Regenerative Agriculture in the Desert: Permaculture Date Farm

The story of a farmer who has worked against the norms to produce delicious and highly nutritious dates, citrus and various other crops for over 40 years by working with nature.
*** Show notes and Links ***
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Flying Disc Ranch website:
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[@dekonfrost7]

Really good. I cant believe that regenerative agriculture is a thing. How it isn’t obvious from centuries past. Is beyond me.

[@RegenerativeJourney]

These regenerative practices have been with us for a long time as you mention, but I think we've lost sight of them. I create these videos to reintroduce and remind folks that we need to bring them back.

[@dekonfrost7]

I agree with you 100%. Also i like cut to the bone clever insults. Bro said. Wtf they got going on,.... over there. “Thats hydroponics in dirt.” Mic drop.

[@neerajpardhy1525]

Camels! Need some camels on the farm to check that one missing box. Great vid Dave.

[@RegenerativeJourney]

Yes, camels would have been a great addition. They could graze the covers crops and add fertility, though, maybe they'd just eat the dates.. Thanks for checking out the video Neeraj!

[@Nurk0m0rath]

Honestly, it just needs some bat or swallow houses to manage the bugs to count as integrating animals. For the record though I'd love to see that giant compost pile get enclosed and hosting a flock of chickens to scratch around and control bugs. Polyface farms has a giant compost system like that and iirc they run a hundred chickens off the compost with no additional feed. But they do get composting materials from all the farms nearby, so Flying Disc might not be able to keep that many on just their own waste.

[@estebancorral5151]

@@RegenerativeJourneycamels are not grazers but browsers. There is a big difference. However, they would do well on that farm.

[@kmr4244]

Superb video.

[@youngfree3930]

Very informative,cool stuff here !

[@glowingdoormultimediamarke6301]

Great video, Dave! I’m excited to learn more about this stuff!

[@RegenerativeJourney]

Thanks for checking it out GlowingDoor, and glad to hear you want to see more!

[@adamhill6957]

Great video. Those bugs looked like a good time. Love Dates!

[@RegenerativeJourney]

Thanks Adam! I tried to push through without swatting them but they were attacking my eyes.

[@lovecatspiracy]

Great video! I will plan to visit Flying Disc ranch on one of my trips thru the desert.

[@RegenerativeJourney]

You definitely should visit if you can. The ranch is truly an oasis. Absolutely beautiful and full of delicious food.

[@mushethecowboycook9353]

Do you have a drone to get overhead aerial shots?

[@CesarADiaz1]

Hello, I am wondering if you would be interested in collaborating on a podcast episode about regenerative farming and how it is the most important thing we should be doing as a species. I would love to ask you many questions as you have a lot of experience in this area and I am currently on 32 acres that I am looking to regenerate. Plant Powered Life - Meet me on Anchor

[@RegenerativeJourney]

Hi Cesar! Thanks for your interest and for sharing your podcast. I definitely don't consider myself an expert. In fact, I interview these farmers because they are the real experts. How can I reach you directly to talk about your podcast?

[@arrhazes8198]

I'm worried about the pesticides etc blowing onto the dates.. he should probably make some kind of barrier though I can't think of any that'll do the work. And I was thinking he could've mowed goat between the trees, silvopasture if you will, putting more carbon into the soil. Also while you said diversity was promoted I could only see dates, pomegranates and grass. I'm suspecting he doesn't have enough pollinators hence needing the those hand pollination..

[@RegenerativeJourney]

In talking to various organic farmers I've come to learn that pesticide overspray from other farms is a real challenge that they can't do much about, though they do try. The organic farms complain to neighbors and governing bodies but often times have no other recourse. Sad but true. The farm also grows various citrus fruits, about 19 different varieties of dates, aloe vera plants, and has experimented with various other crops in the past. In addition, there's a pretty good number of wild critters roaming the farm. That said, maybe they could introduce even more variety.

[@jonathancaulfield9837]

Love this guy, but we know the truth. You love dates!.. now I do too. Thanks Dave!

[@RegenerativeJourney]

I do love dates! And you're welcome for loving them too. Nature's candy. Thanks for watching the video!

[@asherlito3801]

This has one fundamental problem Your in a desert. You make any farm look super lush with enough water. So if he uses the same amount of water as other farms and it look like that then great but if not then this is a bad example.

[@RegenerativeJourney]

Hi Asher. Great question/observation. He does use the same amount of water but with much better results and arguable less water loss due to evaporation because of all of the vegetative cover. But you make an interesting point about farming in the desert. I think that's a question worth further exploration. Thanks for watching and for your comment!

[@dekonfrost7]

The err in your comment. First full of assumptions and ifs. but a component that you missed Asher is the lack of salt that robert doesn’t put into the ground/water table. Thats the important thing. And eclipses the usage benefit analysis. Also that region of California is not desert is chaparral.

[@asherlito3801]

@@dekonfrost7 OK you are just wrong Thermal California which is a part of palm springs. gets 5.8 inch's of water each year that is classified as a desert. A Chaparral is like San Diego which gets 10.85-12 inches of rain. All of his water comes from the Colorado river. Look I like seeing farmers caring for their land and regenerating their soil but if we are in a desert we have to focus on saving water which is getting harder and harder to come by. So that was my question what is this farmers water usage if it is more then this practice will never take off it is the same then keep it up cause you get better product for same work. If it is less then by golly every farmer in the Imperial and central valley should take up this practice.

[@dekonfrost7]

Asher Petkevich asher you are incorrect. Chaparral is more then water landing. Its also composition of soil. Habitat etc. also what does it mean use water etc. Quantify what you mean. I think you are the epitome of penny wise pound foolish.

[@asherlito3801]

@@dekonfrost7 Ok Have you ever been to Thermal California or Palm Springs or anywhere in that area. Because I Live in a Chaparral and about 50 miles form e is Palm springs and Thermal California. Thermal is not Chaparral. Chaparral is dense Shrubland like what you see in the Irvine mountains or East County San Diego Like Santee or Escondido. Now The area where this guys is farming is Desert their are Few Plants and shrubs are few and far between. The soil is sandy and mostly decomposed rock and sand stone with little Moisture. So you are in fact wrong where this guy is farming is not Chaparral. But besides that I never said what this guy is doing is bad I just wondered about water usage since unlike the Rest of the US California is tight on water to if this guy is using more water than other farmers then we have a problem however, if he is using the same or less water then this practice is great and every farmer should use it. Finally the Insults were not necessary and saying that only hurts the regenerative agriculture movement. That will only alienate us from other farmers and will hurt our cause.

[@dgreen341]

1 the cut away to you eating sucked. 2 how is organic if the toxic still from next door is being blown on too his property. 3 cut away to chick had zero context

[@ruceblee969]

You wake up and choose violence don't you?