Permaculture swales hand dug to mimic our Desert Rivers.

[@thefoodforestnamibia]

Thank you for viewing with me. Where are you viewing from today?

[@mikeipson1554]

Salt Lake City, USA. I've been to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana. I love that part of the continent. Keep up the good work!

[@RD-jb6qb]

Michigan, USA

[@davidinsf2680]

San Francisco, USA

[@mavrickjohn1]

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA

[@WaterholeExchange]

Yaama from Australia.

[@Djsalad96]

big storm rolling over the watershed can't wait to see the next update

[@thefoodforestnamibia]

Crazy rain at the moment. Just came in from running in the rain

[@TheDog_Chef]

Please put trail cams on your Amazon wish list. It would be so interesting to see what animals come to visit your property!

[@borisviolin633]

By leaving the weeds you not only keep the butterflies happy but also you keep the soil from blowing away! Good choice!😀

[@mekon1971]

Yes, nice to see that you are leaving these - they are clearly a great pollinator attractor for your area!

[@pampotgieter7611]

What beautiful yellow flowers. A good ground cover with additional benefits for the butterflies and bees. What about the living fence of the Willow tree? I have seen many videos of the living hedge of Willow trees. The thing is Willows love a lot of water. Here in the complex there is a huge weeping Willow growing very close to one of the houses. And they continuously have to cut the roots, as they are looking for water in the drainage system. So best not to plant next to a house. More rain NICE! Even if it was a little bit. Thank You for another interesting video. 🌿💚🌿

[@enkor349]

Weeds means that land is restoring itself. Maybe if next year allow very gentle grazing, it would start transforming into pasture slowly?

[@louislombaard900]

beatifull as always a great inspiration yo all of us.

[@gonnagetya1433]

Your living dam is like the living hedges in the UK, where they go through and trim, lay down and weave the dead/live branches and it grows back up again over a decade. Takes work to maintain every so many years, but makes a really nice fence that keeps replenishing itself. Laying the branches down horizontal and the new branches grow back up vertically.

[@garryhancock-the-OG]

All the below are flowering plants that i think can increase the bio diversity on your land. As you have seen with your current yellow flowers it can bring your land alive. Buffel-grass, red hot poker, Florist kalanchoe, tobacco tree, Welwitschia, Baobab. Buffalo Thorn. Bushwillow. Jackalberry. Knob Thorn. Lala Palm. Marula Tree. Mopane Tree.

[@tesha199]

Those yellow flowered "weedy" flowers only grow in that area because those are the perfect conditions for such a plant. Over time the soil will naturally improve (without any major disturbance), and these plants will get suffocated by other plants... those who take better advantage of improved soil conditions.

[@MsPeacelove01]

My dorper sheep eat it and replace it with fertile manure. Win win

[@user-xr5qc3rk5h]

Cast some grass seed between those flowers maybe

[@enkor349]

Saw a greenhouse on another of your video. Have you seen someone experimenting with : - sinking the greenhouse - using geothermal cooling - using thermal mass for cooling. Seen some papers where they experimented in some desert areas and were able to grow a lot of vegetation with high yield, they normally wouldn't.

[@Argrouk]

I was one who said do not rip out the weeds. I'm glad I was on the right side.

[@enkor349]

Weeds means that land is restoring itself. Maybe if next year allow very gentle grazing, it would start transforming into pasture slowly?

[@stephaniewilson3955]

In the UK we have laid hedges. You let your hedging plant grow for ten years, then cut off the branches and cut through the main stem but leave a 'hinge'. That stem is then bent horizontally. Stakes are used to hold the stems in place, they are woven around the stakes like making a fence. The stems will sprout many branches up making a thick hedge that is stock-proof. (I would think that your plants will need less than ten years to grow up to head-height.)

[@swisse-ve5gv]

That was exactly what I thought when he talked about building living dams and fences. Do you know of a good video explaining how to do this?

[@FionaGordon-x7m]

@@swisse-ve5gv If you search 'hedge laying UK', you will find videos by the cartload! Very therapeutic watching. My great-uncle was the hedge-layer (amongst other things) for his village in North Yorkshire UK, and when we went to visit (in the autumn, I think), we could spot where he had been working as we got closer to the village. I think he re-worked the hedges every few years?

[@jenskoppka1870]

I like to see the weed meadow, and I´m pretty sure that it will turn out beneificial for your project. It´s living mulch, but it will not only protect the soil from erosion by wind and water, but it will add humus to the soil, attract earth worms and with time more native plants. I would think, that it can also be used as fodder for lifestock. Anyway, having many butterflies is also a nice addition, we have to give to nature, not only take. You can also see these weed patches as seed banks from where birds eat them and distribute them over larger distances. Keep in mind that bird droppings are valuable fertilizer. Cheers

[@Rescueluv]

A great explanation I am always learning from danous videos

[@LLanfri]

It’s incredible how many things you do each day! Give yourself the well deserved rest when you need it ;)

[@camperkrempel]

Looks like it is just raining in this moment. Sunday 26th, afternoon. 😀

[@jamesmattoon9479]

I have friends in Spain who have Prickly Pear on their land. I do not remember there being a problem with them shedding tiny barbed hairs, UNLESS they are handled directly. But that is why you would think they would make an excellent hedge, as everyone and every thing stays away from them ! The issue in Spain lately is Cochineal bug, which if you get that on your prickly pear, will parachute infants on bits of fluff all over the place; wherever they land on clothes for example, if you try to wipe it off, you will be left with a bright blood red stain, that is hard to remove !! That is why it is called Cochinilla, meaning Little Dirty Girl in Spanish !!! This may be why your neighbours don't want it near their houses ! J

[@claireskrine4837]

As long as the cows and warthog are leaving deposits in return.... We had a motion trigger camera on our land - it was how we discovered we had muntjac deer nibbling our saplings, a couple of friendly foxes.....and a nearly naked man who was rough camping there for a bit (we can only get there every 6 weeks or so).

[@watchourgardenfruitfarmdev-k1s]

Your kind good man Danou👍

[@jenniferpolk962]

Re: bendable trees - willows are a good bet. Salix mucronata (goes by a lot of different popular names) is native to Namibia though generally grows along riverbanks - but if you are successful in hydrating your land sufficiently it might thrive - especially in the application where you're growing it to be a "living beaver dam" where the trees themselves are holding back the water, ensuring that a lot will be soaking in right there at their root zone. Also a good source of forage. (Viewing from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA)

[@joaquimcosta5629]

Obrigado!

[@mrcpm1973]

Tambem

[@maruvandermerwe7809]

Love your videos!!! There are two plants in particular that I find very valuable in my small urban garden in Gauteng. If you can get them, please consider giving them a go. Purslane: It is considered a weed by many, but they are extremely high in nutrients. The plants return every summer. They are good groundcovers and can be eaten by people and animals. Comfrey: I planted comfrey in my garden to use the leaves as mulch, fertiliser (we use the British English spelling here) and compost greens. They have deep taproots that can mine minerals from deep under ground and makes the leaves an excellent choice to "brew" up wonderful fertiliser. You can harvest the leaves continually during the growing season. You can mix it with whatever you feed your pigs, horses, chickens and ducks.

[@PRINCESSDREAMYLYN]

prickly pear fruit is delicious. my grandma used to make jam from it every year. Arizona grew so much she always found time to go picking. Removed the seeds and made the juice to drink and jams to eat. I miss it. one day i maybe able to get some myself. it's awesome on toast and pan cakes.

[@NirvanaFan5000]

everything's looking great! and very happy that you get to employ people. also, it's an opportunity for them to learn about permaculture (I hope you're telling them about the contest!)

[@gedguy2]

Thank you for the Google Map. You've just saved me hours of trying to find out where you are. Keep up the good work. I really enjoy your daily experiences.

[@antontk2531]

So much trees in a forest which can be trimmed and used as a mulch for those trees itself and for other places. Trimming a tree promotes its growth , you can make it morу bushy so it cash more shadow and you have a lot of mulch

[@felle7522]

Once the prickly pears ripen, can you make a video about it? I think this will help change some of people's beliefs and fears.

[@CDthe3RD]

I believe the comment you mentioned in the video was referring to “hedge laying”. How they do it in UK. I really liked the video from the KZbin channel TA Outdoors. He explains it very well. I wonder if the hedge laying technique and the theory behind would be very beneficial if there are certain tree species that would be tolerant to that.

[@TzaboChakuze-vp7os]

Lavender plants do really well as a hedge. Lavender and mint will repell termintes

[@owenthomas5876]

Thanks for putting me in a good mood again this morning 🌄 best wishes from Crete Greece 😊

[@thefoodforestnamibia]

Have a nice day🌞🌻

[@garryhancock-the-OG]

Obviously doing things by hand is more labour intensive and possibly mire expensive and takes longer, however, you are supporting the local economy which you cant quantify.

[@NirvanaFan5000]

or rather, it can be quantified. most business use machines bc it's cheaper. (this also tends to concentrate wealth and ruin communities.) but danou is spreading the wealth (and knowledge) through the community. everyone gets lifted up. it's permaculture for the local economy. =]

[@mavrickjohn1]

I have seen videos where Willows were planted in a gully and branches were woven together and it formed a dam. You might try that with trees that are indigenous to the area and are very supple in their branches. Keep up the good work and don’t ever stop trying something different

[@shannonalaminski2619]

Beavers do that. It works well!

[@claireskrine4837]

Willows are brilliant things - so full of life, so easy to propagate through cuttings, so flexible - if you have a wetland area you need willows!

[@nickbrydon3698]

You can really start to see the progress and so much green on your land!

[@babyhands9287]

As you were talking about the "weeds" there were multiple butterflies and thrips? having a feast on them. The plants do much more than protect and feed the soil.

[@garryhancock-the-OG]

Definition of a weed: a plant in the wrong place.

[@Geografija5do12]

7:40 good one.😂😂

[@xsix16]

Always enjoy your uploads, a welcome break from studying tax law lol

[@JakobFischer60]

I am german, and I worked to earn some extra money from a young age on. Not much, but there is nothing wrong about it as long as they are not forced to work overtime and miss school for that. Also farmers in my village used to do some small things like coppicing and maintaining woodland along the roads paid by the community.

[@nessatforesttrail]

Tecoma capensis(Cape honeysuckle) could also work as a living hedge. It grows very easily when it touches the ground. Just put a stone or log on a branch and it will develop roots. Layering, I think it is called

[@TzaboChakuze-vp7os]

Completely agree while the big tractors and equipment are alot more efficient, don't demand wages and don't call in sick because of babbalas. It remains important to hire as much manual labour as we can so we can support communitees

[@erwinsegers3696]

I think that , if you get enough neighbours , applying your permaculture principals there would be more benefits for your animals , crops and the land in general. I mean 1) the road would not flood that much and because the land will cool down due to tree canapy shadow . Cooling down the region might sparkle more rainfall (micro climate) etc...of course many have to join you then. wouldn't this something worth to organise as a meeting with the neighbours to show your results and convince them to try the same way to use the land

[@MindFarter]

Truly stunning job you are doing on that land and with the local people, I would avoid Bamboo unless you are willing to copice it every year, It will also sucks up so much water it is not a good option for your land yet you would need a lot more water, as for the Living edge, You can always try plant a ficcus or Aloe or Algarve or some Quiver trees (there actually an aloe not a tree) anything that holds water but does not need a lot of water to survive can be used, they also make good fire blocks. In the south of Spain I had Aloe vera and Blue Algarve as a living edge and fire block. All plants have a use there is no such thing as a weed, just a plant in the wrong place.

[@garryhancock-the-OG]

Many thanks for explaining why you are not using the prickly pears. 👍

[@goodwaterhikes]

👍👍

[@Fisheagle1]

You should show the viewers the brilliant design of the “Devil Thorns” and how they form a perfect natural Caltrop; one plant producing hundreds of thorns and each thorn lying so one spike is always pointing upwards, extremely efficient and very painful to stand on…I used to use a vacuum cleaner to try and eradicate them from my lawn 😅

[@kylewilson3751]

Watching from Texas, I'm excited to see how your forest thrives over the next few years 🙏🏼

[@reinierrautenberg4146]

Awesome to see on the radar that you and Immz had rain over night. If my radar weather website is accurate, of course.

[@DoreenFraser-d5s]

As you say you are so privileged to have warthog on your land. Their hooves break the land crust to allow water penetration as well as dropping fertiliser.

[@mekon1971]

Danou, you said you liked to hunt, is warthog something that is huntable and eatable?

[@hotbit7327]

@@mekon1971 Warthog is a kind of pig, so nr 1 on human eating wish list...

[@dirkievermeulen6429]

​@@mekon1971I don't think he is allowed to hunt and shoot on his plot. Warthog is not something usually eaten by people of European descent in namibia. But his workers would love them.

[@daraminix]

I was thinking about how termites gradually consume the dam over time, which made me realize they might take on the role of fungi in more humid environments !

[@jacob1121]

I can tell you that they are right about the prickly pears, the small spines are called glochids that will come loose with wind, or if you brush up against it. Before harvesting fruit or paddles for further planting you can eliminate the issue by wetting the plant as the water will wash them away.

[@Imalittlecloud]

Good to know, my 'friend' gifted me some cacti. I'll have to be careful

[@portiamonnette]

Do you have a link that explains this that Danou can show his workers ?

[@portiamonnette]

You might consider adding a outdoor "trail" camera to try and see how those cows are getting in

[@TheDog_Chef]

@@portiamonnette I was thinking a trail cam would be fun just to see the warthogs and any other wildlife life coming to the property. The bird numbers are really increasing!

[@Rescueluv]

@@TheDog_Chef yes I agree I would love this also maybe there are smaller animals that come out at night not sure if they have there’s but in Australia we have lots of animals that are night animals.

[@mrzoukdotcomzouklambadaboo8212]

Those arent the usual popular prickly pears......if you want to use the prickly pear.....you toast the leaves in fire....the thorns will blow out into the fire the remainder will burn.....now you can use the leaves, remove outerlayer.....and the leaf is now ready to cook for eating or use as fodder for animals...

[@mechanics4all405]

great content and progress great efforts all round❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@borisviolin633]

When I was a child we had cactus plants as house plants from the Mediterranean region . With these also the big thorns were not the problem but the smaller hairy white thorns around them would latch on to the skin like glass wool insulation fiber, a killer on the eyes and lungs

[@Rescueluv]

Thx for the example explains people’s hesitation

[@borisviolin633]

Viewing from Holland, was just too late so I’ll wait for the youtube to play from the beginning!

[@82FreakyG]

Don't take anything away from the land, it's there for a reason. Until the land is more fertile, it'll change again. There's no weeds in permaculture.

[@villerantavalli9395]

Well, he's not wrong really. In some places those cactus figs have become invasive and it's part of their defense mechanism that the spines and the fluff break off easily and irritate the skin if you got them on your foot for example.

[@jeffreysachs3423]

Monoculture planting may be more profitable for a specific farmer (economies of scale) but the bio-diversity of a food forest improves the diet of the entire community. It may be more hunting and gathering fruits in a food forest, but I project it will be better for the local environment and the global ecosystem.

[@mekon1971]

Especially once he has things like fruits that can be harvested not just in bulk, but grown so that he has seasonal foods/fruits/nuts to have available throughout the year.

[@loganwrider]

Tribulus terrestris is great for the insects and birds, but that is a very thorny and painful plant. Great to see all the accomplishments you are making. It will be amazing after a some time has passed and the forest is established.

[@GARDENER42]

Unsurprisingly, _T terrestris_ belongs to a family of plants called caltrops.

[@tonic8945]

It's a good thing you're doing, improving the land and providing employment for all your fellow man❤

[@laynelins9564]

Espero que você ofereça a esses trabalhadores...café da manhã e almoço e água. Pois este tipo de trabalho é extremamente pesado e a maioria não quer fazer. Então...para manter boas pessoas com você...é preciso cuidar delas também.

[@KatarzynaKwartnik]

🌱🌱🌱

[@TheDog_Chef]

We have those terrible thorns in Southern California also. We call them goat heads. Glad to hear the kids will be wearing shoes! Definitely don’t want to step on one! Hopefully you can figure out what to seed with it so it won’t want to grow there.

[@jaydnhughes6947]

We call them goats head in Australia as well

[@madrabbitwoman]

I must be in a different part of Oz - we call them cat heads ​@@jaydnhughes6947

[@mekon1971]

I think Kei Apple would make a very good living wall for Emanual. It's thorny, drought resistant, easy to grow and espalier along the fence line, has edible fruit that he is familiar with, and with a living fence made from it would make (eventually) more fruit than his family can eat when it is in season giving them some extra income potential. Love to see that you planted so many seeds and the native grasses have grown to the point that they are making seeds. With the continued rainwater harvesting every year will get better and better and you will be able to make so much biomass and will be able to pick areas for cultivation and rotational pasture of a few meat livestock. I saw somewhere (maybe your brother-in-law?) on one of your old videos where someone had made a tower and put an IBC tote on top of it. This would be a good thing to place perhaps at the furthest reaches of the property where you don't have taps or at the highest elevations on the property. You could fill it from the swales/river/dams with a pump when you have abundant rainfalls or even fill it with municipal water during the dry season to help keep the trees in those zones watered when rainfall isn't available.

[@mekon1971]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_apple

[@MaxLemayian]

Can you find "salvadora persica" arround? That tree grows well in rivers and can likely be propagated from root cuttings.

[@jeffreysachs3423]

Running out of work: You can always continue to add small check dams to creates steps of little puddles, so nowhere do you see ripples, only water running over lines of bricks or rocks (reducing erosion, retaining sediment, and increasing areas for water absorption). The second thing is the addition of mulch to add biomass and keep the termites at bay. I know others think it will reach the self mulching point much sooner than I do. When you run out of space, you can start building swales and other water retention structures on adjacent lands to create a larger green patch and raise the local water table.

[@mekon1971]

As he gets sediment settlement, he will constantly have work to do just to remove sediment from catchments, zai pits, etc.

[@Pentagathusosaurus]

When I was a young waaaaarthooooog

[@ajl1973]

USA, used to live in Namibia. Awesome!

[@TheDog_Chef]

Would you want to live there again?

[@ajl1973]

@TheDog_Chef I spent over 5 years in NA and ZA. Beautiful country. I'd retire to either.

[@TheDog_Chef]

@@ajl1973 I’m thinking about it! I need a big change!

[@ajl1973]

@TheDog_Chef you just have to learn to adapt to the way things are done in Namibia. It's not their fault that their population isn't very high, and in turn, the amount of resources and options are less. Yet, that's all changing. On my last trip, I barely recognized Windhoek (capital) and the vast amount of development had in other mid-sized cities like Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, and such towns.

[@TheDog_Chef]

@@ajl1973 I’ve been considering Mexico, but it has gotten very expensive and many more people. The idea of large country and small population is very appealing. Thank you for the feedback.

[@2eGen]

I would focus now on get your land more flat with controlled erosion .1a 2% slope a to get less run off and get the washes away

[@GARDENER42]

When we lay hedges in the UK, it's not with the expectation of the laid part rooting into the ground, just that the laid part then puts up a dense thicket of branches. Do you have any species of Crataegus in Namibia, as it makes a thorny, cattle resistant hedge.

[@uranixcz]

At 2:00 there is large hole on the right side. Would it be beneficial if it's connected to the swale (maybe just a spillway) so it can hold more water together?

[@hirokawiti4932]

Upgrade your fencing id say. The more you protect your own greenery the better for the surroundong area

[@jaydnhughes6947]

The local name for that weed in Australia is Goat Head because the thorny seed shell looks kind of like a goats head.

[@BradleyFoote-w5f]

Bicycle tire’s mortal enemy…

[@maxschon7709]

Sorry the dugging will Not Stop. You will have a Life Time of Work and that is good Thing. 😃 Pay the workers collect to Bring you Clean cardboards for mulching.

[@watchourgardenfruitfarmdev-k1s]

The small thorn are called Glogids and their worse than the big thorn for getting out of your skin

[@patti280]

I’m really glad you hire these people too. The gift you are giving these families is fantastic. Your children will learn that they have a responsibility to their fellow man from your wonderful example and that’s a gift that you can’t put a price on.

[@mekon1971]

The whole "teach a man to fish" parable is so spot on for this. It might be slower going, but that's ok! The guys you hire are learning so much - whether they know it, or not!

[@TzaboChakuze-vp7os]

Time to get som target practise for the warehouse and the 'wild cows".

[@garryhancock-the-OG]

Well over 5.3 subscribers, well done.🎉

[@Limogi]

I agree, Danou, employing people to do manual labour is better than automation. Automation causes severe unemployment as well as greater destruction worldwide.

[@camperkrempel]

If I think of the rain of the last days, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to build a big pond on a bare or most elevated space of the property and cover its ground with foil so the water stays in the pond. Then it would be a big storage for irrigation. You could plant trees around it to shade parts of it to reduce evaporation or build some arteficial shading with the material of the shade house. A pond with foil on the ground would be the cheapest way to store a really really large amount of water, as it could be done 2 meters deep by an excavator and the excavation could be a used to build a wall to have an even bigger storage. It needs a valve through the wall then to close it when the water level is even. Then you need a pump which pumps water from the swells into the pond when the rain is falling. But when the pond is full a lot of drip irrigation can be done by gravity for a long time. In India's flat land they made a good experience with such ponds. Regards.

[@NeilMartin-t3z]

What about drilling lots of deep holes with an auger and fill the holes with 3/4 inch stone till about 100mm from the top, place a piece of bidem or shade cloth on top of stones topped with soil - these deep holes will hold water & you can plant something in the soil on top of the stones.

[@marcozwarionato3509]

deepend parts between the beaverdams like ponds with clay to hold the water for u to use near by?

[@Dread9ko]

Would be great I think to slow down and store water higher

[@bryanevans1728]

You can learn so much about productivity by watching the first 10 minutes of Blazing Saddles. #camptownladies

[@mekon1971]

Are Cassava canes available where you are?

[@MaxLemayian]

Nice to see all the green! Which acacia do you have arround?

[@laynelins9564]

No Brasil...este tipo de trabalho tem sido feito por máquinas...pois ninguém mais que fazer trabalho braçal...pois é muito pesado.

[@jimdotcom1972]

can you put a mini swale/speed bump along the river bank so the if the river ever breaks its banks it'll flood the land between the swale an the bank and not flow back into the river as it recedes?

[@wasp586]

How about edible bamboo as a structural element? Phyllostachys atrovaginata is capable of surviving long flooding.

[@portiamonnette]

Have you possibly considered a baited coral trap for the feral hogs? I ask because your workers could use the meat as you've mentioned

[@Rescueluv]

Danou said he wants to see how he can work with the wildlife I would like to see this also. My understanding is warthogs are native to Africa not feral as such like in Australia. I do not know about baited coral traps but would not support this if it was cruel and not ethical. Saying this with respect as baits where I come from are distressing to see.

[@gonnagetya1433]

What is the coldest temps your property sees in the winter?

[@AlanRWynne]

When i was in that part of the world about 40 years ago, we occasionally came accross a bush call Haak en Steek. A nasty bush know for it's thorns. i was wndering if it would not make a great Hedging material , almost impenatrable by most livestocK and wildlife? HVE YOU INVESTIGATED IT?

[@noah786]

How much does it cost to employ someone for a day?

[@endurance8910]

$ 8 or 10 USD I think. and danou makes them a good meal each work day as well which i think is really nice of him 👍👍

[@TheDog_Chef]

Yes I’d like to know that also.

[@reinierrautenberg4146]

If I remember correctly from a previous episode, around US$8 a day. Or two 'buy me a coffee'-coffees, basically.

[@Rescueluv]

Danou responded in another video 1.5 coffees and like someone said he provides lunch

[@GARDENER42]

Minimum day rate has just increased to N$18/hr which is just under US$1.

[@rm6857]

Currently watching:1

[@rm6857]

You guys late

[@thefoodforestnamibia]

❤​@@rm6857

[@MotosAllotmentGarden]

😊

[@shawj59]

is daar nog plotte daar rond om te koop?

[@thefoodforestnamibia]

Yes we do have some. Maybe leave your details let me send you prices. My email is [e-mail]

[@watchourgardenfruitfarmdev-k1s]

What about sowing California poppy seed, nector and for covering the soil they are annuals

[@threeriversforge1997]

The "living hedge" idea is exactly why I keep recommending a line of native grasses across the stream. In a lot of places, they use Vetiver Grass to do this, but you've got some very nice native grasses that show strong potential. Since they are "clumping" grasses, they will make a very strong wall against the flood, but still have enough give to them that they won't be harmed. Acting as a filter, a "living hedge" of grasses planted across the river in several spots would collect the sediment and provide you with a ton of mulch. Maybe more importantly, they'd grow fast and thick, something trees will never do. If you ever study hedge-laying as it's still done in Europe, the first thing they tell you when planning a new hedge is that it takes years before a planted tree is large enough to be laid over into a hedge, and then it takes years more for that laid hedge to fill out into anything resembling a barrier. I know a lot of permaculture people have a fascination with trees, but this is often to our detriment. Trees are great, and will provide fruits in the years ahead, but the world runs on grasses and forbes. Those "weeds" as you called them, were alive with abundance, and all those pollinators serve as the foundation of the local food web. That's the key to rebuilding your ecosystem and creating a bountiful land, not trees. Grasses and wildflowers build up the soil and move nutrients around in a way that trees cannot. And, best of all, they do it quickly. You can have a field of native grasses and forbes in only two years, but you can't have a functioning forest in less than a decade. One gives you mulch in a year, the other does not. The speed of the recovery is tied to the speed with which the plants grow.

[@Rescueluv]

You explained this very well

[@threeriversforge1997]

@@Rescueluv Thank you for the kind words. In these videos, I often point to the tire dam he built only a couple months back. While Danou is always pointing out the little Lukina trees trying to grow under the brush pile and remarking on how "one day" they will be big enough to make into something.... he seems almost blind to all the thick grass now growing in those tires that were only stuck there a couple months back. Those tires were bare dirt only a month or two back, but with a little watering we can see how the native grasses have really thrived and are now providing both fodder and mulch while also knitting the soil biome together with their root structure. A handful of tiny tree seedlings only a few inches tall completely swamps his mind to the point he can't see the abundant growth of the grasses. Every video he talks about planting more trees as though that's the heart o the problem even though we can see that his land is actually covered in trees already and having trees has never been an issue on that land. This fixation on trees is to our detriment, I fear.

[@thefoodforestnamibia]

I agree. I am definitely blinded by the trees and very often forget about the grasses. Every now and then. I do get a bit of light trought the fog again then I am amazed at how much the grass could help me. :)

[@mekon1971]

@@thefoodforestnamibia That's why I always push for more seeds - everywhere! In the densest planted areas - and the areas where you have the most mulch - you retain the most water in the top couple of inches of soil. A great example from this video was the thick mulch along the wall at Emanuals - was very moist under there when you lifted it to show the termites.

[@Marc-ww7cc]

One of my conclusions from your work is that we need to accept the strengths and limitations of the environment, and not try to turn everything into European-style super productive, flat, agricultural land. That just isn't a model that can be readily sustained.

[@MaxLemayian]

Have you tried napier in the river?

[@FanNy-ku6wt]

Usually the plants that appear on disturbed/unbalanced/depleted soils, and may seem "invasive", are in fact re-balancing the soil and have a healing effect on it, until other plants are able to establish and the first one will disappear, or at least retract when its job is done, which could take several years, depending on how severe was the disturbance. Maybe you should search for informations, some scientific paper about what this one does in the soil, if such ressources exist. Having thorns is not a valid reason to destroy it. Plus this one covers the soil, attracts insects, so attracts birds, is beautiful (with shoes), as medicinal properties. it doesn't seems to be a problem (I mean, to me, from afar). I'm sure the "virility tea" would have a great success on internet, promoted with a few Tik-toks --> huge money for the farm. ;)

[@EK1626]

Sorry about the English but I think you get the idea. E

[@jacquimaggo9234]

Blackberries

[@Permuh]

I saw a video on how to catch rainwater from the gutter to use in the garden. All you need is electricity and a water pump that can pump the water you’re able to divert from the gutter. May or may not be relevant for Emanuel?

[@mekon1971]

He has the tank and gutters to it - just needs to make the tank waterproof. There is a coatings company that is sponsoring the tank liner, but the material is on backorder so it's a couple of weeks out.