Jordan Valley components to the AC4D program for 2014-2015

The two Jordan Valley components to the AC4D program for 2014-2015:

1)   Small scale trainings for JV Water User Associations

Training for groups of farmers focused on field observation. 

Training Topics include:

            Finance (Budgeting and Irrigation Order Preparation)

            Irrigation System Design

            Conflict Management

            Soil Health
            Improved Varieties

Operation Mercy will provide materials, refreshments, a light meal, speakers and demonstrations for the events. 

2)   The establishment of a demonstration farm in the Southern to Middle Ghor of the Jordan Valley

A farm of suitable size, roughly 3.5 hectares / 40 dunum / 1 unit, of land will be acquired for use as a demo-farm where farmers could be invited to receive hands-on training in cropping patterns, automated drip irrigation, emerging solar technologies, soil health, salt tolerant crop varieties and farm management. 

                        Needed startup items for the demonstration farm will include:   

                                                Land

                                                Annual Watersupply

Irrigation piping

Pumps

Installation of a reservoir

Seeds

Poly tunnels

A water filtration system

Labor

Electricity
Soil Amendments & Fertilizers

Permaculture in the Jordan Valley

AC4D program reps were privileged to receive a tour of the Jordan Valley Permaculture Project's farm and facilities.

To quote their website:
"The Jordan Valley Permaculture Project was established in March of 2008 to redevelop and revitalize arid lands in the Dead Sea Valley to establish a sustainable living environment that can fill the basic necessities of the underprivileged local community. The project demonstrates energy saving, sustainable living models that include:
- Waste water treatment done naturally with biological processes
- Diverse plant, tree and animal systems to sustain food production
- Composting (dry)
- Cooling systems (natural)
- A nursery for plants
- Rain water collection with earthwork
- Solar powered models for heating water and providing electricity."

The key practices that we took away from the ongoing work included
stepping the landscape to enhance infiltration of rain and irrigation water, multicropping to reduce nutrient leaching from soils and the extensive use of composting to build soil structure and reduce evaporation.  Below are pics of each of these key concepts as they are practiced at the site.

Courses in permaculture are being offered several times per year.   

Eggplant being grown alongside onion and carrots.  Note extensive use of mulch. 

A composting tub allows for careful control of temperature during decomposition

Land stepping allows for enhanced infiltration of both rainwater and irrigation water