LESSONS from Food Forest BLACK BELTS in Brazil / Syntropic Agroforestry

[@SerRegenera]

this piece is an amazing mix between art, wisdom, experiences, cinematic effects and personal touch, beautiful piece bro, congrats and thanks for bringing this to the world, Pura Vida 🌳

[@byrongrows]

Thanks team! Stoked to have the opportunity for it. Can’t wait to get down to your site too 🔥🌿🌀

[@JuanFarmNatural]

That would be an amazing crossover!

[@tomasyaroschevsky4978]

Thanks both for all that u guys r doing and showing!!

[@ggrrischy]

I second that! Great piece, great mix... Congratulations @byron.in.new.zealand - i enjoy your content a lot! will plant my first system in the mediterranean climate this november. So stoked!

[@Sitiodafamilia-zs8ot]

Vamos reflorestar o mundo

[@cidadaniaconsciente3658]

vai ser muito necessário !

[@danielnaberhaus5337]

This channel is one of the best agroforestry channels out there, thanks bra!!!

[@svensebastianhorner]

Wow Byron, you've levelled up your editing. Feels like a documentary film. Awesome!

[@Extremealgarve1]

You really have a top channel keep it up. Ill ad, I live in a Mediterranean environment in south Portugal. Its really hard almost impossible to get rows to survive the summer without irrigation. Ive tried seed which works a little (maybe 5% survival rate) if the heat and dryness dont get them, the moles and voles do. Ill keep trying. This year ill add more OM and some soil amendments such as JADAM.

[@byrongrows]

Appreciate that! Would recommend following @coppice.culture (he made a brief appearance in the vid) ; Most of his work is in Spain, similar conditions as you describe

[@tomrock1988]

Thank you brother! Sharing a richer and richer view of what life and the human animal are capable of. Catalysing the richest Forests possible. I sat with Namaste when he ran courses in Australia. Great to see your paths crossing. Bring on part 2

[@byrongrows]

Well said! Namastê is a legend. Stoked to reconnect with him down the track

[@DuaneEseo-ul1bg]

Good job guys cultivating food in the forest without disturbing the ecosystem .

[@wanjohiwamaina3792]

Thank you for sharing this amazing informative piece of art. I always grasp something new from your videos as they give me confidence to keep putting the seeds in the ground to fill the open niches. Much love from Africa.

[@laddieokelley6095]

The cool uncle who occasionally pops in, but not frequently enough! That makes the stories all the more amazing.

[@benjaminklenner4310]

Thanks again for sharing all this great content! Inspiring and insightful.

[@byrongrows]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rainforest_eye]

He's the first person I've heard speak positively about a eucalyptus in a modern tropical/subtropical agroforestry system. Personally I prefer to plan a system without eucalyptus. I've seen way too many side effects in Colombia and Brasil. From invasiveness of choking out the regeneration of cloud forests, toxification of soil that prevents various native Neo tropical species from taking root such as philodendrons, how they hold little to no epiphytes (depending on the eucalyptus species), how they can suck up a disproportionate amount of water in the rapid growth phase (which has negatively effected areas north east of there), how less animals benefit from them, and the personal discomfort of seeing a native environment rapidly transform to something non-native. Yes he's showing that you can make it work to a degree with the right effort. And of course any proponent loves the speed. But I rather apply that effort and patience towards other solutions. Definitely an interesting video. It's always good to learn about new approaches.

[@byrongrows]

You must be new to syntropic agroforestry

[@rainforest_eye]

@@byrongrows eucalyptus is not good for all environments. And yes depending on the environment, it does negatively affect some native plants. Nor is it a requirement for success. I've seen it first hand. Where exactly in the Mata Atlântica was this filmed?

[@elcusco]

daaammit, Byron, that's art. Thanks for this overview of the Agroforestries here in Southern Brazil. :)

[@felipepasini77]

Very well done, beautiful! Powerful examples, astonishing landscapes, and inspiring interviews. Congratulations 👏👏

[@andreazanoletti4592]

Stunning video

[@smueller12244]

Gives me hope, thank you.

[@LucaMarques03]

This is fantastic stuff man, I'm curious about the conversation you had with Alex Hormozi and what advice he gave you. Keep it up Byron !!!

[@PlantingChangePodcast]

Awesome video! Thank you for sharing! If you're ever back in South America, come on down and visit our humble food forest in Uruguay!

[@KarinaCustodio]

Bom dia! Aqui do Brasil 🇧🇷

[@shrimuyopa8117]

I have used the Silky Boy for years. It truly is a great saw!

[@byrongrows]

Same - Any other saw feels inferior

[@twilitezn]

Been waiting for this!

[@byrongrows]

Stoked, hope you enjoyed it 🤘

[@twilitezn]

@@byrongrows actually hoping that you can do a follow-up, at some point, on an in-depth look at soil types, chemical makeup, and how to amend them within agroforestry… Here in Bermuda, we have pretty decent depth (2-5 feet), but it’s compacted clay, with a crumbly limestone base…so our soil fluctuates between a slurry and compaction. …a visit to the Big Island in Hawai’i (similar temps) gave me some ideas, but the big stumper is lack of a viable aggregate (access to pumice, silica sand, and black cinder is nil here)…I THINK that the solution is biochar (that’s a WHOLE ‘nother discussion), but I’m open to more experienced voices. 👍🏾

[@smueller12244]

Dude this guy using the hand saw only is my hero. Are these lines aligned to the sun? I noticed they’re against contour which is a bit different

[@wildalentejo]

This is the way!

[@DiegoRoos]

Hey bro come to Brasilia, i can show u many agroforestry areas

[@PrototypePug]

what does a climax food forest look like? Similar to the natural rainforest?

[@byrongrows]

Yeah very similar, you might see more exotic fruit / timber species in a climax system that was planted deliberately vs a strictly natural rainforest

[@gabibibenjamin2769]

Biron bro was wondering what good stuff you gonne share lol here from South Africa western cape knysna

[@TheMarkvq]

Pura vida

[@JohannWinterhager]

This really was an awesome piece! Thanks for all the knowledge and dedication you put into it. I just came across a leaflet of the Brazilian NGO Meli bees. They engage indigenous communities delivering agroforestry and beekeeping workshops etcetera. Meli bees is on yt aswell. Might be worth a visit..! :) Best regards from Germany

[@nandoca19]

So beautiful 🌱🌳🥦🌻💚🥗

[@byrongrows]

Thank you

[@TheDiversifiedFarmer]

If the idea of terraforming types of paradise could catch on, if enough people could realize it is a possibility, with even lower cost investments, we could redefine many social norms that are holding us back and keeping us at a lower vibration than we could be. I can tell you more, but you'll have to wait until next time you are in the US.

[@thiagobandite]

next year i’m heading to new zeland

[@tomatito3824]

Multiple plants (different strata) in the same pot is interesting! Does it work or it's just an experiment?

[@lorrainegatanianhits8331]

Fascinating idea yeah. As long as there are enough nutrients it should work. In situ I've observed many different plants grow centimeters apart.

[@byrongrows]

It works great, I’ve done it in years past for my site

[@DuaneEseo-ul1bg]

How you manage insect pests in your agroforest plants?

[@byrongrows]

Healthy plants are resistant to insect/disease pressure

[@russellstraker8040]

Thinking kowhai would be a good pioneer species and nitrogen fixer now I'm incorporating kotukutuku

[@byrongrows]

Kōwhai is quite slow growing - Try acacia or tree lucerne for N+ fixer, depending on what’s around your local area

[@russellstraker8040]

@@byrongrows yep have tree Lucerne as it can be stock feed too looked at acacia as it's fast and would be good firewood but don't really have the room

[@carlossoares712]

muito bom :D

[@Extremealgarve1]

It seems they didnt plant on contour. is that right ?

[@byrongrows]

Correct, most are planting vertical up the slope

[@stephseckold4324]

@@byrongrows I noticed this too, may I ask is there a purpose to this? I know in PNG, locals were encouraged by a permie consultant to plant on contour, rather than downslope as was custom, only to lose entire crops due to landslides with high rainfall. Draining excess waterflow on steep topography was the reason for downslope traditional planting, apparently. Perhaps this is the reason here? (although usually that pattern is for ease of machinery) I live in hinterland sub-tropical Nth NSW and plant slightly off-contour for both catchment (in moderate rain) and drainage (with heavy wet seasons) on steeper areas

[@exodusfamilybelize]

@@stephseckold4324I live in Belize with similar heavy rainfall on steep hills, I can see why up down slope planting would work better than on contour unless the contour plantings are very water permeable. The amount of water rushing across the landscape on a regular basis is astounding and stopping it is impossible, and somewhat destructive. Most permaculture ideas are based on Australia and New Zealand not central America.

[@MrJustoverissimo]

No belts involved.. just observation..synchronicity... resonance.... HARMONY. Can’t teach how to ride a bicycle... but....

[@nathanielgraham622]

building a temperate syntropic ecosystem to preserve native Oaks, White Walnuts, Pecans, Chestnuts, and Elms which are under threat with climate change here in the Ozarks bio region.

[@byrongrows]

Fantastic work you’re doing

[@jacobcranz]

Wonderful video, thanks for the work. A bit of a turn-off is the surreptitious advertising for the saw.. could just say they sponsor you and be more transparent. otherwise great stuff!

[@byrongrows]

Thanks for the feedback, and glad you enjoyed the vid!

[@snippetsofinconvenienttruth]

Thank you. You have broken through the cognitive dissonance. I get it. If you are in the Far North of NZ please come visit.

[@snippetsofinconvenienttruth]

Great tools Silky.

[@nathancooper9391]

I enjoy Byron's videos. Wildlife needs very old trees so quick succession doesn't serve wildlife. For example tree hollows for birds, reptiles & marsupials take over 100 years to form. I'd prefer syntropics stuck to degraded farmland, not functional forest.

[@byrongrows]

Did you watch the entire video?

[@zorothesigma]

Lfg

[@virusmyth4930]

Thank you for deleting my comment, it only proves my point.

[@NathanielKenaston]

Nobody knows what you commented though

[@virusmyth4930]

@@NathanielKenaston Not my fault if the owner of the channel cant take even the lightest criticism...

[@NathanielKenaston]

@@virusmyth4930 what were you criticizing if I may ask

[@virusmyth4930]

@@NathanielKenaston My main criticisms are 1) they preach the whole food forest concept as a panacea, being easy (after implemented) and more productive than anything else. It is neither of those things. It takes hardwork, constantly and forever, and much more so than monoculture. Im not defending monoculture, but it is way more productive. The concept of food forests can be implemented, but the effort vs result (efficiency) do not even compare with monoculture, which can be automated and tailored to a single crop to obtain maximum output, with a lot of drawbacks for the environment of course, at least in the way it is currently practiced 2) the excessive romanticism, delusion and false sense of virtuosity in the food forest communities, and how people in it react in a triggered manner when you point it out. It's like as if they're perceiving the criticism as a personal attack, exactly because many of them have already bought into this romantic idea that they're saving the world, and after the idea becomes embedded as part of their personality, any criticism of this ideology is perceived by their ego as an aggression (because that's how the ego reacts when part of what it assumes to be true and part of itself gets under scrutinity). This is not only because part of the ego is being nullified but also ecause if it suddenly accepts this as true, then there is a void that now has be replaced with something the ego still doesnt know what is. Until that is done, there's this emptiness inside and the feeling of purposefulness that once existed is no more. That's one of the many dangers of associating yourself with an idea so deeply ingrained that it now becomes part of who you think you are. We're not what we do. We're not what we think. We're not what we have. But that's not how the ego works...

[@NathanielKenaston]

@@virusmyth4930 your observations and criticism is correct. I am new to the food forest world and I'm noticing that many people are putting in a line or 2 every few years which tells me that the existing lines can be a pain to manage for a few years until they're established. I am implementing food forest ideas into my homestead here in Ghana, but I will also put in orchards with just single trees and that'll give me some comparisons for myself. I do think everyone needs an idea or something to be a bit autistic about (it's where innovations happen best) but obviously not so much that you can't consider others opinions or guidance.