the Update Geoff Lawton and congratulations all the participants in the Greening the Desert Project.

[@punkseth1]

We need this everywhere

[@eugenetswong]

Congratulations, on your success, everybody!

[@drsyedmohammadzeeshan6596]

Excellent work. Proud of you all. Permaculture is definitely the path to ultimate happiness .

[@shabbyhijabi4344]

This is an amazing project! Jordanians definitely need this knowledge to them become more self sufficient.

[@smeyer9507]

Very Good, all the answers are available, many can be found on KZbin. These things MUST be implemented WORLDWIDE, if we don't want ALL to become extinct.

[@evagreub1908]

Wundervoll, so sollte es sein, das eigene Essen produzieren. Das macht Glücklich und satt.

[@peterwilliamson4296]

Really inspiring. In NZ our councils don't let us collect water off our roofs as they always think town reservoirs will see us right. WE let our used water escape un utilised, We need to be less wasteful with water.

[@PsychicIsaacs]

That is so wrong, as town water is full of chemicals like fluoride and chlorine. Do it anyway. I grew up in New Zealand, at Rotorua, and it was such a beautiful place, the soil was rich, there was regular rainfall and it was hardly ever too cold or too hot. My parents moved there from Geraldton in West Australia, which is quite a bit harsher. They had a market garden there that they sold to buy the house at Rotorua, and they always grew vegetables and fruit trees on their suburban block of land. The place was so free when I was a child, but now you are ruled by a tyrant. I will pray for you. Kia Kaha!

[@knit7920]

Thanks. May your next ten years be filled with more success too.

[@Jackson-rf6rv]

Congrats on your 10 years. You have done an incredible job. Keep up the great work

[@dinosaur0073]

Great work Geoff... And thank you for taking care of our nation and give them hope for tomorrow in "the" most dry land on earth..Godbless you .

[@farisasmith7109]

Niama is my " Shero ". She doesn't say much in your videos, but she's always in there working in every area. Great example.

[@miracleshappen4483]

I 'm so impressed! Self reliance with permaculture is the way to go towards an abundant existence for all species! 💖🙏🤗

[@nickthekickBelgie]

This makes me so happy. Only way foreward for the world. Keep up the good work!!!

[@miracleshappen4483]

God bless you all! 💖🤗😁😀👍😘

[@PermacultureHomestead]

another inspiring production. Forever my Hero Geoff Lawton

[@pawanjindal4286]

Great work

[@farjigamer2813]

I have seen your work few years back maybe in one of the documentary of John D. Liu, it is really inspiring.

[@uldymuldy]

Georg, you earned the Nobel Prize

[@tovaritchboy]

Enjoy seeing the success in the desert and watching things change and green and spread as people SEE that it works and that THEY benefit from it. Congrats!!!

[@joydeepghosh1781]

Beautiful, need of the hour.

[@buffplums]

So good to hear that this technology is being used in more and more places.

[@leob8363]

My biggest dream is to study with Geoff and help the poor population of North East Brazil where poverty and suffering is huge. Would love to help empoyer people.

[@sampuatisamuel9785]

Fantastic project and marvellous results

[@DiegoPunchw]

Beautiful, that's the way

[@glenw1740]

This is amazing!

[@bananaboyTS]

thanks to all the generous muslims of australia :) mashallah

[@michaelclensbury9068]

Amazing. Best video of a introduction to permaculture!!

[@evanstowers8529]

Geoff Lawton is a hero.

[@sarahflanagan9345]

Geoff, am curious to know how Zeytuna Farm in Australia is holding up during the massive heat waves and fires that we hear about in Australia. Hope your farm is weathering this extreme climate well.

[@drazenberec3282]

just beautiful!

[@pawanjindal4286]

great work

[@cuongtruong6043]

The work done to these plots of land have been remarkable. However, I can't help but think that the regeneration of the land could have been extended further out to the hillside and other parts of the region, once it was realised that permaculture techniques were working after two or three years since launch.

[@gopalakrishnasn5311]

Jordanian government should have taken note of this silent eco-friendly change being brought about by the community. The government of Jordan should think of ways and means to encourage soil enrichment and maximum utilisation of scarce rainfall so as to increase green cover over the desert landscape of the country.

[@brianquinn5060]

@@gopalakrishnasn5311 All world gov- should take note.

[@sampuatisamuel9785]

While you are trolling them, the participants are getting on with the project and loving it

[@zz3OPEN]

@@brianquinn5060 Unfortunately you can't expect everyone to be so eager to jump on board, especially when there is corruption in government and the initial need for funding for a large scale project in this context. But I think in general the people of countries like this will adopt permaculture and similar when they see the overwhelming benefit for themselves and the community as a whole. As can be seen in the video of course.

[@one-shotthompson8517]

This is exciting to see!

[@damojames974]

You should start a farm in all the world's deserts

[@brunoguzmanbg]

Great job!!

[@QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

Just lovely, mate. I love such projects.

[@banik5213]

Are you part of the sahara forest project? Keep doing what you are doing friend.

[@AdrianHepburn-vz9yr]

This is awesome.

[@JeeJeanVittoVlogs]

Really inspiring video and a lot of ideas and tips about..thank you for sharing and i can’t wait to subscribe to this video, really informative & inspiring video. Thank you for changing the world.👍❤️🙏🏻

[@susanhickey3073]

fantastic!

[@RandyFelts2121]

Been there in July 1998. 120 degrees 48.8889 Celsius on top of Masada. Wanting to be back in Texas where it was a cool 103.

[@rubygray7749]

What is WRONG with those 8 thumbs-downers???

[@hafeexius]

They're in Australia and it looks like thumbs up to them 😁

[@brooksanderson2599]

@@hafeexius ;-)

[@ikke1970100]

Those are Zionist

[@flatsville1]

@@hafeexius Dude, You made me spit coffee & 😂😂😂. I have to know...Does the toilet water swirl in the clockwise direction in Australia?

[@rolfpoelman3486]

20

[@rolfpoelman3486]

Another update on neighbour Miss Abla Abu Elhajj, thanks.

[@michaelmitchell8567]

Feeling inspired

[@TITAN0402]

Great video very inspirational shame they never did shit like this when I was at school oh wait they still don’t in the UK and most of the world.....what a shame. I’ve had to educate myself over the past 2 years about the importance of permaculture and the earth etc, it started with studying about Cannabis which is a huge passion of mine, it then spiralled off to learning about Bryophytes and Lichens and photosynthetic Photon flux density, and then fungi and mycorrhizal fungi, and also in between I’ve studied soil science and microbiology, my goal at the start was to always have a self supporting lifestyle using all the knowledge that I have gained,and I had not heard about permaculture up till about 5-6 months ago I believe, as soon as I searched up “permaculture course” on KZbin my soul resinated with the whole concept and I was hooked to all the information that was coming out of Bill and Geoff on the videos. Permaculture has got to be the coolest thing ever and I used to think that becoming a personal trainer or door supervisor would make me happy! So now I’m sat on my ass smoking a joint or Stardawg waiting for myself to spin up and out of a void I have recently descended into.

[@lindapolle1665]

Amen, I took Ag in college, USA. Wow was I deceived.

[@dankgenetics3671]

Would be good to go back in ten years and see the results

[@chandanchandra4819]

Great initiative

[@miloutanfari6582]

أعانكم الله وأحسن لكل من ساهم

[@xavierdiaz9536]

I want to do this...

[@navneetsahay196]

Plant black currant and java plum ,and juniper Pomogranate and Adirachta Indica ( Neem tree)which can grow well in Jordan desert

[@scoutjohnson1803]

When are you coming to Australia!

[@y.k9584]

That sentence should've had a question mark rather that the exclamation mark !>? This is just for your grammar's sake👍

[@elainebanks8258]

To Geoff- have you received an invite to meet with the world leaders at the UN yet? You've shown us how we could reverse the food crisis and solutions to the deforestation crisis. I'm sure the UN would find value in your input towards some solutions to the environmental challenges the world is facing today. I give thanks your videos ending up on my recommendations to watch! THANK YOU!!

[@elainesommers9109]

I'm presuming this could also be done at animal sanctuaries where the animals are seen as being integral to the project, but as equal beneficiaries, and not as commodities - food.

[@andrewblacklock630]

Yes, you could sponsor an animal, for example, and you could pay for its care, health bills, feed, and legal injection when it is old and/or sick.

[@elainesommers9109]

Same as we do for human animals then!

[@threeyees]

I think what Elaine is speaking towards is a rotational pasture system, where the animals living within the system are healthier because they are eating more complete diets and are contributing to the soil fertility. Additionally, the fertility gained from having these animals within the system can be applied to a market garden or something similar for human consumption. It's definitely possible. People are already doing it, but maybe not as an animal rescue yet.

[@andrewblacklock630]

@@threeyees ...and then, they are eaten or sold to be eaten. Animals are too much work to use them as a throughput to the system, only to let them die wasted. Makes no sense. Either they: 1) Go extinct. 2) Live "wild" lives with no medicine, winter rations or protection most likely being eaten alive by predators or some other horrible death. 3) Are raise and eaten as livestock. (Small farm, rotational pasture system is best). 4) Vegans and vegetarians pay farms to keep them, providing birth control, healthcare, food, water, and some humane death. This is costly and wasteful.

[@VikingMan44]

Wake up. All living creatures are ultimately food commodities. Something will eat all animal life on the planet when it dies. Fungus. Bacteria. Mold. Predators. Scavengers. Why is it thought by some that humans are morally wrong for eating animals? An animal's inevitable death will be just as painful no matter who or what consumes their flesh when they are gone.

[@switkera8687]

water means everything, no water, no food or tree

[@lindaholmes5674]

Brilliant

[@s.hennigan5801]

alf mabrouk!

[@christino9405]

Love permaculture. I hope we get more examples of vegan permaculture as well. I see no problem with using the animals without killing them. They are an asset to any land.

[@ismailniyaz5167]

When did people start burning organic waste instead of using it to re-fertilise the land? It seems like a pretty recent development.

[@TheDHEL13]

Is there a link on how you designed and created your liquid fertilizer base and ingredients?

[@scottdunlap2626]

What is the average annual rainfall there?

[@guybartlett9587]

Subbed

[@huehue5286]

It's always amaze me that in the northeast of Brazil, in which is dry but rains more than these deserts areas, people are dying of starvation because they don't know permaculture and instead, keep waiting miracles from the govt instead of tackling the problem with their hands.

[@devinjohnson7272]

We need to have some sort of program that gives funding for hyper growth plant breads.. the faster the plant grows and the more types of environment it can thrive in the better.. (can have some with multiple purposes food,air purifier,water retention,wood,ect.)..start with plants that are hard to kill then move to breading desired traits. =)

[@josephparungaoandchristine7362]

Gmo sounds good because of its financially gain, but how about its nutritional value. We just dont need to eat, but we need to eat to have a healthier people.

[@paxhumana2015]

Can doing things like this end droughts once and for all?

[@flip4style]

❤

[@vace8914]

How's it going now?

[@justgivemethetruth]

Very beautiful and impressive, I just want to know if now that this has been done, if you started another project like this could you do better in 10 years? The results from 10 years of work while worthwhile in themselves in terms of helping the environment and feeding people ... a kind of reverse externality, how does something like this fit into a business oriented national or global economy? I'd love to see efforts like this all over the world with experiments and keeping track of best practices in order to reverse climate change and being real food to people ... but can that really work. Can you feed house and pay people to work in a place like this and sustain it economically, even if it must be subsidized for some number of years by government or charity, can the end result be self-perpetuating and expanding?

[@rolfpoelman3486]

0:16 and 2:34 until 2:41 Are those photos and video of the site in 2008 before being started?

[@MistressOP]

now that you have a seed location imagine getting another 10 acres right next door. or across the street

[@alexnoman1498]

All the neighbours are implementing it already! The village is now full of food forests and nurseries, he made several videos about that :)

[@McDaniel77]

This stuff is important for so many people who starve. Learn how to use permaculture. Great products, naturally grown, no pesticides or artificial fertilizer needed. Chickens eat the waste food material, producing eggs and great chicken meat.

[@xyzsame4081]

One advantage: they will not have to deal with many pests and plant diseases. No SLUGS, that's for sure !

[@mbahmarijan789]

can I join this project??

[@englishsexy31]

PLEEEEASE WHAT IS THE MINIMUM SOIL DEPTH AND MINIMUM RAINFALL FOR YOUR IDEA TO WORK PLEASE ?

[@navneetsahay196]

Call the Miyawaki forestry expert Mr Sharma from India He has created 100such dense forestry even in dry lands He will transform Jordan into a green land in just three years time

[@georgesalachkar9903]

Can anyone point out how or where to start learning?

[@lindapolle1665]

KZbin is a good way to start, then get a book. 😁

[@georgesalachkar9903]

Linda Polle haha , thank u Linda for thr amazing tip..any book recommendations?

[@lindapolle1665]

@@georgesalachkar9903 This is a hidden secret power. Go to your public library. Ask for the "Research Librarian". Tell the Librarian what is on your mind. You see, the Librarian has access to data bases not open to the general public. Once you have a target, go shopping on line. 😁

[@JohnJewel]

Help me do this in Fruitland Utah

[@tinogarcia2094]

Yuca....and chaka...can help to bring the rain forest to jordan

[@justgivemethetruth]

1:35 - Why is this guy emptying the buckets of food on top of the chickens?

[@akeem1221]

Is there anyway i can attend Permaculture course?? intested.

[@iskarkordt9236]

I'm doing the online course right now and it's awesome. You'll find it by just going to Geoff Lawtons website. Or have a look at what permaculture projects are going on in your area.

[@DianeMEmerson]

Here is Geoff's site: www.geofflawtononline.com

[@flamingstag2381]

yep all allways its comes 2 h20

[@releventhurt]

I will

[@omega4chimp]

Thats good stop all desert.

[@FX.2020]

Eske bare me hindi language me kuch ho to plz mujhe bataye

[@bvegannow1936]

Convince gov to let everyone have an acre of free tax free fertile land that they can live on and grow a food forest on. Watch earthlings the movie its free on youtube

[@rolfpoelman3486]

1:34 I see 3 good bananas. Why waste them?

[@lol-cu3lh]

Commento scritto per favore altrimenti non si capisce niente

[@mrclamity5560]

The schools system is all wrong, especially here in the UK. We are taught algebra and all about Newton's Law, but we're not shown even the basics of how to grow fruits and vegetables, the very staples of life. It's all wrong. I've gone yet another year without needing to work out the circumference of a circle using pi.

[@user-if4df7lk1z]

When will people let animal grazzing go which is what help to destroy the land in the first place?

[@gregoryeverson741]

wrong, its poor farming skills

[@HadzabadZa]

Animals dump manure on infertile lands, overtime fixing it, smoothbrain

[@DianeMEmerson]

@@HadzabadZa It depends on how they are managed. If you watch the very first Greening the Desert video, vimeo.com/7658282 Geoff Lawton calls the goats "Maggots", because they were allowed to overgraze. You are right, in that if the grazing animals are managed well, they can indeed help repair existing grazing lands.

[@wesallen6782]

For real " greening the desert " look to Israel.

[@admindadipancar5494]

look to China

[@AdrianHepburn-vz9yr]

Geoff, have you converted to Islam? Myself: Atheist. Geoff, what is your opinion of womens' rights in Jordan? Myself: women and men ought be held to the same standards under the law. Cheers.

[@haweyaabdillahiadhan7621]

They have nothing why cant they aply chinese system making a big forest

[@miekebogaard4851]

Indien men geen vervuilend werk heeft probeer te douchen zonder zeep zodat er geen vervuiling van giftige stoffen in het kostbare water word toegevoegd.CHRIST.

[@josephparungaoandchristine7362]

10 years but its not that phenomenal, because they chose to do it in low scale.

[@bloopblooper490]

I don't like the shower block at the top of the land. I don't like moringa either, it's too uniform. Hey, it's a free world, there are alternatives. Finding support for alternatives is another matter. Karma now on those holding the purse strings.

[@threeyees]

You don't "like" it? Okey dokey, I guess if you like making less efficient designs. However, the shower blocks being at the top of the property has them closest to the gravity fed water holding tanks. Having the shower blocks any lower in the landscape could increase water pressure, but wouldn't provide any other benefits.

[@justgivemethetruth]

@@threeyees Why doesn't he like the shower block at the top of the land? I agree the reason it is there is to still maintain some height as the now grey water can be used to trickle through the systems without any costs of pumping it back up from somewhere else.