How We Use Fires to Prevent Fires in Our Tree Plantation

Mondo Farms started a pilot tree plantation in 2020 and one of our main tasks is looking after the hectares and hectares of established trees we now have across our farm. After suffering a devastating loss in some of our young pine tree blocks last year, we upped our efforts in fire prevention as the dry season approached.
Line weeding has been carried out continuously, rather than twice a year, and we cleared our fire breaks in between the tree blocks with a TLB again.
Then we went a step further and engaged in the risky approach some controlled burning of grass and vegetation next to our plantations in order to reduce the fuel load that would have ignited in the coming months.
As our tree plantation continues to grow, we will be investing in more substantial fire detection, fire protection, and fire control equipment and systems. For now, we do what we have to with what we have.
WARNING
The actions shown in this video are inherently dangerous and can result in injury or loss of life, limb, property or future financial gain.
Any injury or loss of life, limb, property or future financial gain suffered by any person or entities attempting these actions is purely the responsibility of the person or entities attempting these actions.
Mondo Farms Limited, its shareholders, directors or partners disclaim any liability for injury or loss of life, limb, property or future financial gain, and suggest that any person or entity attempting such actions should consult fire prevention and control professionals to the fullest degree before attempting any actions as may be depicted herein.

[@akapseudonym2858]

Hard work! Necessary work! Bravo mondo farms team. Fingers crossed those pesky neighborhood fires don't affect your forestry venture🤞

[@mondofarms4343]

Yes, thanks

[@tatendamudzviti371]

It would seem that the "you can't go wrong" statement is also quite common in Zimbabwe. Good job on the firebreaks, I remember growing at my father's farm and having to fight a few fires and it's not fun when you don't have fireguards. That crackling sound on a hot windy August afternoon is enough to get your heart racing.

[@mondofarms4343]

Indeed

[@Zoe186]

You really know what you are talking about.

[@iissaacc20]

Funny we just had the same problem our Mahogany trees were all burned down, great to videos we have to intensify our fire fighting measures

[@mondofarms4343]

Shame. Sorry to hear that. 😞 All the best.

[@Zoe186]

Oh ! Sorry.

[@hopemorrison2367]

Hry .t Mondi i missed you always looking for your video

[@mondofarms4343]

🤗

[@Zoe186]

Fighting fire with fire, was there in the Bemba Chitemene gardens. It works very well.

[@mondofarms4343]

Eish. What we are doing is certianly not chitemene. The whole chitemene thing was an unfortunate part of Bemba history, that has fortunately now fallen out of favor and is rarely practiced. Modern science now guides that the Chitemene system of farming poses many threats which include food security, land degradation, pollution, desertification, depletion of soil fertility, wildlife endangerment, climate variability, soil erosion, and dust-bowlification.

[@Zoe186]

@@mondofarms4343 hello, I was or I am not saying we go into chitemene, not at all. My point is during Chitemene gardens, a fire break was always made around The Ubukula, and Ififwani which were used as fields. Anyone who grew up in that culture will testify. I can add on to say that during the 70’s and 80’s , in most Zambian government schools, we had very healthy school orchards that supplied good quantities of fruit for the student consumption especially in boarding schools. These orchards were maintained with Fire Breaks. The piggeries and hatcheries had fire breaks because they were located in good natural forests. (Fire breaks were a must) I am appreciating what you are doing, because I have seen it work in a traditional way. Back to the Chitemene gardens, they used to burn a controlled fire about 10m away from the firebreak heading into the bush. This was called ukubabilila so that at whatever height the fire flames will come, they will land on an already burnt ground and the fire break itself. I lived that life, when I saw your work of fighting fire with fire. I saw reality. My parents’s ifitemene, amakula and ififwani were never under wild fires because good care was taken with fire breaks. If not done the crops in the fitemene’s, amakula and ififwani were subject to fire and that was instant famine in the family. I know very well that Chitemene gardens are a danger to nature. I grew up seeing the harm to the trees being cut this year, next year and the following etc. extremely laborious. It is well.

[@mondofarms4343]

Indeed

[@gruserewebs]

Hie which software do you use ti edit videos? and also your which mic do you use when you record on your phone? Your phone videos doesnt have background noise.

[@mondofarms4343]

Let me give you some specific responses. We use Adobe Premiere Pro for editing the videos. Our team mostly records on the phone's built-in mics. We give them Samsung Galaxy A series phones. They are reasonably priced but give very good Samsung quality. Yes, they also get wind noise on their recordings, but we I try to careful about sound and noise on the footage. But I also use a Rode awireless Go II mic system for the main clips when you see me speaking to camera. I use a Canon M6 Mark II mirrorless camera. But in this video I used a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE on a DJI OM6 smartphone gimbal. Yes, we have invested quite a bit into equipment that helps our videos reach a good standard. Hope that helps.

[@gruserewebs]

Thank you@@mondofarms4343 Your videos are very informative and i enjoy them.

[@maureennampasa3266]

How big is your farm ,trying to follow you 🤔

[@mondofarms4343]

Both farms are on the large size as indicated on our Google Maps entries.

[@hkay980]

Use goats to clear the brushes

[@mondofarms4343]

Indeed. I heard about that somewhere 🤔. Something to consider.