A Literal Oasis - Syntropic Agroforestry @ Lightning Ridge, NSW, Australia

[@cacosta6294]

In mexico , prickly pear , or nopal is a staple food , simply grilled is great, nopal and eggs is great , and has Many health benefits

[@CuriosityMine]

Absolutely! I actually cut a section from this video where we were discussing the nutritional benefits of prickly pear/nopal. It’s a tremendously versatile plant. 🌵

[@patcummins6036]

Thank you for a very informative video.

[@CuriosityMine]

You’re very welcome, thanks Pat! 😁

[@PerennialGrowth]

Ideally it should be fermented or pickled to degrade the high concentrations of oxalic acids it has.

[@josesaldanha2683]

Great for live stock as well.

[@LMKTinyForest]

I kept on telling myself that I should have found this kind of informative video 5 years ago which was the time I started planting trees to make my tiny forest. But I will apply this technic to thicken my Tiny Forest and at the same time make a proposal to the local leaders to rescue the damaged lands to turn them into the useful places for our next generation. Thank you for sharing. Big heart from Thailand

[@CuriosityMine]

Thanks so much for watching! I’m so glad this information has been helpful for you. 😁

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

@@CuriosityMine The Curiosity Mind .

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

Greetings from the LooseNatural farm in Andalusia Spain where we currently live through a drought and we are creating swales. Thanks for this video. We need all the help we can get.

[@pietsnot7002]

I know your struggle, l live in Portugal. Keep digging 😉 You might want to check out ”Scott Hall Syntropic Agroforestry” channel ✌

[@pipfox7834]

See also Permaculture, similar principles - Australian design (Bill Mollison)

[@peppermeat8059]

I got an video that may help you not create swales (from what i heard isnt that good but somehow still helps)

[@SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

@@peppermeat8059 Will have a look thnaks

[@cindyhollings2079]

Good luck, I hope you manage to develop an oasis, best wishes from Tasmania

[@MrJasonmay69]

This was great to watch. When I was young I was reading about permaculture, a system pioneered by Bill Mollison, which used the same principles, employed to the same effect. Whatever name the system is given, it's great to see people restoring the land.

[@2bNot]

Yes Bill Mollison is a legend in that regard. I took a similar approach in terms of planting an overabundance of various plants on a suburban 900metre block. What I found was that eventually it became necessary to remove anything nonproductive or invasive or too dominant. So it reduced back to being more controlled and efficient. Then when the possums multiplied the whole game changed. The parrots eating most if not all the fruit. Rats attracted and sustained by the macadamias etc. Basic principles do apply. To build good soils. To hold and meander water, hopefully some automated watering. Mulch, habitat for birds and marsupials. No cats. No grass, invasive creepers or bad weeds. No large or unproductive trees. Garden and Building working together etc. Basically plant a lot and pare it back to what works the easiest. Learn from what local success you can find. Aim for superfoods and easy basics.🙂

[@davidwilliams7552]

David Holmgren was the real genius behind permaculture

[@anthonyburke5656]

Shades of Geoff Lawton, the trouble is, in 7 and 21 years cycles there is a crashing drought lasting from 3 to 7 years, so you must be able to design and build a system to last through the droughts.

[@dodgygoose3054]

This needs to be a company and work with councils to terraform regions. Amazing, I'm out west NSW and my property has been eaten to clay by over grazing, I will be adopting this to bring life back to Eden.

[@olin777]

Record your progress, we'd all love to see it!

[@sandramaiden4707]

Driving Broken Hill to Wentworth, I am shocked by the many station paddocks of drifting sand, and many resident goats! Criminal destruction of land!

[@dodgygoose3054]

Yep, total criminal destruction for a quick buck with nothing passed on to the next generation but pain & anger.@@sandramaiden4707

[@hailanj]

Amazing! All the best and yes record and share your progress, so amazing to see other sharing their knowledge of looking after our earth 🥹

[@jodiezammit333]

I really enjoyed what this lady had to say. Thanks for bringing her voice to your channel. Her message was simple to understand.

[@jeanettecoleman-mz7ie]

I love the outback aussie spirit, nothing like it👊

[@soner818]

This is nothing more than regenerative farming in practice without going into the depth of the soil food web. Improving the soil micro-organisms takes time or can be increased by known methods, compost teas and worm teas. She has done a great job.

[@ColonelKlink100]

Yes, I was thinking that too. But whatever it's called, it's very inspiring.

[@robertnadia8777]

Everybody thinks that building a healthy and nutritive soil takes time. But with syntropy, this time can be significatively shortened. I'm sure that after just one year, the soil there was much better than the average soils here in south of France. This is because of what they call "catspring" in syntropic farming. Suddenly, after a few months (sometimes weeks), everything grows twice faster, producing lots of biomass and water, creating a vertuous circle in the system.

[@ColonelKlink100]

I watched a video by Geoff Lawton yesterday about syntropic agroforestry and he explained that it is a subcategory of regenerative agriculture. In other words, it's a great tool suitable for certain situations.

[@antoniustheiler1494]

Hello everyone, I am almost speechless and fascinated at the same time. It is so interesting that I will watch the video again. It's amazing how much you can learn from this. It's amazing that there are always people who take a very close look at the ecosystem and are brave enough to break new ground. Many thanks! Ursula from Germany/ Bavaria

[@lauralee6628]

Date of video is feb 23 after 2 years of above average rain - as of august 23 it has not rained out that way since august 22. True you can grow biomass and shade HOWEVER you will not grow food crops very well as a reliable form of food security in 400mm rainfall - you always need irrigation - they used irrigation to get it started + they will need irrigation to grow food in the future

[@anonanon7278]

​@@lauralee6628Would irrigation stil be necessay if the forest was 10,000 hectares or more in size?

[@lauralee6628]

@@anonanon7278 you need to reword your question = it depends on which species you intend growing = banana yes you need irrigation. mulga and other hardy species no you do not need irrigation as they currently grow out in that part of the country on rainfall alone. you can introduce multiple species that will grow on rainfall. you can introduce multiple species that need irrigation. cotton growers in similar areas (within a few hundred kilometres) apply 10,000,000 litre per hectare to produce a crop. travel to 650 mm rainfall on good soil and they grow cotton on rainfall only. there are other factors at play especially soil type. can you please reword your question so it makes sense ???

[@anonanon7278]

@@lauralee6628 Isn't the idea of a food forest to plant a wide range of complimentary plants and trees that provide various benefits to each other such shade, nitrogen fixing, soil hydration, ground cover, etc. Planting a monoculture forest will deplete the soil and won't encourage water retention in the soil. My question was more about whether a large biodiverse forest would need much rainfall because of the micro-climate it creates, and its propensity to store water in itself and the soil.

[@lauralee6628]

@@anonanon7278 you will find 10 metre tall eucalypt trees in (400mm) 14 inch rainfall in qld + nsw but not many per acre/hectare may be 1 to 10 trees max. you will find short closed canopy forest of mulga in same rainfall. there are some types of cactus that will fruit in 400 mm rain zones - but only when it rains - and they need shade to survive. so you need to "know" what will grow in 400 mm rainfall on red soil or on black soil. there are trees that will grow there. but if you want a "food forest" its yield per hectare on rainfall alone will be ??? this year and ??? next year. not unknown to go 3 years out west with almost no rain. THE YIELD of EVERY FOREST is DETERMINED BY the AMOUNT of RAIN that FALLS. That yield may be ZERO until it rains assuming trees survive. Eucalypt trees in original syntrophic farming plots were in high rainfall zones + there were constantly pollarded. So if you know it grows have a go. IF THIS METHOD WORKS there must BE OTHER EXAMPLES in 400mm rain zones???

[@trevormiller1366]

Something I had hoped to achieve on my own property but unfortunately due to illness I only got one third completed. It's wonderful to see such a garden thriving!

[@CuriosityMine]

One third is still an accomplishment! 👍

[@trevormiller1366]

@@CuriosityMine yeah the local wildlife seem to appreciate it ok and it sure beats looking at a completely bare paddock. 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🪲🐜🕷🪳🦋🦎🐇

[@christianelila3374]

Get well soon :)

[@kajsan760]

You got one third completed while being ill. That's amazing! The wildlife that appreciates your work don't know that you planned to do more.

[@sandramaiden4707]

Any improvement is a blessing to your land. Well done.

Here in Brazil we have thornless "prickely pears" which are a main staple for animals in the drought, and are great companion plantings for gardens and even cornfields.They favor everything, and being rich in calcium are excelent elements in garden compost. As in the example here, we use them to help establish trees in pure white sand and 400mm of rain...

[@ColonelKlink100]

Thank you for your comment. That's a new plant added to my planting list.

[@thetriumphsprint]

Prickly pear is an invasive species in Australia.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

​@@thetriumphsprintaustralia is a joke. Prickly pear is a boon to their shitbush

[@estebancorral5151]

We know. There was a rich fazendero who went to México in 1906 and took the plant to North East Brazil where it hot, sandy and dry; in other words another Mexico but beneath the equator and Portuguese is spoken. The Brazilians are stubborn. They feed the “Palma Forrageira” as they call the prickly pear cactus only to animals. They could be eating it also directly. Why starve? The Brazilian are not good at cactus husbandry. They should concentrate on each individual plant instead overcrowding each acre.

[@estebancorral5151]

⁠@@ColonelKlink100Do not treat your cactus as you would Fraulein Linkmayer!!!!!

[@debrajorgensen2730]

Wow! This was the best news I’ve heard for a long time……this needs to be spread like wildfire to all the desert regions where food is necessary for survival…..Africa, Sudan, etc, etc what wonderful information Thanks you so much for covering this incredible story and thank you to Rebel ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@yadiaag7771]

Planting water sounds silly but it’s a very ancient practice for those who have never heard of it. I know very little but you essentially pick a place ideal for pooling water not near a house or other places where mosquitos or water damage can occur. I has to be pretty far from a house. (I don’t know the specifics) Anyways you dig a hole to a specific size put in rocks, brown sugar and sea salt…..not in this order and I dunno the amount, then cover it up and I think you plant a tree near by to mark the spot. Overtime whatever properties it has will “call” water thru the hole, so you actually made a spring from the hole. Sounds crazy but it’s real. My great uncle did this and learned techniques from South American natives, then my grandfather did this and our property in mexico has many unknown springs. My late grandfather would clean the largest spring each year for his beloved animals but my uncle has refused for years causing drought for the first time in ages. Sometimes great knowledge is lost due to our own family refusing to carry out traditions.

[@davidhakes3884]

No doubt about that in my mind.

[@2bNot]

Sometimes knowledge is not scientific and based more on mythology than reality. "Planting Water" is a clue.

[@LaSorciereFeuillue]

Salt passively attracts water in the kidneys to filter the blood, & some diabetic medications call sugar to be urinated out; an energy efficient technique indeed.

[@2bNot]

@@LaSorciereFeuillue Interesting insights into the role of salt(s). Someone could write a book about salts in all their forms and functions.

[@davidhakes3884]

I watched my Neighbors grow Hemp and the roots went through the hardpan down 8ft, Impressive for this ground which looks a lot like your ground. Hemp seed is high food value and High CBD's but does Not get one high and does feed Birds and small animals. The tropical Butterflies are really cool to see.

[@danbenson2445]

Peter Andrews on Australian story. Worth a watch. He’s been doing exactly this for several decades.

[@rolfpoelman3486]

I think I saw that, slowing water flow, with tree trunks etc.

[@downtoearth1950]

One secret of gardening I have aiways believed in is the slowing down the movement of water through the garden enviroment..

[@garywarren5048]

Would like to know about the water stored there dam/pond next to it. This is surely helping, was it already there or put there to start the project. Fascinating none the less.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

Hehe yeah.. Big ol sprinkler at work

[@KT-ki2nv]

Yes. No mention of it was puzzling

[@CuriosityMine]

Check out the follow up video for more information about the dam: Why is there a Dam? Syntropic Garden Q&A with Rebel & Thiago @ Lightning Ridge kzbin.info/www/bejne/rne5omxvoN59sKs

[@shadeler5335]

Amazing to the infinitum. I've heard about syntropic agriculture in Brazil and one example in Portugal, but never expected to hear about it in Australia. thank you very much for sharing!! it give me such a hope in the future... 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@fredrossiter2028]

What a wonderful, thought provoking video, sincere thanks to all involved.

[@CuriosityMine]

Thank you so much! This was a fun video to make, I really appreciate the positive feedback. 😁👍

[@lauralee6628]

@@CuriosityMine Date of video is feb 23 after 2 years of above average rain - as of august 23 it has not rained out that way since august 22. True you can grow biomass and shade HOWEVER you will not grow food crops very well as a reliable form of food security in 400mm rainfall - you always need irrigation - they used irrigation to get it started + they will need irrigation to grow food in the future

[@TheParadiseParadox]

Excellent. I'm an Australian living in Mexico, and here prickly pears or nopales are definitely not invasive. Of course you can eat the fruits, but you can also eat the paddles, grilled with some cheese, or chopped up in guacamole. I have thought about planting nopales just to have as an emergency food source, but what you've said about water retention makes a lot of sense. We're on a ranch in Jalisco, not really close semi arid, but the rains only last a few short months, and then we have to figure out how to manage water for the rest of the year. So taking advantage of the cactus will definitely help, among other plant families

[@andresamplonius315]

En videos de Brasil muestran como usan el nopal (palma forrageira) en el Cerrado (semiarido) y el maguey o sisal. Almacenan agua, sirven como mulch, las palas se pican y se dejan al pie de los cultivos, o se pican y se dejan en agua unos dias, para plantar arboles... Y ambas son excelentes cortafuegos.

[@estebancorral5151]

⁠Ellos son ignorantes. No lo comen directo y solo se lo dan a animales. Y luego se quejan de hambre. Sisal no es el nombre de planta sino que Henequen. Sisal es nombre del puerto en Yucatán por donde se export la fibra del Henequen para todo el mundo. Un gran excepción fue una gran exportación de plantas vivas para plantaciones en Camagüey, Cuba.

[@romlyn99]

Grass is so important. And the pond water catchment is also super important. You need things to open up channels in the soil, so water can soak into the soil. Grass is one of the plants that slow down the flow of water over the landscape and grasses create channels in the soil for water to slowly soak into the landscape. Permaculture uses a similar thinking to Syntropic Agroforestry. No matter what every you call it... I think you are doing an amazing jobs. And thanks for sharing.

[@AGalahcalledSammi]

Awesome outcome from incredibly involved journey. The nation and the planet thank you. 👍

[@WhiteFyre]

This is amazing and really impressive!

[@Apollox0x]

This needs to be learned and replecated across the world whereever possible

[@jonathangold2087]

Quite extraordinary that this rainforest oasis was capable of being established , in such an inhospitable environment!!! Just shows the brilliance of syntopic agrofirestry, and the incredible potential that such a system could have in many arid regions of the world. I hope you can revisit your friend in Australia, perhaps in a year, as a followup to see how things have advanced. Visiting other examples of this unusual horticultural system would be a fascinating exploration of what other benefits this new system has to offer! Thank you for sharing so many of these diverse and unusual innovations in permaculture, water harvesting and other diverse growing systems. These innovations could go a long way to bring prosperity and food security to a large percentage of the global population now struggling with drought and climate change. Thanks for sharing all this amazing technology with all of us. You are doing an extraordinary job with your videos, of opening new horizons for many of us. Keep up the good work!

[@izzzzzz6]

The world needs this.

[@CuriosityMine]

100%. Thanks for watching!

[@floriswou]

Amazing to see :) It’s not the first syntropic agroforestry system in Australia. There are older successful permaculture projects developed which include s agroforestry systems in their designs and practices.

[@anthony9600]

Similar to what Peter Andrews has been doing for years with his natural sequence farming

[@julesmarwell8023]

this is where the Australian government should be spending money. Every Aussie should be watching this. Thank you

[@kiqueenbees]

We could have dachas round the urban areas. This connects people to local food production, and, other benefits.

[@Lady-Antoinette]

The government don’t care about the people or supporting life itself. That’s why they have been instrumental in the mass murder of healthy bees in NSW. They want to create food shortages so we become reliant on their factory/laboratory produced fake food. It’s all about money for them at our expense. This is a globalist agenda. All the more reason we need to implement projects such as this. Just don’t let them know what you’re doing as they will do their best to destroy it as it’s not within their interest for you to be self reliant.

[@blessedbeauty2293]

- Hello from the USA 🇺🇸 💕.

[@neens1369]

Thank you. Very informative. Please do more videos on this subject.

[@CuriosityMine]

Thank you so much! We’ll see what we can do. 😁

[@ronchappel4812]

Very interesting system! I'm an ex commercial banana grower (including a long stint growing organically). That banana bunch has been sitting there eight months??! That's got to be some kind of record 😅. I'm super curious whether you managed to ripen them.I imagine you'd need to do it artificially as it's probably too cold at night for their internal triggers to function.The simplest method is to put them in a plastic bag placed in a warm spot.Adding a ripe banana or other ethylene-triggered fruit will help things along. Some random thoughts: Am i right in thinking the surrounding plants have a great temperature buffering effect? If you have some water spare -including greywater- the banana plant would love it !! That said, other plants are more efficient users of water so you'd probably prefer to use it on them. If you have any ashes the banana plant would love those for their potassium content

[@stevenoshea9282]

its basic permacaculture, grown systems like that in arid[ and tropical conditions ie x rice fields the soil is like rock]keep up the good work cheers

[@acreative1166]

Consider replacing prickly pear with Indian fig opuntia Ficus Indica. The paddles are thornless and it has larger sweeter fruit with smaller seeds.

[@earthsister1]

Fabulous concept an awesome solution ❤

[@user-wy4mp9ts3u]

To make the bananas to swell you must cut off the flower as soon as it stops being fertile(no additional baby bananas)

[@MrReidREad]

So good to see this in an over mined area and if possible could you include the wisdom and beautiful spirit from the folk in near by Walgett.

[@jngaio]

This is so inspiring! Working with nature instead of against it. ❤

[@beinghere1494]

Wow!!! So inspiring! Thank you all who have contributed 🙏🏽

[@davidhynd4435]

This is excellent. And timely, given the less-than-promising long range forecast for the rest of 2023. We live on the New England Tablelands of northern NSW. We're just on the western fall of the divide, so rainfall is sporadic and often entirely absent here. What's interesting is that as dry times roll on and the paddock grasses wither and brown, it's around existing trees and bushes that the grass stays green longest. It seems counterintuitive because you would expect the trees and shrubs to suck the soil dry, but they also create localised microsystems that seem to help hold onto moisture. The traditional Australian method of entirely clearing large paddocks of every single tree can't have helped, then, when it comes to retaining soil moisture. We need to change our approach to soil management in this country, especially as we don't have any to waste.

[@rolfpoelman3486]

Do tree leaves help collect condensation at night?

[@barendencrone]

The core functions of this system seem almost identical to what is taught in a Permaculture design course on food forests. The same inputs and outputs are considered, and it seems a lot of the same methods too. If you wanted more examples and information for a system like this you could also check out the Permaculture projects as they seem more well known, just using different terminology.

[@estebancorral5151]

It is Permaculture.

[@nikkinoise1]

Syntropic Agriculture shares many of the principles that govern most other regenerative approaches. However, it was developed by Swiss geneticist and botanist Ernst Götsch in Brazil without any direct influence from other approaches or design systems. Even though many people compare Syntropic Agriculture with Permaculture, they are two different things. Syntropic Agriculture is an approach to Agroforestry Systems (SAFs) that aims to produce food, wood, fiber and natural medicines in a regenerative way. In other words, Syntropy aims to accumulate resources such as water, fertility, biodiversity and soil while producing. Permaculture is a regenerative design methodology that encompasses various other knowledge and practices within a structured design system. Syntropic Agriculture is a specific approach that was created to optimize the production of food, fiber and wood within agroforestry systems. ​While in a classic view of Permaculture SAFs and orchards tend to be positioned within zones 2 and 3, Syntropic Agriculture, by uniting the garden with the SAF and producing the producers' daily food, 'requests' a closer positioning. If you consider cocoa production in a traditional agroforest, there are 79 trees per hectare. Ernst's production reaches 1000 trees per hectare, considering routine tree pruning, one of the main approaches of his method. This improves the use of land without exhausting it, and creates the possibility of much greater production. Then no. Syntropic Agriculture is not Permaculture. Syntropic Agriculture is an innovative type of agroforestry.

[@veerlon5507]

This is the comment I needed, thankyou 👏 was wondering the differences. Cleared it right up 👍

[@JacquelineHahn1]

Amazing love it we need this in South Australia

[@juicesquare0219]

nice truely accessible video about syntropic agroforestry!! so misunderstood by many, appreciate your work

[@CuriosityMine]

Thank you so much! I’m glad you found the video interesting. Thanks for watching and commenting! 😁👍

[@TheHomemakingHaven]

I’m in the high desert of Southern California and have started to apply these principles. I let grow whatever wants to and go from there. Beautiful work you’re doing!

[@antonycollopy59]

WELL DONE.. THIS IS EXACTLY HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE..

[@dylansanchez7733]

Love it ! Nice work.

[@jacobkuntflapp]

Some smart gardeners

[@jodiezammit333]

Holy crap 16:06 The Ulysses butterfly is found mainly in rainforests. They are found in the Eungella national park, on the Eungella range west of Mackay in North Queensland. Sometimes they are seen in Mackay city and surrounding suburbs, possibly due to the occasional breeding in the wetlands forest located in the coastal suburb of Slade Point, though butterfly’s are known to fly seemingly impossible distances. It is a very special and rare butterfly, one which elicits cry’s of wonder and joy when a person is lucky enough to see one. What a blessing.

[@damonroberts7372]

This is pretty much in line with the principles of permaculture and "natural sequence farming". I don't know how many times _proof of concept_ has to be demonstrated before there is widespread acceptance.

[@andrewradford3953]

Impressive considering how hard that would be to establish. Our little farm in Caboolture SE QLD has inherited a great little syntropic market garden. I need to devote more time to maintenance.

[@cincin4515]

Caboolture is sub tropical. This is about semi arid regions.

[@rolfpoelman3486]

​@@cincin4515can a subtropical latitude also be semi arid?

[@EsseJD]

Absolutely brilliant ❤

[@anthonyburke5656]

Thanks I liked the video and understood the concepts, I’d had an intuitive grasp but not articulated it to myself. I will send my niece and nephew to look at your garden

[@HiltonT69]

I've spent quite some time in Lightning Ridge many years ago. This wasn't there then and seems to be an incredible project.

[@petersterling5334]

Such Great Wisdom for Growing Food Forest in Semi Arid Areas!! Blueprint for healing Severely damaged landscape and Soil!!

[@rolfpoelman3486]

Queensland: "Prickly pear is a general term used to describe the Opuntia species, members of the Cactaceae family. Native to the Americas, prickly pear is a spiny, drought-resistant succulent that rapidly invades pastures and natural areas and overwhelms other vegetation. You must manage the impacts of Opuntia species on your land. You must not give away, sell or release Opuntia species into the environment. Penalties may apply. Scientific name Opuntia spp. other than O. ficus-indica." Opuntia ficus indica is the prickly pear.

[@joanthecrow900]

Thank you Rebel you’re a rockstar 🤘I love you 🤍💛♥️🖤

[@deborahroberts1300]

Good on ya 😀👍💛 I luv what you've done. Lets hope more people adopt this type of growing something from nothing.

[@nikkityson8170]

Looks great, maybe if you contact geoff lawton you can get some more plants from their farm for more diversity. Then through rotational grazing you can add another layer of feeding the soil microbs and super charge the area. Keep it up

[@pathanada4957]

In the virgin islands people eat the prickly pear pads. If you have the ones with thorns you have to scrape off the thorns before you julienne them and saute them. There is a variety that is thornless. Look up the price of the juice from the fruits and you might decide that plant is not so bad.

[@fiona7900]

Wow! This was really incredible. Thank you

[@createandliveyourbestlife]

CONGRATULATION, I remember “The Ridge” very fondly having lived in Walgett in my younger days. Rebel & Thiago I so admire your amazing passion and work 👍🏻👏🏻 work THANK YOU

[@kathrynletchford5114]

Well. I was ahead of everyone else, forty odd years ago. I have been doing this all of my life.

[@BeKindToEveryKind295]

Wow, quality content- you deserve way more subs!

[@CuriosityMine]

Thanks so much, really appreciate the kind words. 😁

[@petergilfillan8340]

Swales are the way to go in that environment. Need to capture ever drop of rain possible. Well don though. looks amazing.

[@rolfpoelman3486]

Well don

[@DATONALKY]

Fascinating! As always, great upload 👌

[@CuriosityMine]

Thank you sir! 😁👍

[@friedkrill]

What a brilliant video! I'm a syntropic farmer and this is the best video I've seen explaining what we do. *claps*

[@CuriosityMine]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the kind words. I’m glad we were able to explain the syntropic process in an accessible way! 😀

[@lucybecker8]

How did that pond happen? Is it created by the syntropic agroforestry system ( as permaculture uses water harvesting techniques for rainfall) or was it filled with water from a well or transported onto the site to give the oasis a start?

[@rolfpoelman3486]

What pond?

[@rolfpoelman3486]

0:41 has about four or five body's of water. And 0:45 to 0:50.

[@rolfpoelman3486]

And 4:54.

[@rolfpoelman3486]

Probably Artesian bore water.

[@CuriosityMine]

Check out the follow up video for more information on the pond/dam: Why is there a Dam? Syntropic Garden Q&A with Rebel & Thiago @ Lightning Ridge kzbin.info/www/bejne/rne5omxvoN59sKs

[@hhwippedcream]

Incredible work at Lightning Ridge!!! I'd love to see more of their system and commentary on what has worked or not worked for them and what "not working' or "working" means within their context.

[@hhwippedcream]

Cactus also has an opposite schedule for respiration - along with several other plants. A wild thought - While cactus is CAM respiration at night, your other plants' stomata are opening. When other plants are sleeping and "exhaling" other plants can breathe in. We can plant in such a way as to harness that release of resources

[@davidberesford7009]

I am impressed! Concept tried, tested (so far) and proved. Good to see, well done!

[@Jazman342]

Sounds amazing. I’m just mystified by the water (creek,river,dam?) that keeps appearing in the video, unmentioned.

[@bill944]

I was thinking the same. I'd have to believe that it help moisten the surrounding soil. I also wonder, without the pond, would it even stand a chance?

[@Jazman342]

@@bill944 LOL Having been to Lightning Ridge a few times I was questioning it's very existence. The follow up video explains that quite well. Further, when you look at the footage in it of the flooding it further validates the Hydrophobic nature of the soil in outback Australia and just how significant this approach is. Ever been bogged in black soil country? The very fact that the grass is drier near the dam than where the soil's ability to absorb and hold water has been improved is impressive. I will definitely have to look for this place next time I'm in the area. Personally I would like to see this approach followed in not only outback Australia, but the whole world.

[@jodiezammit333]

I read an article somewhere about Shee Oak trees used by aboriginal people as a water source. Digging up and breaking off a root reveals water. And even the branches are reputed to contain some drinkable water too.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

No its cquse by by disease in the plant or infections where a hollow forms and cstcyes wqter.. Its more common in paperbark or gum trees around soaks and billabongs.

[@tiampatidalmas4473]

Thank you for doing this great regeneration work. This is very inspiring. I am from the Maasai and we live in arid and semi arid lands and this video gives a lot of hope that it is possible to restore our landscapes and livelihoods.

[@joshs470]

Keep in mind this video was done in a La Niña year when the rainfall was above average. Check out the follow up video.

[@marktaylor3802]

Prickly Pear is not allowed to be sold in NSW except one variety ( Indian fig Opuntia ficus-indica) as it is highly invasive! You should not be using this invasive weed unless its Indian Fig.

[@estebancorral5151]

You are wrong Opuntia Ficus Indica is the species name. There are over 200 varieties within that species. They are a cultivated crop not a weed. They have cultivated in Mexico for millennia. Australians should do the same, if for nothing else, wind and fire breaks. Each year Australia faces devastating fire yet nothing is done. The true weed is the Australian mindset.

[@zeideerskine3462]

You may also try the Forrestiere (Fresno Underground Garden) approach for living space. The hard pan can be turned into an asset.

[@rensinavandenheuvel8882]

Absolutely fabulous Rebel. I loved the video and am very inspired!!

[@garybarr2023]

Well done guys and girls aye'm really impressed with what you've done and aye really enjoyed the video. Thankyou

[@CuriosityMine]

Thanks so much Gary, really appreciate the positive feedback!

[@nbandpinportugal]

Can this system be adapted for land with high risk of bush fires where the last thing you want is dense undergrowth ? And why is there no mention of the billabong and how you created it ?

[@frankrivera4625]

Prickly pear cactus? For people living in Mexico and the Southwest, the answer is a resounding yes. Nopal, also known as the prickly pear cactus, grows plentifully there and its health benefits and versatility have made it a popular household ingredient.

[@chrisl4338]

400mm of annual rainfall is ample to grow many crops, depending on the evaporation rate, temperature, and photo-period. Our 5,000ha cropping farm has produced 2.0mt of wheat/ha on 180mm of precipitation and regularly produces 3.0mt/ha on 250-350mm of precipitation per year. Our soil type is a light aeolian loam. One our challenges is building and retaining humus. These issues are common and effectively addressed by commercial farmers through dryland areas of Australia and other countries. The key issue in this video is the water penetration and retention.

[@margaretcaine4219]

I drove past prickly pear 'farms' in Morocco, growing in neat rows.

[@rolfpoelman3486]

Also Leppington Sydney.

[@RAHIWAadeyNayGdiniyu]

This landscape is very similar to northern Tigray, Ethiopia. How can I access your classes? This is very exciting.

[@mmezenda]

Syntropic agriculture is permaculture by another name. Permaculture training is available in Ethiopia for example with this NGO check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGLPmmyOhs6Vh8U

[@alycsandrianah]

I FUCKING LOVE THIS!!!!! I wonder how this project has been doing in the last 6 months

[@gussutherland1525]

So, do you need to have that body of water right next to this system? Is that a permanent body of water? It is strange it wasn't mentioned by Rebel considering how dry the rest of this area is.

[@TheSilmarillian]

There are many things she appears not 2 mention it would seem

[@rolfpoelman3486]

​@@TheSilmarillianmaybe she wants lots of profitable tourism.

[@TheSilmarillian]

@@rolfpoelman3486 I hear she already has that or so a friend of a friend told me

[@lindasands1433]

WOW! Well done! That's amazing! You didn't tell us about the river/moat/steam though. Id be very interested in knowing how you did that. Thanks ❤

[@paulgush]

Yeah, the pond a few feet away undermines the fantastical story about banana trees in the desert amd plants picking themselves up by their own boot straps...

[@rolfpoelman3486]

​@@paulgushand there is a popular fruiting cactus called Prickly Pear which is not banned. And banana plants are not trees.

[@nycbearff]

@@paulgush If they get 17 inches of rain a year, it's not what most people would call a desert . The soil is bad, and needs work - but is it a desert, really?

[@CuriosityMine]

The climate at Lightning Ridge is semi-arid. For more information about the climate and the nearby dam, check out the follow up video: Why is there a Dam? Syntropic Garden Q&A with Rebel & Thiago @ Lightning Ridge kzbin.info/www/bejne/rne5omxvoN59sKs

[@DeannaSt]

This experiment I guess also works because a pond was built along it in the first place, right?

[@leelastarsky]

Another form of Permaculture! 😍 This is how we have to garden in the future.

[@lauralee6628]

Date of video is feb 23 after 2 years of above average rain - as of august 23 it has not rained out that way since august 22. True you can grow biomass and shade HOWEVER you will not grow food crops very well as a reliable form of food security in 400mm rainfall - you always need irrigation - they used irrigation to get it started + they will need irrigation to grow food in the future

[@kimberleycot]

Fantastic summary of a truly intelligent system. I am trying it out in Derby WA thanks.

[@CuriosityMine]

Thanks so much, really appreciate the feedback. All the best with your garden! 😁👍

[@jakesgrobler1634]

Wow! Great work, great information, and tx for sharing.

[@CuriosityMine]

Thanks so much! Really appreciate the feedback.

[@jakesgrobler1634]

I appreciated the bit about the prickly pears and cacti. I'm from SA, pretty dry too. I've been trying to listen to some 'planting water' ideas.

[@markcassidy1428]

Never watched your channel before. Just on a whim I decided to watch and really enjoyed the topic and the way you produced this video. 👍👍 liked subscribed and about to have a look through your previous content

[@QSnarf]

I live in SW Florida and I HATE cacti, sigh, but they grow so easily! My mother had them all over the yard. I actually removed a lot of them but some keep growing and I just hate the prickly stuff. But after watching this video I think yes, maybe the cacti need to be allowed to live. Hmmm.....

[@johncostelloe743]

Thanks for doing what ye are doing

[@akim6098]

just imagine, much more farmers would do this in Australia? (and over the world). How much Carbon would be gone and how good the climate would be! Keep on spreading and fighting.

[@CuriosityMine]

Thanks so much for the kind words! Definitely eye-opening and inspiring to see such a great and sensible approach to solving agricultural problems. 👍

[@jeromefrancois9358]

not only carbon but water and biodiversity too!

[@davidpearn4344]

Well last I learnt trees need carbon to live and produce oxygen which we need.A lot have people have swallowed the kool aid on this fairy tale

[@heartshapedisle]

​@@davidpearn4344trees and plants use the gas carbon dioxide to perform photosynthesis which is the creation of sugars ( their food). They produce oxygen as a by-product. Carbon is created by plants in this process too. Their trunks and roots are carbon based just like our physical bodies. Please look up photosynthesis and the carbon cycle. Have a good day.

[@denicebizz7342]

Plant's need carbon to grow, we are carbon being's; kill the carbon, you kill us and the tree's. Good carbons are good for growth. 101 biology.

[@knoll9812]

I think this is an example of progress in an extreme environment. There are millions if acres that can be improved in less extreme areas

[@ResortDog]

Neat place. Plans take time. Catching all the water that may have run off is a key. There has to be a well to maintain a pond and for watering. Oregon made it illegal to catch rainwater. That is about as few thorns as I ever saw on cactus. The butterflies came in as eggs on the plants you imported.

[@CuriosityMine]

Some great points there! Thanks for stopping by. 😁👍

[@adamtash2891]

why in the world would catching rainwater be criminalized???

[@ResortDog]

@@adamtash2891 ten thousand land owners with 100,000 ponds would dry up most of the tributaries so the cities would not have water to flush away their pollution/drink, whatever.

[@adamtash2891]

@@ResortDog youre saying 100% of rainwater ends up in those tributaries.....? wouldnt the ponds regenerate the landscape though?

[@rolfpoelman3486]

​@@adamtash2891probably just too much of a reduction in runoff.

[@spidrespidre]

Superb stuff. I loved listening to the birdlife through the course of the video. Obviously, this is transferable to other semi-arid areas of the world, potentially creating sub or regular tropical rainforest on a larger scale. I've got a couple of questions, though: I'm sure I'm not the only person to be impressed by the standing water in what appears to be a swale - but when did it last rain/how much rainfall does Lightning Ridge receive annually/how long can the water stay before evaporating, assuming that the high clay soil/rock doesn't allow much infiltration? Also, having been very impressed that Geoff Lawton's Zaytuna farm, 500km to the east, is fireproof and floodproof, how resilient is Hungry Spirit in this respect, y'know in terms of futureproofing?

[@ClissaT]

My thoughts and questions exactly! I'm so keen to know more about the dam. I feel as soon as that dam dries up which it must do annually, the greenery will begin to recede as well. I note there is no greenery growing on the street side of the house. And I would say it is due to the moisture in the soil only extending a certain distance back from the dam. I think the planting is amazing, but I fear it is mostly due to the dam. However, it is no mean feat to get a functioning dam in Lightning Ridge! So there is that! And yes, where did that butterfly come from? Perhaps it was a cocoon in a plant with soil from some coastal tree garden. The banana looks like a Red Dacca or a Blue Java Banana, both of which are a bit hardy.

[@LloydieP]

Cheers mate! 👍

[@leonshomegrown]

Fantastic work 😊😊😊

[@andresamplonius315]

Pitahaya o Dragonfruit iria bien en su sistema agroforestal. Pecanas, Macadamia, Datiles... El "Cerrado" del Brasil tiene una variedad de arboles y palmeras de frutos comestibles. Cultivares de Cashew enano, Baru...

[@grahamhutton1633]

Love your work , keep it up