Why We Might Leave Sicily: Our Toughest Summer

[@peterbalind7204]

Hi, were from Australia and well understand your hot dry summers and droughts. We've tried a lot of different solutions over the year to grow vegies during dry periods and have found that if you use 30% shade cloth over your vegies it reduces their heat and water stress and still provides enough sunlight to grow your vegies successfully. We also heavily mulch with straw or lucerne which is not too dense and does not pack down as much as other mulches allowing the water to reach the soil. Also water the plants directly at the soil level and move the mulch aside if needed and then move it back to shade and reduce air flow over the soil. Hope this helps T and P.

[@OfftoShambala]

Also create some wicking beds and collect rain water

[@samlikesfruit]

recently saw a video about the Sahara Desert project with water bunds....wonder if any of that could be applied here? It was interesting anyway......some weeds are really beneficial and help bring water up to the soil surface/keep it in the ground/break up the ground/shade the ground so less watering is needed...maybe there's some 'weeds' on your property you could allow to grow amoungst crops which would help out alot...wishing you well and a well

[@DavidPrattm]

I’ve seen lots of Italian gardens with empty plastic water bottles upside down on a stick next to every plant to capture overnight condensation and drip it over the plants.

[@sallylyons430]

Same here in Perth Western Australia. I cover all my beds w shade cloth. Many home growers won’t grow in mid summer as the heat fries the crop even when they get sufficient water

[@Cwgrlk8SanDiego]

We are in Southern California and we use 40% shade cloth and we use OLAS to disperse water throughout the garden boxes.

[@lisashepherd3411]

As a boutique market gardener supplying 25 chefs and restaurants with quality produce and also farming in extremely hot dry conditions my advice is drip line irrigation and investing in rain water tanks is a must.Its simple no water no life.Best of luck to you both.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Sounds like you have something similar to our garden. We did buy and installed the drip water irrigation system. We usually get water supply from the government's water system from local lake. However, this year, they didn't open the source due to drought. We don't have well because our water source is 40-50 metres deep, at least, and the cost is way too high for our little farm. But it is in our future plans as it would resolve all of our problems ❤️ Good luck with your garden too. Good to hear you are doing well!

[@PatBarr55]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 Can you have rain water barrels or tanks? It really helps. Don't give up, I know it's hard. I live in Fla usa it is so so hot this year and where I am not enough rain. I decided not to do summer because nothing has been growing well with the insects and lack of water in heat. Good luck.

[@BoominGame]

Selling basil loool, basil grows in every balcony all it needs is the water from the fruit ball after each meal.

[@kerrybyers257]

@@PatBarr55I’m sure they could, but it has to rain! Sicily has been in a serious drought for a year, I think This is like the American dust bowl era. 🤞🙏🙏🙏for rain. Take summers off for sure. Grow for yourself or a few others if you can. Just think of gardening in Canada! Yours is a reverse situation, kind of.

[@keetykeetymeowmeow]

​@@BoominGameThat's a great idea. There are also thyme, rosemary, lavender and other herb varieties that are drought tolerant. Maybe they can supply somebody who produces a small batch, organic essential oils...

[@Ken-pf5yl]

Like my Grandfather always told me, "It is a great life if you do not weaken". Protect your health.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

That's true! My grandmother always says that health is the most important treasure in life. And that's definitely true. We are trying to take care of ourselves 🙏

[@JOHNTHEWHISK]

Many of these expats move abroad when they're younger, then, when they age and have health problems, they want to scurry back home

[@biran44r]

as a turkish guy living in izmir, i did the same thing. last year; i moved to ephesus-turkey to start a life on a small pomegranate orchard. in my case, i have access to water but i started to better understand the importance of each and every drop. 3-4 months of drought here, with more than enough rain for almost 8 months. i have 200 pomegranate trees but I also love the herbs (dandelions, nettles, wild radish etc) growing here and there. "foraging" is better/easier than growing. nature offers everything to us. in the city, you know almost nothing about the healing and nutritional powers of herbs but here i know they are even more precious than fruit trees! i am 3 km from the town and 20 km to kuşadası, a major international tourist spot. so, i'm lucky to have access to some civilization! one thing i have to mention... i tried with several raised beds but later i noticed that this fancy invention looks fine but is not so sustainable. local villagers are not doing it. it is a city people thing. so i discontinued this practice and decided to use the land as it is. when in sicily, do as the sicilians do :) good luck to you! #ephesus #foraging #herbs #raisedbeds

[@geogeo2299]

Like for calling the city Ephesus.

[@strikedn]

As an Italian I'll never understand why many foreigners have this "romantic " idea about living in Sicily. We (meaning Italians) all know that it has always been tough and with the scary climate changes now, it's getting even worse. As my Sicilian workmates always tell me: "Sicily is a great place to go on holidays, but living there? No, thank you" Sad but true.

[@barbarabreunis7788]

Exactly, Italians don't escape for nothing. If an Italian can't make it work it's super hard for a foreigner.

[@angelaberni8873]

Climate change is a load of BS. Hot countries have ALWAYS been HOT.

[@paulodacosta82]

Sciocchezze in tutto il mondo sta succedendo anche nei paesi americani e Australia

[@MsLinda165]

not to mention earthquake risk.

[@pereinarolsson3928]

I know the reason - people can not separate between two weeks holiday and then go home - or to stay and live there. I as a swede did that conclusion. Italy is absolutely beautiful to visit and with kind people - but to live there is so far away from Swedish conditions. If you have an Italian mindset it will work - if not it will crash.

[@spyridonkaparelis1811]

Here in Greece we are exactly in the same position. Especially in Pelloponesse and Crete. Some people here for growing vegetables they are using buried irrigation drips, very close to the root of vegetable, in order to avoid evaporation.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@spyridonkaparelis1811 It's sad to see Mediterranean countries affected by this drought. We bought a drip irrigation system, too, thinking that we would get water from the government lake source. Unfortunately, they didn't open it this year, and we are unable to use our irrigation system.

[@3r4kl3s]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 Ok but what most people are trying to tell you is why do you waste the little water you have showering it over the mulch. Why dont you find a way to deliver that water you bought to the plants through the drip irrigation system. And if that's not possible at least try to make a few openings in the mulch layer and have the water reach the soil through those openings rather than shower it everywhere. The other advise is to try to collect in a tank what little rain you have during winter for example the rain that falls on your roof. It seems that your region gets more than 50 millimiter of rain per month for a good part of the year. 50mm of rain means that in one month you could collect at least 50liters of water per square meter. So on a roof of 100sq you could collect upwards of 5000 liters per months for at least 6 or 7 months. That amounts to 30-35000 liters which should cover your needs for 3-4 weeks during the draught (You said in the video that 10000 liters will last you for 1 week) especially if you deliver this water using an underground drip system. Stop relying on the government to solve your problems, solve your own problems.

[@mariaritajane6825]

Che cattiveria, se nn sai dire qualcosa di positivo, state zitte. Ai mercati nn c'e verdura, e da nessuna parte. Non Sono loro che sbagliano. 🕊️

[@myacropolis1]

​​​@@3r4kl3sI agree with you, but you cannot build a water reservoir on the roof for 35000 lt or even 5000lt. The building will collapse. Water collection and preservation is a very serious and expensive affair. It's the first time I've watched this channel & have no idea if this couple cultivates for personal use or they are doing it professionally. My guess is that they own a small farm. If they are thinking to cultivate corn, aubergine or pepper (they all need huge amounts of water) in Sicily during a drought season, without proper watering system and water reservoirs, they either walk on clouds or they have very bad advisors. Before planting anything one should ask a good agronomist, have a ground analysis and have a certain cultivation plan. And first of all watch around what others are planting & how they are doing. Nobody knows the land better than the locals. If not, better bet your money at the casino, or the lottery. The costs for land cultivation and watering have gone 200% up in the last 5 years in my country (also in the Mediterranean), and it will become even worse if nothing changes. Those of the commentators who advise to not give up, the only thing I can say is " don't repeatedly do the same thing and expect a different outcome". For the past 10 years I am cultivating 65.000 square meters of olive trees (no need for watering as they are big trees with deep roots), orange & tangerine trees (medium need of watering with proper dripping system) in Greece, ever since I inherited a relative and bought another piece of land. There is not enough rainfall, no snow & the water reservoirs are zeroed. Last winter and this summer the temperature has gone way up, and it will get even higher. I have invested a lot of money in the watering system and in planting new varieties. In the near future I may have to: a) invest even more money for a more efficient watering system or 2) cut the orange & tangerine trees and sell them as firewood. Agriculture is a very expensive hobby. It is not a hobby if one depends on living from it. Small pieces of land are not really profitable unless one produces an excellent product that the market seeks & one has the means for total control (production, packaging, marketing & selling). Also agriculture is a very stressful profession since you depend on the weather conditions, the market prices, finding buyers for your products, who will pay the right price in time (very important!), you need good land workers and machinery etc. Just being realistic and thinking out loud... after 10,5 years of being out in the fields & orchards.

[@3r4kl3s]

@@myacropolis1 thanks for your message. Of course you dont keep the water reservoir ON the roof. The reason why most people collect water FROM the roof is that the roof is elevated so the water that falls on the roof, as it comes down to ground level, can be channeled through a system of gutters and pipes (usually already in place in any roof) to end up filling a reservoir at ground level or even underground rather then simply disperse on the ground.

[@janegardener1662]

I live in Northern California and I have reduced veggies to zero. I water the fruit trees once a month so I can have persimmons, plums, nectarines and citrus. All the rest are things that can survive summer on their own: oaks, olives, cypress, various sages, oleander, lavender. We have to adapt to the climate we have and the water we have.

[@prettylady995]

There is devious weather manipulation to force us into believing that there’s climate change. Humans are doing this to humans.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@@janegardener1662 That's why we want to do food forest too and hopefully it will help to shade even summer crops and help to cope with this heat. We hope your orchard will remain healthy and will provide you with loads of food. Best wishes from Sicily!

[@janegardener1662]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 Everything is doing well except the fig, which died in our last 2 week heat wave. Onwards!

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@@janegardener1662 Sk sorry to hear about your fig but at least the rest is flourishing. Our figs are one of the best crops and very heat resistant. Hope you will try again.

[@janegardener1662]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 I have to install drip watering for a fig. All the other trees do fine with a once a month soak with the hose.

[@kimberlypuravida5690]

Just finished watching your video from Costa Rica. I see your situation turning around. Soon your subscribers will be staying at your farm, eating your organic healthy food and spreading the word. You are so resilient and creative...it will come to fruition soon.❤❤❤

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@kimberlypuravida5690 Thank you so much ❤️ We hope it will be just like you say one day! Thank you for yoir your encouraging message 😊

[@naji465]

There are organic farms all over Italy...vegetables, fruits, cheeses, eggs, beef, pork, etc...you can also find organic produce in supermarkets.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@naji465 In Italy, here in Sicily, you can find it, but it's definatelly minority of businesses. There are younger farmers who are mostly doing this.

[@hildainglese4058]

Israeli make The water Gen, which extract water from the air, you could look into getting a machine for use

[@marissaalonzo7997]

Here in Southwest United States, we are in constant drought. We live in high desert. We have to shade plants, we use mulching and drip water system. We have to haul our water in. We are conserving water into cistern. We gravity flow our water. No electricity. We also gather water from the roof or create swells in the ground. We get less than 10"s of rain per year.

[@CalBru]

Drip System - this is the way!

[@mpat100]

Blessing and more rain for you.

[@giulias.5104]

Are you vegan? If not you are strongly contributing to this problem.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@@marissaalonzo7997 it seems like you are doing great with all you have. We used mulching but then we weren't able to install drip water system as lake water wasn't provided to us. You can check our latest video where we explain more on what happened. Cisterns are great ideas but we would need way too many to supply our garden. We are now into researching swells. Thank you for inspiring and hope we could get as great as you are❤️

[@markj7612]

@@giulias.5104 Thank you for saying that. Worldwide animal agriculture generates as much greenhouse gases as all of the world's transportation systems combined. It is the primary destroyer of the biosphere and is the most destructive activity earth. 70% of deforestation in the Amazon is for the purpose of raising livestock and feed for livestock (primarily soybeans). Animal agriculture is the primary driver of species extinction. It is not sustainable. Humanity must shift to a plant-based diet, or perish.

[@beyda8193]

farmers are the heros of our times.. please try to keep your strength and stamina as long as you can.. what you are doing is so valuable and I wish you good fortune and big reliefe to your trouble

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much for your kind words ❤️ We will try to keep going as much as we can. We love what we do and want to make a small change in this world. If everybody will keep giving up on farming, where we will end up. The quality of food is getting worse in Sicily already, and we want to encourage and inspire others not to give up and create something more sustainable.

[@edlesivertsen3375]

@@SomethingLikeThis1..start a school,lots of people would love to learn and work on a organisere farm for a period..❤

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@edlesivertsen3375 we tried to do a few workshops but we didn't gain much interest. We will try during autumn again soon.

[@Gullvivas]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 Hi, New subscriber here! First time I see your channel today. I really admire you,and I feel sad for all your struggle -I have been learning a bit about agriculture,and in my studies we had most focus on the soil. Learn about all the ecological stuff that give the soil more nutrition and for free! Like: Sea weeds ,organic stuff from your food,sheep poo,chicken poo,and also some greens/weeds to mix into the soil. I pray it will rain again soon! Is it allowed to collect water from lakes on your own? in big containers? maybe co-operate and unite with other small farmers? I wish you will overcome directly from my heart 🥰 Good Luck sweet people! by the way, which country did you move from? where are you from? I watch from Norway :)

[@leeboss373]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 Trying to grow silly things that grow better in more northern wetter climates is your problem. I’d look into growing things like spices, coffee, cocoa etc.

[@nielspaulin2647]

What a sweet couple! We are a Danish retired couple, which actually have a house in Cianciana Sicily. We hope to visit our house next year. We will cross our fingers for you two guys. Please do not give up!

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@nielspaulin2647 Thank you for a sweet compliment ❤️ I hope you will be able to come to enjoy your home here in Sicily! Thank you for your encouragement, we really appreciate it ❤️

[@JanosNemeth-y7n]

@@SomethingLikeThis1I leave Honolulu I moving to Sicily I will make a stuff cabbage factory to selling sour cream with stuff cabbage .. 😊😮 Aloha from Hawaii God bless Hungary ❤

[@jwhiskey242]

Why?

[@berntolofsson]

​@@JanosNemeth-y7nyou mean ukraine, dont you?

[@JOHNTHEWHISK]

Why do you own property that you rarely stay in?? It's immoral

[@JoshDanloor]

Hi there. It looks like you live quite close to my location. I too am considering to sell everything and leave Sicily due to climate change, but every place has its own challenges now and there are some tricks that I have been using with some success. Some of them come from local ancient wisdom. So here they are: 1) You need to create shadow using shade clothes, trees, kaolin and sulfur. 2) You need to use heavy mulch. You don't have enough hay? Use whatever you find around or high quality plastic mulch lasting years Chop and drop some of the many arundo donax and wild opuntia plants you find everywhere in Sicily (nobody will complain), and above all, cover your soil with stones and pebbles (they create dew very easily). 3) Never use raised beds. They are not good for drylands at all. You need to do the opposite: dig shallow beds or, at least, protect the plants you planted at soil level with some kind of windshield (ancient trick). 4) When you transplant something, put the stem of an entire opuntia in the hole (ancient trick). Search "How to use 90% less water with core gardening" on KZbin for something similar. 5) Simply don't grow vegetables requiring a lot of water. I gave up with growing pumpkins and watermelons. Though, I have recently read that some varieties need less water, so do some research. Local varieties are to prefer in any case. Also, start to grow uncommon drought and hot resistant vegetables. 6) Store all the rainwater and grey water you can. 7) Seed and transplant your Spring/Summer vegetables sooner and your Autumn/Winter vegetables later. I am practically following Arizona's calendar now. 8) Use "ollas". People say that they are very efficient. I am going to try them next year. PS: Sicilians are friendly but they are also proud especially when it comes to farming, which is part of their culture since ages. So, they hardly will buy something from a foreigner who is not a friend of them. Good luck!

[@SharonRepici]

I love the Lola’s, but they can be expensive. There are many diy solutions, like gluing the tops of two terracotta pots together, filling from the drain hole, and using the saucer as a cap.

[@myhometownsofia]

I am Bulgarian and if you are interested in farming Bulgaria is very fertile and the land is relatively cheap, good luck to you ❤

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Bulgaria is such a wonderful and beautiful country. However, we are here because of the family. That's the reason why we want to remain in Sicily. Warm wishes from Sicily to Bulgaria ❤️

[@lena0529]

In Bulgaria you can’t buy the land being a foreigner (except for the EU citizens). There are also lots of problems and poor administration. In some areas it’s also too hot and there are water shortages. No-one cares about the environment much here. Not to mention that some people are not fond of foreigners. I’m telling this as a foreigner living in Bulgaria for more than 10 years now. Otherwise it’s a beautiful country and I’d rather live here than in Sicily , which I love to visit though ;)

[@user-vr7jk1zl8n]

@@lena0529 I believe one in this couple is a EU citizen, therefore the problem you mention would not be one.

[@alexorehowski3387]

Bulgaria is a good place if you have income from somewhere else. The poorest country in EU, nothing changed since Soviet times. Maybe a good thing if you have money.

[@lena0529]

@@alexorehowski3387 can’t quite agree with you, it has a great potential and provides very good opportunities for many types of businesses. The market isn’t so tough as in many other European countries, the taxes are very modest 10% corporate income tax independently from the seize of income. You can deliver services and goods throughout the EU. And I’d disagree about “poor” Bulgarians. At least in the cities they have quite a good income even by European standards and the cost of living is quite low. It’s cheap to own property here and many own plenty of it and hide their income easily from tax authorities, despite the fact that personal income tax is also 10% only.

[@std882]

Just discovered this channel. So sad to hear your story. I admire you guys so much for giving up a comfortable life to pursue a dream. I wished it could have worked. I don't know what advice to offer you but I sincerely wished you two all the best in your future endeavor.

[@debrak3594]

Hello dear farmers, I admire farmers so much as I get older. What a wonderful thing you do to grow food and share it with your community! I'm so sad to hear of your struggles and I wish I had some helpful advice for you. I want you to know everyone who comes here to your site will be thinking of you and saying a prayer that the outcome of your farm will be the best outcome for you. I'm glad you still can laugh and support each other. It's obvious you understand what is important. Sending love and best wishes.

[@owenthomas5876]

Hi both, we live in Crete and do something similar to you. This year I bought lots of heirloom seeds from a company in Germany. The weather has been really harsh and we ended up with very little. The only good crops have been in our field under wild pear trees. We also do well in winter but next year we're going to put up shades and only grow local varieties of starter plants. Please keep positive and speak to locals. Good luck guys

[@annieterminetschuppon7232]

The way you are moving is logical in Mediterranean regions. Producing should be under the shade like ancestors did, collecting rainy water, water dripping, ect ect

[@geogeo2299]

Do not buy seeds from Germany. Buy traditional Greek seeds from a traditional seeds preserver like Peliti.

[@ninakeiser673]

Please don't give up! I have been following your videos and love your channel. You are an inspiration for so many people. I hope you will find a solution and continue doing the wonderful things you are doing!

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@ninakeiser673 Thank you so much for your kindness and following us. It means a lot that people see our hard work, struggle, and find it inspirational. We hope one day it will get easier. But we are not giving up just yet. Thank you for expressing your support. It means a lot ❤️

[@ninakeiser673]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 🤞It is raining så hard here in Norway, rivers of water... if you could just have a part of it your veggies could thrive with ease! I look at it and can't stop thinking of you. A well could be a solution but in dry season there is probably not so much water there as well and pumping too much could lead to salinization of the well. Is it possible to do something with desalinization of sea water?

[@antonellaprovenzano270]

Wow!! Such courage!!!! We need farmers!!!!! ❤❤❤❤ 🙏 🙏🙏🙏

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@@antonellaprovenzano270 thank you 😊 and we want to produce genuine quality food for people. What would happen if everyone just stopped because of a few struggles 💪 We will try again!

[@antonellaprovenzano270]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 My parents originally from Sicily; thus, this is very close to home. All the best!!!!!

[@chinchansay2012]

Have been living in the countryside in Puglia for 40 years. We don't have tap water so the only way to have the water supply is to build a big underground cistern to collect rain water for everyday use. We get our portable water from a nearby fountain for drinking and cooking. Good luck to you, nothing is too late to change for hard working people......

[@watthaile2053]

Sorry I can't offer helpful advice. I do not know. You're both cute as pie and a joy to watch. Best wishes to you.

[@Frankie_apollo1717]

Hi from Ireland! I hope everything improves soon, and I wish you both the best. Have you done a ground correction? It might need some adjustment.

[@livinginthealgarveportugal3357]

Here in Portugal 🇵🇹 we put a drip feed then plastic down before we plant we put out plants on for 1.5 hours morning and night ….we have our own borehole here in the Algarve …water is a staple …our problem is a lot of farmers around us use pesticides and the Bee 🐝 population is down 85% …all the best I will subscribe 🇵🇹🌞

[@vcash1112]

Bees have been observed foraging on mushroom mycelium, and research suggests that the mycelium may provide nutritional and medicinal benefits to the bees: Nutrition Mycelium extracts may provide essential nutrients that can improve hive health and help bees combat diseases caused by viruses and pests like the varroa mite. Medicine Fungi produce chemicals that can fight bacteria, other fungi, and viruses. In field trials, feeding bees sugar water with extracts from amadou (Fomes) and reishi (Ganoderma) fungi reduced the levels of honey bee deformed wing virus (DWV) and Lake Sinai virus

[@EveBrocart]

No one seems to realize the danger of dying bees ... pesticides have been used bc they needed to recycle their chemical crap not bc farmers need it.... organic farming worked for centuries until for some reason it didn't

[@yellowdotje6278]

Here in the south of Spain same problem. We didn't have any rain during springtime this year, which normally replenishes the waterreservoirs. Hope you'll soon find a solution. Strength and courrage from Spain❤

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@yellowdotje6278 Hello, and thank you for your comment. It's sad that you are affected by lack of rain too. It's so scary to see so many countries suffering from drought this year. Let's hope this winter we will have an abundance of water 🌧 Warm wishes from Sicily ❤️

[@JanosNemeth-y7n]

@@SomethingLikeThis1you guys are Romanians?? 😮

[@Poqanics]

I would say African Techniques "Desert Growing tech" would do in these conditions> Think perferated Tarps that can shade a few feet over the crops, and possibly instead of spray over watering, rather automated ground OD tubing with timers, and possibly, Ceramic Pots within the ground to distribute moisture gradually and penetrate deeper would be in order as well.

[@belindahoff9738]

I literally just stayed near your area! Had I known you offered accommodation, I would have loved to stay at your beautiful location, and help with daily tasks. My Son and me enjoyed the time in Castellammare del Golfo, and we stayed just outside of the pictoresque town (in between Alcamo & Balestrate, maybe we were really close to your place?!). That area has lots to offer and please hold on; for sure you find an alternative way to make enough income to live. At least your Family is around and together you are strong. Your enthusiasm, perseverance and love is always around to live your best versions of yourselves, anywhere in the world. Yet Sicilia is Fabuloso and they are lucky to have you there❣❣ Keep your heads up and your beautiful hearts strong🌺🌿💖 I subscribed and look forward seeing the following adventures, sending Saluti de Belinda 🌞🙋🏼‍♀️💚

[@Гранит-ь4х]

Russia here. We had so much water, constant rainfall and cold temperatures so that everything is rotting. The tomatoes, cucumber, the vinegrapes all kinds of berries and veggies they all do very bad. We had very late frosts and all apples and peaches got hit. So as a farmer there is no ideal place. Whereever you are you have to adapt constantly. The most stable thing on our farm are dairy goats and chicken. They thrive no matter what.

[@jksinorbit]

Unfortunately you will all learn that the only forward from now on will be the Dutch way where everything is grown in huge indoor growhouses.

[@HANZELVANDERLAAY]

​@@jksinorbitI luv the Netherlands..lovely🎉🎉

[@TaunaWestCoast]

Sending you two, your animals and your farm heartfelt positive vibes and prayers from Portland, Oregon USA. I discovered your channel a few months ago and enjoy hearing about your life in Sicily. You guys are amazing people. I hope that everything works out for you both and realize that whatever direction you take will bring you growth. Praying for all of the best for you ❤.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much for your prayers and positive vibes, support, and thinking of us ❤️ That means a lot! We will be better one day. It's just hard to accept that every summer is a failure for us even if we try so hard. But we believe that better days are ahead! It all will pass one way or another.

[@TaunaWestCoast]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 that’s a positive perspective! With that positivity and logic you will know which road to follow. I look forward to your next podcast and hope that some really good things come your way very soon! One thing that came to mind when you asked for suggestions is that is there remote work that you could do from home? Remote work is really big in the U.S. but I don’t know if it’s widely practiced in Italy. Enjoy the small things now more than ever. Good food, a good cup of coffee, spending time with eachother and your animals, the beautiful sounds of the birds that can be heard in your podcasts. 🌷

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@TaunaWestCoast thank you for your kind message and for becoming our first patreon ❤️ It means a lot to know that people appreciate what we do and see value in it and in our lifestyle. We will keep going and will definitely enjoy those little things ❤️ Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness ♥️

[@TaunaWestCoast]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 you’re welcome! I hope it helps ♥️.

[@gosiagorecka3454]

The dogs don’t complain! Ohhh to be a dog that has such great owners as you are!

[@EisaALSHAMSI]

Hi! I’m confident you’ll overcome this challenge. Exploring smart ways to irrigate your plantations with limited water can make a significant difference. Methods like water recycling and direct irrigation instead of spraying can really help. I wish you both all the best!

[@TractorBeam29]

Malta solved it's water issues by digging cisterns. Is this something that people did in Sicily in the past? Can you add a cistern to your property?

[@theresaggiffin9556]

I'm so sorry for your loss. You have a beautiful garden, and you put your heart and soul into your work. I hope and pray that you will find a way to stay on your farm. May God shower you with His Merciful Love and Grace. Love from 🇺🇸

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much for your kind words and prayers 🙏 ❤️ We hope we will be blessed with bountiful winter crops.

[@claudiabettina]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 Amen! Keep up your spirits. Whatever it takes. You two are awesome! Take care of your health and body. That is the most important. If it doesn't work out, it's not from lack of trying and hard work. Hardship is easier to find nowadays. It's better to keep your peace inside. Then nothing will disturb you. I advise praying the rosary every day and you will always have that peace within you from Our Blessed Lady, Mother Mary. 🙏📿📿 God bless you both from Canada.

[@TomBTerrific]

It’s obvious you are both good workers. I don’t know much about Sicily. I grew up in Nevada so I do know about limited water supply. I also don’t know if your lack of rain is typical or temporary because of a drought. You can only manage what’s given to you or what you can control. This year’s crop appears to be done. Put your energy and time into next year and what you can manage. So collect as much as you can while you can be it from rain, humidity condensation or storing more during times it might be available off site. Waste nothing! Maximize your water usage with some form of controlled applications (drip, mulch, dedicated containers etc). Evaluate which crops require the least amount of water. Then select those crops over high water usage crops. That might be before sunrise. Calculate your dispersement of water then adjust as needed. Apply during early morning when minimum evaporation occurs. Consider portable shading to reduce heat and evaporation. Your olives and figs seem to be well established and perhaps can manage on their own. Save your urine and use it with your gray water to water crops. Disparity times call for desperate measures. I don’t know how much property you’re farming. Don’t grow more than you can truly care for. Sorry I think you have already thought of these.

[@giovannifoulmouth7205]

​@charleswhite758why would they advertise if their produce was fertilized with human waste? Just say it's organic and that's enough.

[@lucianatrambaglio4881]

​@charleswhite758 Horses, cows, chicken's excreta are the best soil fertilizer! But the farmers need water more than that.

[@Changeworld408]

You are lovely humans. I would guess you will be able to get income from tourists, guiding people around, giving permaculture courses, building earthen sheds or organisingyoga retreats ,donkey walks for tourist, renting bycicles❤

[@Gullvivas]

@@lucianatrambaglio4881 👍👍True! when waiting for the rain! no kidding,you must collect water to grow all that .Sea grass /weed are also great fertilizer and for free!

[@juanramos.jr.7948]

Use ground irrigation, put the tubed on the ground and water only the roots, continue what you're doing with the mulch to stop evaporation. If it's to expensive, use soaker hoses. I live in the arid part of South texas. That works here.

[@soldiernomore3843]

I’m new to your channel. We are Italian in the US. My wife and I have done market farming, most do understand that timing is everything. Are there any cool seasonal crops that would be considered specialty crops? Is Organic Garlic in demand or medicinal herbs? Have you used shade cloth where do you market your veggies? As Organic farmers how are you fertilizing? We feel your distress. We wish you well.

[@soldiernomore3843]

Siamo Contadini we need to help one another . Are you part of the slow food movement in Sicily? What is the best time of day to water ? What did your wife mean by over head watering, I hope you can beat this and live your dream. Ciao Ciao Giuseppe

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Ciao Giuseppe. Thank you for your comment and trying to give us some tips. We have a couple of specialty crops that are not really common such as kale and chicory that people cannot find anywhere else and they love it. We are thinking of getting more chickens to improve our selling as everybody is looking for a good quality eggs. We are working on shading issue such as plnting a few trees that could do it as we don't like using plastic shading. We are using aged horse manure and we continuosly add it to our rised beds. We are not part of slow food as you need to grow specific crops that are considered to be on their list, we are trying to implement some specific mandarins to our land and then maybe we could be a part of 'slow food'. We water in the evenings almost all the time. We are sending you best wishes from Sicily!

[@neo10303]

Your are actually living the dream that my husband I and have of buying a farm.I’m so sorry to hear that you are going through these hard times.There has to be a solution that will materialize 🙏🏻It’s for me to say don’t give up,but DON’t give up.

[@Changeworld408]

Dreaming of going into debt and no experience in farming might become a nightmare quick ❤

[@myacropolis1]

​@@Changeworld408My thoughts exactly!

[@RRaucina]

I own many properties in the California mountains. Very hot and dry summers. Absolute first thing to do is drill a well before you turn even a shovelful of dirt. Common here for wells to be 75 to 300 meters deep. Most times I was lucky and hit water at 20 to 50 meters and receive a huge flow, like 50 gallons per minute. We overhead irrigate our gardens and landscaping and use them for wildfires.

[@LM-ch8rh]

greetings from San Jose. love the CA mountains.

[@adrianguggisberg3656]

Firstly, they couldn't afford the drilling, secondly they might not get a permission in the first place and thirdly the amount of water they'd be allowed to pump is limited.

[@RRaucina]

@@adrianguggisberg3656 All of which means you don't buy that crap land. Cheaper in the California desert where permits are easy and water is often abundant.

[@adrianguggisberg3656]

@@RRaucina Maybe, but should all sicilians move to Califoria? And all the africans from arid regions, and everyone else, who gets baked by climat change? I dont think Mr. Trump would like that.

[@RRaucina]

@@adrianguggisberg3656 I don't think they are Sicilians by a longshot. They just need to learn how to buy land prior to purchasing some.

[@RecordingStudio9]

Don't give up. In late 2019, my wife and I put all our savings into opening a cafe, spending $500k. A few months later the pandemic came and we were forced to work around it with no financial support from the government, while big profiting companies got $ millions. Forward 5 years, our business instead of being worth $500k, it's worth $50k. We both work 75 to 80 hours a week just to pay rent and bills. Everyone is doing though, if it's not water, it's the high cost of living. But we all hang in there. If you love what you do, it will pay off in the end.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

I am sorry to hear about that. I hope one day you will be able to get better and your business will flourish! Thank you for sharing your story. So many people are going through tough times. But as long as we have reason and our passion, we have to try. Let's hope brighter days are ahead for all of us! Sending our prayers 🙏 ❤️

[@gnome2024]

US Gov was giving money out like candy. I own a business in SoCal and didnt file or take any PPP money but I could have. There was a lot of very small companies getting $200,000 to $500,000 PPP "loans" that turned into free money and these companies really didnt deserve it. Youre right big business profited from the plandemic but a lot of small businesses took that free money too.

[@Tonymike1212]

It's not worth the stress if it doesn't work , shut down , move on.

[@RecordingStudio9]

@@Tonymike1212 Sometimes, you can't just leave a $500k dept and move on. You still have to pay it back. That means losing your house and all you worked for. Not as easy. As long as I have the passion and a heartbeat, I have to keep going. :) P.S. I live in Sydney, Australia, currently the most expensive city to live in.

[@orangesolivesitaly]

Im sorry this happened to you. It really puts in persective. Im not a business owner. I v been a low income person and have never had even close to 5k spare. But I can only imagilne how heartbroken you must be. I hope a little miracle comes in to turn things around for you.

[@andrewdarnley4608]

Like Peter below, I live in Australia and we get serious droughts at times. Two things come to mind 1) good soil development ie no dig gardening 2) wicking beds which you can build yourself 3) shading to reduce water loss 4) put in a bore water system with tanks and drip irrigation.

[@tegannorthwood1891]

yeah I was thinking ‘can they sink a bore’ also

[@TheSicilianLife]

I'm so sorry for your struggles. You have a beautiful homestead. Will keep you in prayer as you make decisions. I hope you feel better soon and heal completely. 🙏 I completely agree with you about being debt-free. That's the only way to stay. Wishing you all the best. Hugs 💕

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@TheSicilianLife Thank you for your kind-hearted comment and your prayers. We pray for your family too ❤️ So many people are in need of prayers these days 🙏

[@kevingurall5555]

Florida here. Sounds like you need several tanks/cisterns set up to gravity feed to your plants that need the most help. Do a drip system on the ground or buried near the roots. I wish you much success in the future.

[@moisefeuvray5680]

What I can see clearly is your love, your joy of life, the most important is there, despite of dryness ! thank you.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you for such a beautiful comment ❤️ We really appreciate your kindness 😊

[@helenhoisak8178]

I feel your pain..I pray for you to reset if it is at all possible. I have never lived on a farm but I know enough that I realize it is a very hard life. Farmers are the backbone of all societies all around the world. God Bless you and farmers everywhere.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@helenhoisak8178 Thank you for your prayers 😊 We need to persist. We hope we will be able to. 🙏 The life on a farm is hard but we love it ❤️

[@1Waarheid]

Exactly and ppl should understand what's going on. Good ppl doing nothing..

[@Txyleo]

U d better reset it all

[@anne4083]

Guys I feel your pain!! We only have water in the morning, but it's bad all over the island and we still have August to get threw!! Probably best not to do a lot in July and August. Sending positive vibes and 🙏🙏🙏 don't give up just yet❤

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@anne4083 Thank you so much for your kind comment and positive vibes ❤️ We are trying to keep our heads above the water this summer. But it looks like other summer we will focus on something else. But we definitely want to be farmers in wintertime. Do you have big garden too? Which are of Sicily are you from?

[@anne4083]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 it's not easy farming with the weather in summer and I know the struggle to try thinking outside of the box to earn 💸💵💰. I'm in the valley of the madonie mountains and unfortunately I'm in a town house with no garden!! 😢 I'm Scottish I married a sicilian.

[@berendbruining1629]

Do I understand that you do not have a well?So no why you do not dig one?All the best to you!​@@SomethingLikeThis1

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@berendbruining1629 The fresh water source is predicted to be 40 - 50 metres deep or even more. This would cost around 10k and but there are many risks involved. We could relay previous years on water supply from the government and buy the remaining to keep in the water tank, and it was a rather good and cheap option. We are actually making another video trying to explain a clearer about the water situation.

[@1Waarheid]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 You can only relay on yourself.

[@John-b1l6t]

It has been over 30C every day here in NE Hungary since the beginning of June and only had three single days of light rain. We have had same problem with the heat and drought but we are lucky to have a deep well which we use for watering the vegetable garden. We fill two 1000 litre tanks which are on a higher level and then use drip lines to water the crops. It has worked very well, even this year. The only crops that have suffered were gherkins, lettuce and climbing beans where the leaves burned in the hot sun. Shade mash is a good idea to help with that. If next year is similar weather I will be planting earlier and using shade netting.

[@hasafa9580]

Please don't give up, your work is so important!

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you ❤️ We are trying 😊

[@nielspaulin2647]

Please do not give up. We understand that life is difficult for you right now, but life always turns more bright over time. We started from very little 15 years ago, and later all went for the much better. Keep on wonderful couple, and try to get the best out of the present situation. YOU ARE SUCH A NICE COUPLE. 🍎🍎🍎

[@MikeMoraCalifornia]

I just subscribed and I hope to see more videos from you two. Shockingly, your subscriber list isn't in the 10's of thousands. I only saw it because KZbin promoted it on my feed. I am glad for that.

[@BlackJesus8463]

prickly pear cactus is a popular flavor and figs do very well in hot weather. Might want to spend some of the water money on deep mulch and dry farm the best you can with swales and maximum water harvesting you create your own microclimate. permaculture agroforestry, alley cropping with date trees? Olive is practically gold I think i se a lot of olive trees in the video.

[@Inventio13]

We’ve had little rain for the last 2 years. There have been water restrictions since March, meaning that we cannot use tap water for irrigation. The world is getting hotter and dryer. We have to adapt to this. Collect and store water for the dry months. Mulch everything, it keeps soil cool and reduces evaporation. Use shade cloth or plant under trees. Plant trees of all sizes tall, medium and small. High shade doesn’t reach the ground, but it cools the air. Plant drought resistant crops. Keep water needy plants in a small area. Use plants that have bulbs or rhizomes, or palms, that keep water stored underground. Avoid growing in the hot season, grow crops under cover in the colder periods. Use the hot months to dry fruit and flowers.

[@bibit3856]

How about sand, compost, leaves, wood chips to cover the soil and allow it to retain some moisture, since the problem is the drought. I’m not an expert. I’m just thinking of solutions…

[@solconcordia4315]

You can make a small cone out of maybe a leaf and insert that right at the roots of a plant to funnel the water to the roots directly. It's just emulating drip irrigation but from a plant to a plant by hand. Another thing which may help is to latch together the mulch into a mat so that you can lift it up before watering in the evening once the sun has set and the plants are often thirsty.

[@myradioclubuk3321]

it is a struggle but dont give up now, find the way to get water cistern and you should be ok. you done a lot and started new life so keep doing what you doing. it will get better!

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much 💓 Kind comments and support are keeping us smiling today. We are definitely not giving up just yet. Winter is much better for us, we just hope that it will rain 🙏 We do have water cistern but the water cost is too high with the results we ate getting from the crops. But we are weighting different options. And we are still stubborn 😆

[@martieflagg4671]

First time you are in my KZbin feed. Subscribed. Don't give up!

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much ❤️ We hope you will enjoy our journey and keep cheering us 😊

[@prettylady995]

First time for me too!

[@donnaanderson5669]

You’re gonna really miss it when you move all that land is beautiful, peace and serenity

[@ArmchairGeneral-sr7sz]

The only solution I suggest is to get a well bored. A big truck ( the size of a garbage truck) will arrive and bore a hole perhaps 50-100m deep (but get local knowledge). The hole is lined with steel pipes as part of the process. A pump is dropped to the bottom and pumps as much water as you need up. The relative cost of the electricity is very small. Well worth doing if you can afford it…

[@kevinbarrett5396]

I have only just now found your channel and wanted to say I hope things work out for you. Stay strong and don't give up, best wishes to you.

[@SuperMarioinGiappone]

Somebody in Dubai said they make water from the sea. Sicilia should do the same. Desalination is the process by which the dissolved mineral salts in water are removed. Currently, this process, applied to seawater, is one of the most used to obtain fresh water for human consumption or agricultural purposes.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@SuperMarioinGiappone Well, Sicily has 3 desalination plants, but none of them are working. We will see if anything changes after this extra dry summer.

[@MrSafetyForever]

Saddened to learn of the difficulty's you are experiencing. Like most even I have taken Water for granted. I wish you both the very best and genuinely hope your situation improves. Take Care

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much. Water is becoming a big issue in South Italy. Calabria just declared drinking water emergency. It's scary to hear and experience water shortages. So many people don't think about it. Thank you for your comment! Let's hope it will get better!

[@NomadicReviewIranywood]

Plant microgreens in a greenhouse dehydrate in that sun and mill it up into powder, make blends and market microgreens powder to add into smoothies or cooking. Go micro farming start your own health products, you can also make supplements with the microgreens, also Moringa Scrubs like humidity then process and sell Moringa powders and supplements in veggy caps

[@emilyfroemel7622]

I grew up in California during draught. Look into what people are doing to save water. We used organic soap and pumped all the gray water into the garden. The washers here are smaller and use less water so perhaps this does not help? Collecting rain water? Growing plants that are draught resistent in draught years? Keep expanding your brand. Can you sell swag? Can you dry herbs and sell here? Are there garden brands you can partner with?

[@janetlombardi2314]

It sounds like a tough situation, and you have August to get through. The farm looks great. It would be a shame to give it up. Without water, it is difficult to maintain what you have. Maybe just reduce your farm and crops in the summer and use the produce yourself. I take it that you sell some of your produce? You dont really have much choice at the moment unless you look at other ways of obtaining water for your crops. In the Autumn hopefully the situation will be better. Fingers crossed that you come up with a solution because it is hard to go back to a life that you wanted to leave behind. Take care and all the best 😊❤

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@janetlombardi2314 Thank you for the comment. It's definitely something to think about until next summer. And yes, August is ahead, and we will be happier when September starts. We hope for a rainy and long autumn and winter. We will keep our heads up and keep pushing through and we will have all winter to find a solution for next summer.

[@reneeoconnell4606]

We have so much respect for you both! Farming seems a challenge all over but especially where there is drought. Seasonal farming that you mentioned seems a good choice for now. You have such an asset with uour restored van! You need some good marketing for experiences ! Maybe try networking with an established resort/hotel etc. You are a passionate and adorable couple, we are cheering for you from San Diego❤

[@fulvias.8463]

Agree, keeo your dream and maybe work as much as you can in winter (maybe developing some new concepts?) and then summer you travel or just relax and use the veggies for your self. Don't give up if this is really what you like to do!

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you for trying to help us and come up with some solutions! We really appreciate helpful comments. We are discussing currently how to increase our winter crops so that summer could be different. We might grow only couple types of tomatoes that doesn't require water at some point. And some more sustainable crops. People here on KZbin have been very helpful and kind. Thank you for being one of them! We will try to keep going!

[@conniemara1]

Hello....I just found your posting....thanks for being so honest and sharing your story....I wish you both the best of luck. I live in Enna above Lake Pergusa which has gone dry...its so so sad. I send you both hugs.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much for your support! It's sad to see Sicily in such condition. But hopefully it will make everybody to think about nature a little more and do something about it. It's so worrying to see lakes drying! Thank you for your support and hugs. We really appreciate it!

[@HailOdin-cz1qf]

Few tips always plant crops on new moon never full moon phases. Also first sew hemp because it naturally replenishes the soil.

[@IndianJu]

New sub here… I am so sorry that you’re having a hard time atm yet I wanted to encourage you that whatever you decide doing to never stop sharing here. You guys are such a delightful couple to watch , so relatable & humorous. You cracked me up with your video about the weekly dishes, a lot of fun to watch! I am sure your efforts here on KZbin will eventually pay off even if you cut back on growing time on your little farm. Keep doing you; you’re doing great here! Lots of love and support from rainy Germany… would send some over if I could! ❤️🤞🤗

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Aww.. so kind of you ❤️ Your comment made us to tear up ❤️ We actually surprisingly got to 1000 subs and it was such an inspiration and mental support for us. The kindness of people trying to come up with solutions it's just so touching. People like you are Godsend. Thank you 😊

[@youareinbarbados2578]

I lived 10 years in Florida, really disliked the heat and had to live with ac all year long. Culture shock was huge. I Decided to move back to Sicily where I came from, really happy for the decision after 14 years. Life in Sicily is wonderful

[@PAUL-em4tj]

The Vikings Loved Sicily. Esp the ladies. 😉

[@SteveDinnes-o4g]

Bless you! Sending you love! 💖

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you very much ❤️

[@trinasyoutube]

I have a rain barrel that I collect rain water in to water my trees during extreme heat & drought. We have gutters with downspouts so my rain barrel came with a kit to connect it to a downspout & collect rain water from the roof. If you don’t have a downspout or gutters then you might want to get 2 - 3 rain barrels.

[@saraoum91]

I just discovered you channel today and i love it, i love your lifestyle, i live the nature, i love everything. I'm a moroccan living in north Italy and i hope to have my own garden one day and even be self-sufficient if possible. It's really sad what you're enduring i hope you'll figure out a solution really soon, remain positive it helps a lot ❤❤❤ love from the other part of the country

[@joycef2499]

Sorry to hear about the water shortage, farming is very tough on its own, water shortage is another level. Keep trying not to give up, if you can see a little light at the end of the tunnel, keep trying, maybe just winter veggies. Have you watched You, Me and Sicily on KZbin and Facebook they run small group tours and I am sure they would be very interested in your organic farming, as you said everyone thinks that Sicily veggies are all organic, I did.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you for your thoughtful insight. It is difficult to garden during the summer, but hopefully, something positive will happen. We have so many ideas about all needs time and money. But we are dreamers and fighters and hope something positive will happen. We are trying to work with a local tour agent, but it's been quiet so far. Thank you for You, Me and Sicily contact. I didn't realise they do tours. Will definitely look into it ❤️ Warm wishes from Sicily

[@paulinehillyard9754]

Don't give up, Try. the suggestion from Australia . Your gardens are so neat and tidy. Sending good vibes from the U.K Good Luck to you both. I hope also you feel better . I have subscribed!

[@massimilianolaterra1702]

Sicily can be very tough, I'm sorry for you but this is the reason that a lot of people go away.I wanted to visit you on September on my Holiday I hope you will be here yet.My only suggestion is deep mulch and a watering system under the mulch. I wish you the best.Take care

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@massimilianolaterra1702 It is getting tougher every year with this incedibile heat and humidity. We are a small farm, and we don't know how others do it. It's tough to be a farmer. We do our farm tours, so if you want, we are always open to visiting. We are close to Balestrate. The thing is, even mulch is quite difficult to find here. There are no trees around that lose their leaves, Olives are evergreen. We use hay mostly when we can find it, but people struggle to find it for their animals. We have bought drip irrigation, but we can not use it due to a lack of lake water as our water engine is just not powerful enough. But we are still valuing all the possible options. We hope to do well one day but for now it's too expensive. Thank you for your thoughtful advice. We really apreciate people taking time to comment

[@massimilianolaterra1702]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 I get my mulch for free from my second job as a gardener, we have to find a solution for our situation that is similar, another suggestion is shading....I'm working on for about 5 years and I'm starting to see some results. I hope we can talk about it.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@massimilianolaterra1702 You are lucky to get your mulch for free. We were getting fresh horse manure which had lots of hay in it and it was helping to mulch our land for free. But then person just stopped bringing it. Then we found wood mill who has loads of wood chips as a waste but person got greedy and asked insane amount of money for the waste we would be helping him with. It's quite difficult to have constant supply of mulch. It gets too dry in summer and there is no grass as well, not many trees around as well. But we do the most with what we can. What material do you use for shading? Would it work for a bigger place? It would be nice to have somebody visiting our farm ❤️

[@massimilianolaterra1702]

@@SomethingLikeThis1 I'm trying a net bought at tecnomat, we will be around Balestrate on September 18th before Castellammare del Golfo

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@massimilianolaterra1702 We do our farm tour with lunch and trial of our olive oil, if you are interested 😊 so we can tell you more about all of it. Google us, we are called Beddu Cori ❤️ and you can contact us through Faceboook. Would be nice to have somebody to share the experience

[@MusicEffekt]

have you tried Subsurface irrigation? I believe it's the best solution for dry areas. It waters the root adequately while keeping the surface dry and weed-free.

[@KajsaS-eo1mu]

Im living in calabria..close to sicily. Mooved feom swedwn 8 years ago. I am good with growing but here has been a struggle all the 8 years. Too hot, too windy, too rainy, shortage of water, such a diffrence in twmperature between seasons..and so on..i am still learning . Try to hang in there..

[@censon]

Hang in there. You will work it out. Listen to nature, and take her cue.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much for your encouraging words! We will see where nature will take us! It's actually scary to hear all the stories of older people talking about how Sicily has gotten more hot through the years. Let's hope for some rain this winter 🙏

[@jbennison5672]

There is no cue....this is uncharted territory we are headed into. It will only get drastically worse. Nothing humans can do now. Sicily will turn into an arid landscape over the next few decades.

[@luminouslink777]

Corporations are trying to shut all organic farms with controlled weather so they would control GMO seeds. Do not give up!

[@MauroLambrosini-ix4ge]

Move to Liguria, same landscape, but there is water 👍 and lies in the North of Italy​@@SomethingLikeThis1

[@fiq6655]

I love your channel, am sorry to hear about the current issues you face on your farm, a well would enable you to grow summer crops, another KZbinr, I follow organized for his followers to help fund his well, if you could create a go fund account for the well and maybe even create a video describing costs of well and what’s involved - another option would be to link with other farmers adjacent to your farm and see if you could share the costs of a well. I think both your hearts are in Sicily and it would be a pity if you had to leave Sicily. Videos like yours are brilliant as you show us the true Sicily, because of videos like yours and other KZbinrs In Sicily, I have booked a trip today today to Sicily for September - so please keep going, you have a lot of followers who wish you lots of success in the future.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@fiq6655 that's so fantastic to hear you have been encouraged by us and others from Sicily to take this trip! You will enjoy it here so much, and September is a great month to visit as it gets quieter. We will definitely need to do something about well. That's definitely our priority. Thank you for advice we will need to come up with some solutions. We love living here and especially being farmers. We love our little cosy countryside love and cannot imagine of starting again at this age. Hopefully, some brighter days are ahead. We will keep going and see where it will take us 🙏 We really appreciate your kind comment and thank you for supporting us ❤️

[@kookietherapy9398]

We share a well, we own the well. When the neighbor uses the water, we get zer0 water. It's a Big freakin' Problem !!! Can't shower for work, brush teeth, wash dishes, flush toilet. More issues when the neighbor dies or sells. No share, or you will regret. You don't want to go there.

[@kookietherapy9398]

@charleswhite758 1) It's our well. 2) The neighbor is filling his reserve. 3) I live in a nice home w conveniences I enjoy using. 4) I haven't run water in 40+yrs whilst brushing my teeth. 5) If I want to go camping and play the survival game, I know how. 6) There are 4 adults in this Home that need to be clean to go to work. Odd shifts. 7) I was only offering you reasons to dig your Own Well, and Why you should Not share it. 8) Wells don't cost that much in the grand scheme of your life and garden, and goals. 9) All the Best! GO BIG OR GO HOME!

[@kazzicup]

Happy Birthday, Brigita ! You say in one of your videos your birthday is July 27th. Today is July 27. Have a wonderful birthday and a year full of joy and blessings! 🍰🍰🍰🍰🎂🍾

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you 😊 It feels like a wonderful present to have all this wonderful community of wonderful people here supporting our channel ❤️

[@pablojimenez5736]

NINO, RIGUITA, try shade cambases....the same they use in loop houses gardens, mulch and drip irrigation right to the root system Then compost and aereate the soil What type of soil do you have? If is too dry can you plant date palms?. Then, in the shade of them, grow citrus,mango,pomegranates... Look as you wish to grow vegetables that require lot of water and fertile organic soils....try date palms, olives, coconuts....crops that adapt to desert conditions: palm dates, citrus, mangos,pomegranates, cactus fruit, yucca, aloe You have to adapt your farming to the conditions since you cannot change nature

[@colleenp.1393]

Here in Az USA summer can go months over 100 F with little no rain. We utilize shade cloth 30% or more ( a 20'x20' is around $40 Amazon) over veg. patches. Often we use metal construction clamps to secure or build electrical conduit frames over patch. A misting sys. in Green H in midday. And grow Northern Lights Swiss Chard, Cilantro and green onion. All are heat tough- I cut and leave in soil to regrow for most of year. God Bess❤

[@camcorp]

here im complaining about the cold weather....i cant stand it. You have the opposite problem...wish you the best

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@camcorp we are missing cold weather! Belive me, we would be happy to swap our summer for your cold days. Thank you, we hope it will work out still :)

[@1Waarheid]

@charleswhite758 No. It's always hot in summer in the south of Europe.

[@1Waarheid]

In the Middle Ages even the northern part. In Great Britain were many vineyeards and the evidence is still there to see.

[@1Waarheid]

And dry. Every older person living in the south of Europe or was there the whole of the summer vacation like I was in the sixties and seventies, knows that. Doesn't the word siesta ring a bell? We see 'special' things now due to water 'management' etc.

[@woodpecker6452]

SAD to see these hardworking people struggling so but unsuccessfully

[@ViK-zq4ku]

Even in Ireland we feel the drought coming as we tend to move to xeriscapes or just native hedges due to dry summers in recent years. Last summer I removed all my flower borders in the back garden and replaced them with hawthorns and blackthorn hedges because of the enormous need in watering to keep those borders thriving. We still have lots of rain in autumn and winter, but summers have become too dry to avoid extensive watering

[@jamiejones8508]

In *Ireland*?!? That’s truly shocking.

[@salvatoremele1469]

Don't give up better days will come your way

[@BlackJesus8463]

Desert days

[@TheGrmany69]

Mulch, mulch, and shade. It'd be good to have some fountain in the area to increase the local humidity and reduce the temperature. A pergola serves very well to that purpose of generating a microclimate

[@snbtt3354]

you are such lovely people, i'm sorry you feel downhearted at the moment. Obviously the summer is too hot, surely the rest of the season should allow you to grow some things? Keep up the good work.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

That's very kind of you, thank you. We hope that autumn just gives us some water and we have a beautiful garden again. 😊

[@jonmarston4166]

Wishing you magic and miracles 🙏🏼❤️

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Thank you so much ❤️ So many kind people stopped by so it feels already like miracle ✨️ 😊

[@lucianatrambaglio4881]

​@charleswhite758 I agree with you. Seems it'll get warmer and warmer on the entire globe. Better be realistic and think on something else. What about a camping platz?

[@colleencarone823]

Farm 3 seasons. Travel summers. 🙏🏼💗

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

@@colleencarone823 Many people suggested that. It might be a food idea. We are definitely thinking about it 🤔

[@ramonagray8411]

Australia had such great advice. I subscribed today and wish you all the best as you try new techniques to improve your farm.

[@observerclifford8113]

Great advice in the comment section and lovely people in the video and the audience. My wife and I live in Barcelona and love the city life but we are full of admiration for you and in our next life -we are in our sixties- we might do the same😄. Meanwhile we will take vicarious pleasure in your project and dreams so please don't give up!We wish you the best of luck🥰

[@kittyroo-x4p]

Have you got a well? have you done any dowsing for water? if you find water under your land it would help you over the hot months. Also do you collect water in Winter into a large container? If you have a large amount of rain in Winter you can build an underground cistern reservoir. Also think about growing more drought resistant crops, or using a sprinkler system in a plastic poly film agricultural tent. The tents keep in moisture and prevent plants from burning under the sun. The tents also protect plants from frost and hail stones in Winter. Italian months of June to August can be terribly hot so you have to plan ahead knowing there will be drought.

[@yeahweburnstuff]

Permaculrure! There's a farm in Jordan where mushrooms started growing because of yhe moisture. Look into permacultire in arid climates. All the best.

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

We do want to convert our little farm into permaculture garden. That's our dream. We do have some mushrooms growing in wintertime, and it seems like good progress. Thank you for your good wishes 😊

[@SomethingLikeThis1]

Do you have a link into that farm, would be lovely to know more about it!

[@tomprice2501]

Growing up in Africa on a farm, we had no money but we were lucky to have a lot of trees which we cut down and we made our own greenhouse, and shade cloth was not invented. The whole structure was made out of sticks. Poles for the up-rights (1 metre by 3 metres) and the roof was all the tops (sticks with the leaves still on them). Every year we added another 20 metre by 5 metre extension and started selling our products locally until we had enough money to build a reservoir (round in circumference 3 metres by 1.5 metres high which was at the highest level in our farm. Then the following year we put down a borehole.

[@mlicciardello7884]

Like my Father always told me "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence but it to has to be mowed" And my Grandfather told "Sicily is a nice place to visit but I don't want to live there anymore" Thanks Grandpop for leaving.

[@lemondrop7305]

Sicily is wildly different now from when you’re grandfather used to live there lol the quality of life is actually better there now in the US. The food and the people are far more healthier there and live longer lives.

[@yannip2083]

Where will you move to?

[@11eve]

Since you cannot do much at the moment, is there a possibility to drive down to a river or a lake and fill in large containers and bring some water home? Then repeat every few days? At least you do something to supplement water, even if it is not enough. Maybe find a place a bit further that is not as affected by drought as your area? I am just throwing ideas around, i know it may be impossible. But who knows. If you go upwards on mountains, you usually find more water.

[@barbaramorse5963]

Dont give up.

[@user-tm2vc6fj8q]

As you use your produce...remove one third from replanting -- to a half in plan for next year...only grow what mother nature is allowing right now... work with nature ❤

[@Cynthia-do6fo]

Can you catch and store rain water in large plastic totes? You can set them up where you have gutter downspouts. Maybe have a drip system where you have important crops. Every year you could add on to your drip system and you can hook it up to the rain water totes. Can you get a well tap installed?

[@AfricanUSA-th9ov]

Why Can't They Have Borehole From Ground Or WELL ON Their Lands Instead Of Relying On Government Water System. Well With Pumping Machines

[@AfricanUSA-th9ov]

And Plastic RESERVOIRS To Store Water From The Wells

[@tinakollia9420]

Well, living in Athens, Greece, I know about the heat and drought, but you have such a wonderful place, so. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Use the household water for garden. Maybe make a cistern to gather water when it starts to rain. Gathering water from morning dew? I'm sure you can find a solution. Can you get a permit to dig a well? Don't give up.

[@futurekron]

Drought is just a part of farming. Our big farmers here in NC are struggling, too, but this happens every few years. Corn has gone straight to tassel, but will most likely go straight to silage (so anyone who says we should eliminate cows should learn to enjoy eating grass in times like this)

[@ad_astra468]

It has never been this bad though, I don’t blame them for throwing the towel

[@FalcorSky]

I'm up in the Alps and have a property with different microclimates. The one thing I do have is a million year old stream which helps in the later days of summer. Ten years ago we had 1 meter of snow in the winter, now this was the first year with no snow. Snow equals melting and water for the hydro-cycle. Three months of rain from April to June, flooding and then...nearly anything now. Airplane traffic dispersal is still ongoing though...cloud cover with zero rain.