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  • From: Dieter Brand <diebrand@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] fukuoka_farming mailing list needs aco-moderator.
  • Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2012 07:15:35 -0700 (PDT)

> It's fascinating that you have this
> long unbroken history with your land and
> farming, Dieter.

I’m afraid it isn't an unbroken history. In the 60s our farm was closed due
to industrialization like millions of other small farms across Europe. I
worked most of my life in cities. It is only about 15 years ago that we were
finally able to realize our dream and buy some land in the country. It’s
about 30 acres of hillside land with a number of small fields. It isn't
really suitable for commercial farming and I use it mainly to grow our own
food. We give away the surplus. We have very long and hot dry periods. The
result is that the heavy clay soil is very deficient in humus. I have had to
create a new layer of topsoil by mulching and composting. Since I can only
use a small portion of the land due to lack of irrigation water, there is
plenty of organic matter growing on the remaining land. Therefore, I only
use on-site materials such as hay etc. for soil improvements. I grow the
usual stuff including vegetables, pulses, berries, fruits
and some grains - all on a small non-mechanized scale. Since I’m not a
commercial farmer, I have plenty of freedom to experiment.

The idea of a forest garden doesn't really work very well here because the
soil is too poor and too dry for fruit-bearing trees to grow without
cultivation and without irrigation. Most of the fruit trees I planted in the
beginning have died or don’t bear any fruit. It is only now, after having
improved part of the soil for over 10 years that fruit trees will grow in the
improved soil. But even then, I need irrigation. I planted an olive tree in
improved garden soil a few years ago. This year was very dry and I didn't
have enough water for irrigating that particular plot. The result was that
the olive tree only produced very tiny olives too small for eating. This
shows that even olive trees in improved soil will not produce good fruits
without irrigation. It is a very difficult environment. The only exceptions
are loquat and apricot trees because they bear fruits in the spring when the
soil still has enough moisture. Some types of plum trees
are also alright, but other types require better soil and some irrigation.





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