Behind the Scenes of the Greening the Desert Project

[@jamesoliver5688]

Geoff Lawton does more fr extending the Peace and Grace of God unintentionally than a hundred preachers on purpose ! I think he is totally unaware of it! Just loves the work and the Results and is Passionate about passing it on to others ! Thats Awesome !

[@farisasmith7109]

The area is so much greener now. Your neighbors are really taking on permaculture techniques. And the site is so beautiful. Always improving on itself.

[@sarahflanagan9345]

Geoff, I am hoping that if you can't make it to Jordan this winter (2020-21) because of covid-19, that the staff there could post some new videos on any new projects at this wonderful inspiring garden in the Jordan desert. I always look forward to your yearly visit and new videos you generously share with us.

[@1cognito]

Just great work from your Palestinian and Jordanian team! Much respect. Peace upon you.

[@futurecaredesign]

18:19 - I can really relate to having an organized workspace. In Dutch we have a saying: "A good start, is half the work done." Nothing is more draining than a disorganized workshop / storage area.

[@jhosk]

Absolutely adore what y'all are doing, all it takes is one person to start and others will follow

[@saucywench9122]

Yeah, New reed beds! Geoff, I love how you geeked out over the tool room. You we're so excited. Sad to see you leave Jordan, the Greening the Desert project is my favorite and it is beautiful! Hats off to all of the workers and congratulations.

[@stevecampkin8613]

Good luck in Australia, it needs you right now.

[@louisegogel7973]

This is such an awesome behind the scenes view of Greening the Desert! So so impressive everything is: the lush garden from pure baren rock, the wonderful functional building with such great sleeping quarters and teaching room. So much more to list on what it impressive…. and perhaps the very pinnacle of impressive is local people taking on Permaculture!! Professionals in the making, hurrah!

[@SoilHealthpk]

Learning Permaculture in PAKISTAN, with many enthusiast here in Karachi Mr. Geoff Lawton, Thank you for sharing and giving us the opportunity to learn from your expertise #Gratitude

[@bismillahrabbani9006]

What a wonderful, productive and worthwhile place to live a Blessed life. Thank you for sharing this. I've thoroughly enjoyed watching and learning.

[@johnmcginnis5201]

Geoff and the team should be proud. A lot of work that has paid off.

[@JBFromOZ]

simply brilliant! PDC alumni from 2013, our little home urban garden is such peace and happiness every day for us, thank you

[@simplestir]

What an amazing job Geoff. Bless you. There’s nothing more important than what you are doing.

[@gutersteinker]

I am so proud of what you and your team had achieved!

[@mickusachus]

Ur a legend mate. These updates are gold. Awesome that so many people are doing your PDC there. Good on em very encouraging.

[@farishope6540]

Honestly sire, I feel that your green missionary is getting you much closer to God than many other missionaries.

[@deborahheritage5581]

How absolutely beautiful! What an amazing place you have created.

[@coffeebuzzz]

If you can grow a garden on a pile of rock in the Jordanian desert, you can grow one anywhere.

[@ibnsaeed1]

Jordan climate looks like heaven to us here is western arabia .

[@hhwippedcream]

Including Tatooine

[@theadventuresofzoomandbettie]

Great video Goeff! Hopeful your practices become more common in our country going forward (Australia!)

[@Bright_iiii_s]

You're needed back home, good luck and God bless!

[@adnanalhasan3746]

That's just a great video Geoff, I like the tours you make there and specially Mohammad Zaytoun, he's just a great person and brother,, I really enjoyed being with him during the whole 6 weeks for PDC and and Internship, thank you Guys for that nice video

[@cleoxo2566]

Thanks Geoff for posting this video!! Sooooo happy to see this project moving along!!!

[@paulmcconkey2759]

Amazing achievement Geoff & Nadia Love it so much tenacity and progress !

[@desertblade1874]

Beautiful work Geoff, much appreciated You're an inspiration as you began from nothing to a well established permaculture project, can't thank you enough for your education on permaculture.. I used to believe that the middle east is inhospitable for farming the natural ways I'll visit your project when I get to Jordan in the future Much love from Oman 🇴🇲

[@Treckorz]

The "middle east" which is no more than a political term is incredibly diverse. Farming first started in the "middle east".

[@tomstack6871]

It's good to here appreciation for blessings recieved,Go Geoff love your vids for years!!

[@jameskniskern2261]

Thank you. Thank you for showing the evolution of the site. Thank you for showing that everything doesn't get done at once, and that building on what you start with is fine. I talk to so many people that see what we've done on our little 8 acres and wonder how we did it all. I tell them: Small steps, lots of them, over time. And things grow, change, evolve and improve. If you show the effort of things, and improve them slowly, you wind up with amazing things. Just like permaculture does things with nature, evolving a site as it improves is more than fine! Great work!

[@elainefarr3155]

I love that you're using the locust trees as mulch! I have one, as well as a number of mesquite trees, here in Arizona, and never thought about using the leaves and branches as mulch in other parts of my yard. I've started planting only plants that I can use, no more strictly ornamental plants in my dry-land yard, which is similar in climate and rainfall to the middle east. Your videos have given me some great ideas, thanks so much!

[@louisegogel7973]

How is it going now, two years on?

[@elainefarr3155]

@@louisegogel7973 Our pomegranates are really growing well, the mesquites are about 6 feet now, the cactus all have fruit on them. I planted a hibiscus plant this year, and have been harvesting the flowers already. It's been horribly dry, so I've had to water more than usual, but I think the permaculture plantings and usable plants are worth the effort. I'm also growing herbs in my raised bed garden and drying them for future use. Thanks for asking!

[@Kalpapada]

Geoff, you're my best inspiration in creating small permaculture demonstration site. Your videos giving me hope I need during my journey. I even started to create my own videos to show the solutions to a broader audience. Keep up the good job! You are sowing such a powerful seeds of permaculture teachers all around the world! 🌏

[@Christodophilus]

Great to see the design improving, and you're listening to the vital feedback in the system.

[@edialbert8035]

WOW Geoff! What a magnificent site! Simply beautiful.

[@maryracine7915]

So inspiring! Embroidery is lovely! Greening the Desert is miraculous!

[@joshsmith5449]

Wonderful work! Truly an inspiration!

[@jimwilleford6140]

WOW...Just WOW!

[@muemamusyoka6970]

THANKS FOR THE TOUR.

[@ShindaRatto]

A hungarian permaculturalist mentioned?? I'm so glad, I'm a Hungarian landscape architect student I will defenitely try to get in touch with him!

[@MuhammadYousaf-yf2pg]

Hello Shinda, This is Muhammad Yousaf in Peshawar, Pakistan...... just a question could you please tell me as to where is good Landscape Architecture school/institute to learn, Thanks.

[@louisegogel7973]

@@MuhammadYousaf-yf2pg I hope you found what You were looking for. Are you working with Permaculture in the Peshawar area? I visited Peshawar when I was a young girl and my father was working in the area. May Pakistan go permaculture!!

[@MuhammadYousaf-yf2pg]

​@@louisegogel7973Amen. Your response shows you liked/loved Peshawar and Pakistan. Allah may bless you too for your passionate prayer for Pakistan. I don't know when you visited Pakistan, but now it is a jungle of concrete and a sea of people. The agricultural lands are disappearing if have not already. The same is true of the entire country. Floods and droughts are commonplace things now. Most of our rivers are flowing from Himalaya glaciers melting very fast there thanks to global warming. And all this is happening in a matter of years. Under the circumstances, permaculture and drip irrigation is the answer. When Pakistan came into being, there were five thousand cubic meters of water available per citizen. Now it is less than one thousand! Anyhow once again I thank you for showing interest in Peshawar and Pakistan. Please stay in touch and tell a little bit more about yourself and what your father used to do in Peshawar where you people lived here. Muhammad Yousaf

[@annburge291]

I've clicked on this video, perhaps three times now over three years, and each time I think 'wow this is so special and beautiful' and it's like I haven't seen it before because of the thrill it gives me each time.

[@hhwippedcream]

Geoff, culture works the same way as ecology. Energy in is energy out. Would wonder what village elders have in mind as far as cultural centers they remember from childhood. Great way to allow the mother/father trees in the community to bestow their epigenetics in classic fashion. You and sam and crew are my heroes!

[@hhwippedcream]

If MAA establishes a friendship structure, we've gone a long way toward connecting west and east. Imagine the programs that could be hosted over distance, concerts, story telling, traditional festivals, etc.

[@hhwippedcream]

You've really blown my mind with what you've accomplished. Hats off.

[@hhwippedcream]

Go hard and market the terracotta if fuel is available.

[@drpk6514]

Absolutely amazing! I am a big fan of not only bulding permiculture farm but building a community around it, and thats what is happening here with all sorts of wonderful ideas. One suggestion would be to teach them how to sell online like on ebay. They can sell their goods which can be posted internationally such as the fabric, cosmotics and soaps. With story behind their products, the exposure from here, if done properly I am sure soon they wouldnt be able to produce enough and they would need to get other women in the village to produce them products. Thats how a sustainable farm and a sustainable community could be formed :-)

[@louisebarnes1181]

It is just wonderful how Geoff has given such hope and optimism to greening up deserts! Nature intended this land to be greened up and beautiful, just as it was thousands of years ago.

[@BarbaraC02]

Loved this video, thank you. So much to see and it's encouraging to experience the seasonal changes and the evolving work.

[@seek2find]

Thank you for showing us the rest of the place, it is just so inspiring.

[@louisegogel7973]

💛✨🌿💚

[@rileybean5388]

love it geoff, keep it up!

[@TdotTwiFic]

Thank you thank you thank you. I needed some positivity right now. I am so glad there is the pop up of the plant names, that helps so much. Good luck in Australia and my goal is to run my own farm in the next year. Big Dreams.

[@misst1586]

So lovely Geoff

[@maximusaurelius610]

beautiful work

[@gennivevegentleman4793]

absolutely loved this video, thanks to the whole team and sponsors, anything is possible

[@LeJimster]

Looking forward to next years update already.

[@natemorlock2379]

Love it, Geoff. Looks absolutely gorgeous

[@Brian00071]

#Australiansolar great that your Australian friends supported your Greening the Desert!

[@thegr8stm8m8]

Fantastic...gr8 to see all the support, m8! Our friends back home have been helping with Dante's Inferno... aka Oz...

[@audreycermak]

Amazing! I want to visit!!

[@pinkelephants1421]

Absolutely love the recycled baths. It's something I'd do - mainly because I'm tight and hate waste. I have a purely ornamental garden outside a rental property & have used all sorts of containers. My favourite ones are the large plastic H20 tanks & plastic header tanks from people's lofts that were being thrown out when they've been upgrading their central heating systems. All for nothing - have saved approx. £1500•00 + if I'd bought new. Removed the old fittings, blocked the holes & drilled drainage holes in the bottom. Most wouldn't credit the amount of stuff I've managed to cram into them. Well.... overstuffed if I'm being honest, but then I'm incredibly greedy. Huge tall shrubs, deep rooted things such as roses; all getting bigger as time passes. There's so many containers that come Spring thru to late Autumn anybody unfamiliar with the garden would think it's growing in the ground. All landlord concrete underneath; the coverage prevents it from acting as a giant storage heater & transpiration cools the air making the house noticeably cooler in summer and makes sleeping at night MUCH more comfortable.

[@terry5274]

THANK YOU!!

[@szymborska]

Inspiring!

[@tere11]

Bright Blessings!

[@electroteque]

looks awesome inside. amazing job !

[@electroteque]

so much condensed produce outside !

[@electroteque]

love your work

[@oneflightupsyd]

So awesome!

[@davidserge2914]

Happy new year

[@joshsmith5449]

Are you starting any kind of E-commerce store for the products that are being produced? It may be a great way to let the world help fund your project!

[@maamar9200]

Hey, plz take that panel off in front of the solar panels cuz shadow on it reduces the output power

[@josephtastic]

Love y'all. God bless your success

[@almasipatrick8699]

I am a big fan of this great stuff.. wonderful things here

[@davidelcorderubey935]

at 1:00 you can see the impact of the PDC's done at the sight. In the beginning of the project there wasn't so much green in the far landscape. Permaculture works and spreads like a disease! Ma'shallah!

[@Beysek]

May Allah bless you for your efforts

[@daisytorresfigueredo]

I love the Flowhive

[@arkadiuszpaul]

could anybody in Jordan do now some update how it's doing an over year later the garden, coffee shop , ect...

[@thenextpoetician6328]

Always wonderful to see the progress. Not to put a damper on things, however I've read some negative reviews of the Flowhive, and I side with them. Not a long-term solution.

[@bte_permaculture]

Dear Geoff Sensei 🙏, this is awesome! Hope to volunteer anytime for you if and when you come to Kerala, India!

[@andrewparry1474]

Stunning

[@donnabrown1518]

I was thinking about doing something similar to the subpods by using 5-gallon buckets for worm farms directly in the garden bed.

[@MuhammadYousaf-yf2pg]

Geoff its been wonderful looking/witnessing you projects and listening to you classes....just one personal question, do you have a family too in Jordon as I saw you carrying a baby in you lap in one of the videos? Thanks

[@pinkelephants1421]

When you talk about Air B&B, does it have to be only in relation to the project or are tourists welcome whenever there isn't a course booked?

[@SchutzReborn]

Wow!

[@tanakakokilovad1594]

Greening the desert🌱 🌿🍃🌳🌲 . Save many life 🌱🌍🌏🌎🌱🍃🌿🌲🌳🌳🌳🌱🌳🌱🌿🍃🌲🌳🌲🌲🌲🌳🌳🌳🌳😊🌱👍🌳🌲🌿🍃

[@billlyoliveman]

Great video, really enjoyed it. Only one question, why are the pigeons being looked after so well? Just curious. Forgive my ignorance if there's a reason other than just looking after local wildlife, which is as good a reason as any, though pigeons do tend to cope quite well no matter where they end up!

[@margaretgiudice7698]

Pigeons are, historically, a common source of meat in the Middle East, just as we eat chickens (unless vegetarian/vegan).

[@khalidjy7110]

Make an update video please

[@PkSage89]

Brings a tear to my eye all off this, if not downright heartwarming,considering the unfortunate amount of conflict and nonsense that has been around. To think, if stuck on repeat for myself at this point, what could have been instead of all that ill used time and energy. Like that statement about the atom, cut it one way you can power a civilization, cut it another and you could end one. If not the same for metal, and whichever currencies. If all ideas seeming an extension to them.

[@davidgordon5205]

Awesome 👌

[@lol-cu3lh]

Molto bene bellissimo video, magnifico il commento scritto aiuta molto nelle comprensione.

[@beingreenpermaculture8613]

Awesome place of course - accomodation is impressive. Love to visit. (I would look into the motivation of the company Air BnB though, if you are actually using their booking service. They build illegal purpose built BnB developments on Palestinian land).

[@pinkelephants1421]

Not a wealthy area but couldn't help noticing that there's no means to collect H20 runoff from the road in a H20 challenged area. No ditches at the side of the road etc & at a guess, nothing to collect H20 at the bottom of the hill. Using the goodwill generated by the Project would it be possible to ask the local authorities & or community to install such features for local irrigation usage?

[@jond532]

I'm in the UK and i want to start a food forest. What tips do you have for the UK?

[@abdul773]

Geoff please mention how to find worms for worm beds worm tea etc.. in the desert? Are they imported or found locally?

[@charlesward8196]

Geoff rues the lack of start-up cash early on. While it does slow development, it forces innovation to work with limited resources which will make this process more scalable to other start-ups that also lack capital other than human willingness to succeed.

[@tsilver3204]

Can you show us the updated pigeon pots?

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

What is the thinking for having nesting pots for pigeons?

[@thelandofmint]

Please the flow hives are not good for the bees, there are studies show that the bees suffer a lot in these hives, please just consider looking into that. Otherwise, I salute you for this amazing work you've done in Jordan.👍

[@Christodophilus]

@James Parker That's what natural beekeeping practices, take into consideration. Ensuring the hive has all it's own supplies, before having the excess honey harvested. In nature, an overflowing beehive will attract all sorts of predators with a sweet tooth. So it's not a preoccupation limited to humans. Echoing Sue H's point though, a flow hive is not a natural beekeeping practice. Nor the popular Langstroth method. I'm interested to hear Geoff's findings though.

[@Christodophilus]

@James Parker Humans are a part of nature, agrees every human that ever existed, before petroleum was discovered. We still are a part of nature, although many have forgotten how to be in tune with it.

[@Toim64]

Real nice job! How many square meters is the entire place?

[@susanquinlan7426]

Time for shipping product?

[@muhammeduzairshaikh455]

How do I get Worms??

[@UncleGrinder]

You need to inform people that the flow hive does not work in cool climates!

[@organicgrow4440]

haha I love your Arabic! spot on.

[@QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

As far as the tea, did it actually grow over there? Jordan doesn't really have the climate for that, I thought. I know parts of northern Iran and Turkey do.

[@kastironwoman6009]

NICE - but there is a MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE VIDEOS- There is no order to them. I cannot tell the beginning to the middle to the end. It's frustrating when they aren't numbered. I would really like to watch them from the beginning. Do you think you could add numbers to them? it would really help those of us who are just starting our permaculture journey, and those who are going to start permaculture later on. Farisa Smith said 2 years ago, "area is much greener now." I would like to be able to see that difference as well. Thanks so much for making the videos in the first place. They are a bit hard to understand- especially when you talk about things I've never heard before because I didnt start in the beginning, but it's coming.

[@auntcatziegler3791]

I don't know how you edit the closed captioning, but it says "pilot" instead of "pollard" at around 12:15.

[@SumerianTurk]

100 more guys like you in Jordan , It is going to be paradise again.....If Israel let this continue.(>>

[@christophernixon4539]

I always enjoy these videos. However, I have a question about the SubPods. They are much more aesthetically pleasing as you say. But, why don't the earthworms just crawl through the holes and leave the worm bed? I have had friends who have had all their worms crawl apparently up and out of other types of worm beds. It seems worms could just simply crawl through the round holes in the sides of this container system. Just wondering what am I missing.