Seeds might seem like a non-controversial subject, but it can get very tricky. Let's say you breed some oat varieties together to create a plant that is resistant to a type of blight. Well, now you can claim the plant as your intellectual property, and thus make it illegal for farmers to save the seeds from the crops they grow. If the farmers want to protect their crops from blight, they'll have to buy your seeds every single year. 1 2

As this continues, companies try to increase the production of the crops (for example, bigger than ever strawberries), sometimes at the cost of breeding out nutritional properties  and varieties that might have resistance to other risks (for example, a plant having higher resistance to droughts).

There are some efforts to fight this, however. For example, there is the Open Source Seed Initiative and Open Source Seeds which both aim to protect and increase options for seeds that are public domain.

Seed Bombs

Masanobu Fukuoka (1913 – 2008) was a promoter of no-till and natural farming from Japan, and was well known for his work on fighting desertification. 

He was a microbiologist and agricultural scientist specializing in plant pathology, and his personal research and writings earned him awards as he traveled the world teaching(including meeting with the United Nations).

Seedball is a mixture of clay and various seeds, that allows the seeds to stay protected inside the ball until it rains, and the conditions become favourable for sprouting.

One aspect he was most known for was his use of seed balls, which was an ancient technique he re-discovered and popularized. The idea is that the seeds are protected, but will become exposed when it rains. As the clay breaks apart, the seeds that are meant to grow will grow.

In 1973, those seed bombs started being used by Liz Christy for guerrilla gardening, and has been used for that since.

DIY Seed Bombs:

1. Gather a variety of seeds, and mix them together
2. Knead the clay, adding small amounts of water. Kneed well to avoid cracks.
3. Mix seeds into a small amount of clay so that the seeds are not exposed and roll into a round shape.
4. Throw the seed balls where you want them to grow.

#farming #gardening #permaculture #rewilding

This thought process can not only increase overland flooding and wash away topsoil, but it also gives water no place to sit and be absorbed into the soil. Without any water capture gradually trickling into the soil and creating an underground reservoir, the landscape becomes less drought resistant and more susceptible to wildfires.

Image Source

Swales and the other water catchment methods might be different shapes and use slightly different methods, but they all do all work the same on a basic level. The idea is to dig or build a shape that will slowdown and/or catch some of the movement of water. This can make the soil more absorbent (dry and hardened soil does not absorb water as easily) which promotes healthy microbiome of the soil.

In the process of reversing landscape desertification, it is proving drastically helpful. As the underground water reserves build, so does the vegetation.

The Different Methods:

• Demi-lunes / Half – moons / Semi-circular bunds [1]
• Eyebrow terraces / banquettes [2]
• Negarim [3]
• Contour bunds [4]
• Micro basins [5]
• Planting pits[6] / Zai pits / Chololo pits [7]
• Swales [8]

In cities, they look like a slight ditch in front of a house, or a creek in a greenspace.

For other landscapes, it could be just slight indents in un-farmable areas, or ditches dug around farm perimeters.

They do not have to be very deep, and often do not need any fancy equipment to dig(most just involve using a shovel), but they can do amazing things.

Image Source: Just Dig It.

Suggested Video:

• https://youtu.be/RPJ9T4yAEGs
• https://youtu.be/CG4-u1q1x3Y

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#permaculture #weather #farming #gardening

Many plants and crops rely on pollinators, so the more you attract and help, the healthier your garden will be. For example, bee pollination improves crop production and can increase produce shelf-life. [2]

Water Station Tray

Supplies:

• Tray or dish
• Rocks
• Water

Instructions:

The tray or dish is to hold everything, and the rocks are to give the pollinators something safe to land on. Without the rocks, you will likely end up with drowned bees.

Due to evaporation, you may have to fill the dish once or more a day.

Refilling Bowl

If you would like an option that some beekeepers even use is refilling dog bowls.

Supplies:

• Refilling dog bowl or a DIY version
• Rocks

Directions:

Put rocks into the bowl so pollinators have a safe place to land. Place the bowl in a shady spot to help reduce algae growth. [3]

#gardening #permaculture #pollinators #FarmingAndGardening

Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas.

Have you heard of The Great Dust Bowl? It was a series of dust storms in the USA that were so intense, they killed crops, livestock, and people during the the great depression.

The situation was amplified by a drought, but the dust was also human caused.

“Following years of overcultivation and generally poor land management in the 1920s, the region—which receives an average rainfall of less than 20 inches (500 mm) in a typical year—suffered a severe drought in the early 1930s that lasted several years. The region’s exposed topsoil, robbed of the anchoring water-retaining roots of its native grasses, was carried off by heavy spring winds. “ Britannica[1]

This dust storm was so thick that it blocked the sun.

“Dear Mr. Roosevelt, Darkness came when it hit us. Picture taken from water tower one hundred feet high. Yours Truly, Chas. P. Williams.” An unknown author writes to Roosevelt[2]

Under the hands of desperate farmers, grasslands turned to landscapes so lifeless and dangerous, that many people abandoned their dreams and left.

Why Rototilling Harms Soil

Image source

One of the practices that amplified this disaster (that is a current farming practice to this day) is rototilling. During this, you flip the soil over, which can make planting easier. This comes with many problems, including:

• Destroying the soil microbiome. Healthy soil means healthy crops. [3]
• More weeds. As you flip your soil you are allowing dormant seeds a chance to thrive
• Soil Compaction: As the soil gets more compact, it becomes harder for roots to work through it.
• Washing or blowing away top soil. Top soil is where the heathiest soil is, and it can be washed away if left uncovered
• Drying the soil. By leaving the soil exposed you are letting the sun bake out any moisture [4]

Ways to Improve Soil Health

• Crop rotation. This is a pre-medieval technique where you rotate what crops you grow in what soil. This can add nutrients to the soil, avoid nutrient depletion, reduce diseases, and reduce pests. [5]
• Cover Crops. Never leave your soil bare. Cover crops can save your soil. [6]
• Water Catchments. These slow down the movement of water, encouraging the soil absorbing it. Examples: bunds or swales.
• Food forests. Instead of rows of monoculture, food forest combine several different types of plants in a way that mimics a forest.
• Reducing food waste. To take pressure off food production. In Canada alone, $31 billion dollars worth of food waste is thrown out a year.
• Mulch. Putting mulch down can protect your soil while also keeping down weeds.
• Planting trees and bushes. Even if it is just on the outside perimeter of your crops, trees and bushes can help hold soil in place, reduce wind, and improve the general health of the area.

#farming #gardening #permaculture #FarmingAndGardening

“A food forest, also called a forest garden, is a diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature.” | Project Food Forest [1]

With proper care, a food forest can even last generations. For example, in the 1920’s near Philadelphia(USA), John Hershey created a food forest. Although today that land has been broken up by urban sprawl, many of the trees survive today in empty lots, backyards, and by parking lots.

There are pecans, walnuts, persimmons, apples, and many more, all growing without maintenance. [2][3]

Parts of a Food Forest:

These gardens are typically broken down into these layers:

1. Canopy: large fruit or nut trees
2. Understory: dwarf fruit trees, like pears, juneberries, mulberries, and more.
3. Shrubs: berries, like elderberry, currants, blueberries, and more
4. Herbaceous: Herbs, like mint, lemon balm, comfrey, and more.
5. Rhizosphere: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, ground nuts
6. Climbing: Peas, grapes, hardy kiwi, honeysuckle.
7. Ground Cover: Strawberries, catnip, walking onion.

However, it is important to note that what plants you use will be specific to what can grow in your area.

Food Forest Benefits:

• Promoting a healthy soil microbiome
• Increased carbon-capture (no-till)
• Preventing erosion
• Retaining water
• Low maintenance
• Can support wildlife biodiversity

[4][5]

References:

1. https://projectfoodforest.org/what-is-a-food-forest/
2. https://www.shelterwoodforestfarm.com/blog/2018/10/17/exploring-americas-oldest-food-forest
3. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZTmb_1
4. https://grocycle.com/food-forest-layers/
5. https://twobrothersindiashop.com/blogs/farmers-kitaab/food-forests-and-soil-health

#permaculture #farming #greenliving #foodforest #FarmingAndGardening

The Tiyeni deep-bed farming system during cultivation

Method

• Break the Hardpan: Farmers dig through the compacted sub-soil layer once during the first year, allowing roots, air, and water to move deeper into the profile.
• Construct Deep Beds: Beds about one metre wide are formed alongside shallow ditches. These ditches capture rainfall and reduce runoff, while the beds are kept permanently unwalked to prevent re-compaction.
• Intercrop and Rotate Crops: DBF replaces monocropping with mixed planting (e.g., maize with legumes or pumpkins) and seasonal rotations to improve soil nutrients and reduce pests.
• Mulch and Compost: Weeds and plant residues are used as mulch or compost, boosting organic matter and reducing dependence on synthetic fertilisers.

Benefits

• Major yield increases have been recorded—maize rising from ~1.7 t/ha to over 8 t/ha in some trials.
• Strong reductions in soil erosion and improved water retention.
• After year one, the system shifts toward low-till or no-till.
• Farmers report improved food security and higher incomes.

Limitations

• High labour demand in the first season.
• Best suited to regions where rainfall or runoff capture is practical.
• Requires training to adopt new bed layouts and crop diversity.

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References:
– 📰 Tiyeni.org
– 📰 Loughbourgh University
– 🎙️ People Fixing the World Podcast
– 📺 BBC News Africa Youtube Video

#farming #permaculture #water #FarmingAndGardening