Back to Eden film on gardening (farmer, acres, house, water)

[dhanu86]

There's a film that's been going around by word of mouth called Back to Eden, it's basicly a documentary. You can watch it for free on its homepage website backtoedenfilm.com at the bottom.

This is a permaculture/ hugulculture/ minimal labor/ affordable/ organic method that involves nothing except wood, compost, and little to no rain if done right. I'd like to hear what others think and how they've tried it.

I like the idea about not tearing the ground up and tearing out roots and exposing the dirt. The modern way seems to destructive and labor intensive. I tore some ground last year in a place that gets 70'' of rain per year and now its sandy and dry as arizona. I like the idea of leaving roots in the ground and using raised beds.

(this is a photo, disregard the hose, that isn't needed if done the backtoeden way)


My uncle showed me a real neat way to grow year round by digging below the frostline 2 or 3 feet and placing several pots under a plastic white cover. Worked well and felt warm under there. Basicly an alternative to a greenhouse, the cost is the plastic and labor to dig it.

In an shtf situation you wouldn't have all the fertilizer and soil and as much water and energy to put into growing something.

[countryboy73]

We are using this method on three gardens totalling a half acre. It is phenomenal with regards to water conservation and will loosen even hard packed dirt substrate. We plant our plants on dirt under the mulch, so that roots grow down into soil, and as the plant matures we push the mulch back up around it. It works very well for us. On a normal year in SW MO, we do not water, rain is enough. Last year's extreme heat and drought that had others watering two or three times a day saw us watering once every other week. I am utterly impressed with the system. Close attention to the details of the system is required to achieve success, but if you do as the video instructs, it works like a charm.

[ognend]

Microdrip irrigation systems have been around for ages. Not disturbing the ground too.

See:
No-till farming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also, my favorite: Masanobu Fukuoka - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Of course, Masanobu looks like an idiot compared to modern day American farmer.

Finally, you may want to read some of Joel Salatin's books. He specifically does not advocate no till but he does talk about the stupidity of being in debt to Monsanto, John Deere and the bank by planting hundreds or thousands of acres of a single crop.

OD

[scarlet_ohara]

Originally Posted by dhanu86

There's a film that's been going around by word of mouth called Back to Eden, it's basicly a documentary. You can watch it for free on its homepage website backtoedenfilm.com at the bottom.

This is a permaculture/ hugulculture/ minimal labor/ affordable/ organic method that involves nothing except wood, compost, and little to no rain if done right. I'd like to hear what others think and how they've tried it.

I like the idea about not tearing the ground up and tearing out roots and exposing the dirt. The modern way seems to destructive and labor intensive. I tore some ground last year in a place that gets 70'' of rain per year and now its sandy and dry as arizona. I like the idea of leaving roots in the ground and using raised beds.

(this is a photo, disregard the hose, that isn't needed if done the backtoeden way)


My uncle showed me a real neat way to grow year round by digging below the frostline 2 or 3 feet and placing several pots under a plastic white cover. Worked well and felt warm under there. Basicly an alternative to a greenhouse, the cost is the plastic and labor to dig it.

In an shtf situation you wouldn't have all the fertilizer and soil and as much water and energy to put into growing something.

I watched part of the film. He's right about permaculture. Organic matter is the best from my experience and tilling is not required. We have been doing permaculture for several years. I think you will be very pleased with the results. He is also right that it gets better every year, but you should notice an improvement in your crops the first year.