I came from a family who knows only farming. I was also a farmer before joining a corporate job. Recently I bought land in a dry area, where there is average rainfall in between 400 to 600 mm. I want to implement rainwater harvesting before anything to start cultivate. It's one of the videos that inspires and resurrects my dream. Thank you.
Hello @andrew millison, thanks for such water wizardry. I have been watching your other videos on the Indian subcontinent. Do you know someone or a group that can help me in design a suitable rain water catchment area for my land? God bless your service to this land.
@@kbalanandam: If you manage to get some good water catchment going, maybe you could try to work with conservationists to reintroduce beavers; beavers will build dams for you free of charge (well, they'll "charge" some vegetation in form of the food they eat, but the fertility they bring is worth ten times that and more).
Hoon Beavers only work at certain elevations. Ive seen em on the mountain up high where theres aspens but have never seen beavers in the foothills where theres junipers or in the desert.
@@koltoncrane3099: Beavers will live pretty much wherever there are both trees and sufficient water to build dams. It's not so much dependent on elevation itself, although elevation will obviously influence those two factors in different ways. With that in mind it becomes rather clear why you don't see beavers in the places you mention, since junipers are drought-tolerant trees that do well in places with little water, and deserts typically have few trees and little water. That being said, there are countless places today that have been made into deserts by humans through various destructive practices, particularly through deforestation and poor agricultural practices; in other words, many places that are deserts today could probably easily support beavers if they were first to be restored back to proper health in terms of vegetation, and as soon as the beavers come in they reinforce that cycle and make the entire environment healthier even faster. This can be readily seen in e.g. places that have previously been used for cattle grazing on grass, which degrades the soil and prevents larger forms of vegetative cover from growing back; when the cattle is removed, you see growth take place and ecosystems springing back to life. And as those environments recover it's not just beavers that come in to reinforce the restoration, but forests themselves literally both hold moisture and create their own rain through a biotic pump that sucks water evaporating from the ocean inland along cover through repeated cycles of evapotranspiration. It's very sad to think about what an immensely negative impact humans have had on forests worldwide, but I still maintain some hope that we might start turning things around and begin the work on restoring the forests to their former glory, although it will likely take tens of thousands of years at this point. It's really quite depressing to think about how we've managed to destroy systems that took tens of thousands of years for nature to establish (not to even mention the tens of millions of years they took to evolve in the first place) in just a few centuries, even just decades in some places. It makes me incredibly sad.
Yes, but ancient bones they digged out to make those ponds were from people like you and me, having same worries and aspirations. Were they sacrificed in religion ritual manner to bring the rain so crops dont die and whole village die with them, or was that done just for wicked fun of ancient sadists? we will never know what truth is, but I can tell you, view is impressive. We are all gonna die in pollution. Cheers. This is rare eart!
@@nesa1126 ja die Menschen sind der Meinung dass mit Technik alles möglich ist. Dies ist eine Möglichkeit neue/alte Wege zu gehen. Ich finde es wunderbar, daß solche Ideen publiziert werden um anderen Menschen dies auch zu ermöglichen. Danke für dieses Video.
The core concept of slowing water down and storing it in the landscape is seemingly simple but it’s amazing to see these types of brilliant, complex and interconnected systems at work. 🤙
It is brilliant. I love this videos. Funny thing is that I live in place where everything is flat as a mirror lol. My town has one little hill and it is artificial one built for training and shooting practice by military.
@@nesa1126 😂 my farm is on the slope of a volcano and the water drains so fast it can rain 20 inches from one storm without making even the slightest puddle.
@@fillfinish7302 I have them but they don’t hold water because the soil is so porous. At the very least they are holding some organic material but the rain never causes running water along the surface here. It has some pros and cons. Great drainage! 🤙
Except that he said he removed the beavers and cut down the old growth forest, which is not what the Indigenous people would have done. Terrible video, bad advice, non-native thinking.
Just brilliant. Public policy needs to be updated to reflect this kind of thinking. Everyone who can do anything to help recharge aquifers, ensure stream survival and increase fire resistance should be able to legally do so. This country needs more people like this. The video production was also excellent. Well organized presentation. Five stars.
Rather than say "this country needs more of these people" why don't you go be one. The whole "if more people were like this" nonsense is why we're in trouble. Everyone wants to say what others need to do, rather than going out and being the change, being the example. It's easy to point the finger. That delusional lunatic trump shows us that everyday. Go do the work and teach with your actions
Living off the land doesn't contribute to taxes. Our government structure is shaped to serve capitalism and capitalism funds government. Allowing individuals to be self sustaining isn't part of the agenda. Just ask all the Middle Eastern regions that didn't ask for governments and democracy. They were perfectly fine as tribes, but the Western Nations had other ideas.
Our grandpa use to lecture us on taking care of the “watershed” on our property we always did but land around us got broke up and sold off over the years and the water table got screwed up. so of course they wanted our water and the state half ass agreed with them that’s why it’s important for people understand “water rights” along with “mineral rights” luckily our grandpa did. So thankful for channels like this the knowledge they can impart to the average Joe is awesome!
@Billy William nope but everyone’s ignorance on such subjects led to confusion and hard feelings on the mtn. Land without water ain’t worth much and ppl think they are just entitled to water if they don’t have it.
Ugh! Instead of trying to steal your water, why don't they ask you HOW you keep water on your land?! That way there'd be more than enough for everyone? Greed is SO evil!
@@TheBereangirl he explained how the land around was broken up and then folks build septic systems and houses and filled in the low spots and the gullies that water used to flow thru, and destroyed the natural contours. Roads and driveways & drainage ditches keep the water moving fast away!His family's land remained a large undisturbed plot, and retained the water, and after a while looks like an oasis in the concrete jungle!
@@TheBereangirl It's not modern engineering insomuch as it is modern stupidity. With modern technology you can effortlessly create canals and permaculture systems like in this video. Something like this would take the labor of many men, many years to complete. People choose to do otherwise.
The Inca civilization used a more refined, but similar, technique to capture water high up in the Andes. The captured water slowly seeped down into various layers of stones that filtered and also slowed the rain water runoff-enough so it could be captured and used to irrigate their hi altitude terraced, farm lands.
Not just the Inca. People on every continent figured this out and did variations of it for millennia. But the people of the past century are just SO much smarter than the collective wisdom accrued over the millennia. Thus, we are now destroying the nuclear family.
Am I the only one who gets emotional about this kind of video? Makes me sad how disconnected the mass majority of farming is from nature in the U.S. Seeing this makes me happy but gives me a sense of dread. Grateful for the few who are doing this work.
Awfully complex way of saying anything. Looks to me like a vague generalization so as to be the booster comment that sways others with a generally agreeable statement. Viktor Schauberger was saying the same and more around 90 years ago in a much more coherent manner. In fact one could attribute "Water Wizard" to Schauberger as that was his "nickname" when he was alive.
Good on you for recognizing both the brilliance and extremely difficult task of making these complex irrigation systems works. I have to remind myself the armchair quarterbacks who have barely lifted a finger to make a comment usually see themselves as far too intelligent and advanced to actually perform the work themselves, and so I too usually give them a pass when they start minimizing the accomplishments of others. 👍
I have been thinking about it for a long time. It's nice to see a physical representation of it. Esp. the part where you opened the valve and let the water cover as much SA as possible. I smiled the whole time I watched this video. Thanks for sharing.
I just came across this content today and I have to say I am very impressed to observe that both Australia AND America are swinging away from unsustainable super-farms, to more biodiverse, sustainable permaculture practices. This change in mentality is long over due and a joy to witness.
It’s mostly an Oregon thing in the US right now. Oregon people really care about the environment, I live in southwest Oregon about 10 mins from this guys farm and it’s amazing what they can do with water.
@@nunliski Its growing, at different levels and states, and also different regions have different environments so it won't all look the same, and many people are learning how to do these things so there will be alot of trial and error. So its good to see stuff like this its very inspiring and the potential of what can be done. Alot of the problems we have can be resolved through other means that are much more abundant and harmonious than we are being told. Spread the word to anyone willing to hear, it will multiply.
Best 10 minutes I have spent on the tube in a while. So much evidence in the beauty and productivity amongst diversity. Mono culture the ruination off a civilization.Rather follow this lead than Monsanto any day.
@@roguereductionist8147 My Grandpa used the Talent irrigation ditch to water his orchard. He would let it out slowly and gravity did the rest. He didn’t have ponds but the orchard was on a bit of a hill and this was how he watered all the time without the use of sprinklers. I think had he been alive today, he would have perfected it. He died in 79.
@@katherinez9654 Thats called flood or surface irrigation. People still do it off of the Talent irrigation ditch. There isn’t much left to perfect about it because it’s a technique that has been used for thousands of years.
You left out one thing - MONEY. These ponds aren't dug by hand, nor is the land terraced by hand. It takes money to buy/rent the machines or hire someone to do it.
I did my PDC back in 2016 and was living in a rental property in a dense urban area where the adjacent properties where higher and when it’d rain the water would just runoff and almost flood my yard so I turned the slopes into small swales to save and slow the water and it was hugely successful😊
For people like us that don't have a creek running all year round at some point in the year you will have a creek running and you can catch it downstream with a pond and build a pond at the highest point of the land and pump the water up there and start releasing the water in almost vertical swales canal and imitate this model, it inspires me for its simplicity
That only works if you own the land. People that ranch or farm etc by public land are screwed from my experience even if it’d help wildlife and plants.
and then like this guy said, the consistent saturation of soil throughout the year caused by pond retention will cause the seasonal creek to turn into a year round one if your lucky enough
@@Phyankord actually the seasonal creek was probably a full time creek for 10 farms down the watershed until this guy "slowed the water down" on just his property. He owns the rights so he can do it, but yeah he basically is depriving the next farm down from the opportunity to have such a system if you think about where that water would be going if he didn't have it all dammed up and infiltrated on his own place. The top part of the next property down will get some residual effect but three or four farms down and they will be netting a loss in riparian seepage from having their full time creek reduced to a "seasonal creek" by upstream water usage.
@@EarthShadowFilms in the video they said that all of his downstream neighbors benefited from this practice. they arent actively draining gallons upon gallons every day from the creek. im willing to bet they initially filled it with the heavy rains that they get from winter/spring because we can have pretty heavy rains here in oregon, allowing that heavy rainfall to flow downstream isnt going to benefit anyone in the short or long term. in the video they expressely pointed out how the river is no longer seasonal but continously flowing and the quantity of water coming from it has only increased because not as much is seeping into the soil anymore, i really cant see how this could possibly equate to a net loss in water flow downstream where in this climate it would always naturally have a higher water flow downstream especially as more natural streams converge.
For sure! Instead we have Billy G8s buying up alllllllll the farmland he can get hands on to grow soy or NOTHING at all. They want us to be malnutritioned, vegan, weak, starving slaves and unable to mount a resistance effort for their NWO/WEF Great Reset™
@@michaelstarr5861 lol you are aware that eating meat is what makes us weak? Vegan athletes outperform meat eating athletes everytime. It's scientifically proven that meat wakes up our prehistoric survival instinct. Also you sound like someone who believes in conspiracy theories, concerning that please please please if you're going to put forth an agenda, let it be one you created, let it be one that brings people together instead of tearing them apart. Don't let loonies cram down misinformation into your brain.
Would never happen. Corruption out competes itself to the top. Plus, his hands would be tied in such a heavy and wasteful bureaucratic system. What he is doing now is very agile and has unlimited potential.
@@tefinnegan5239 having a kind of leadership is natural for human, like it or not. There are more individualistic people for sure but the population, the "tribe" needs a leader. The question is what kind of leader is that and how many of them we have. Ultimately the best result for all humanity would come from having virtually one leader for all, uniting the world. United, we would probably have some crime lords and separatists from time to time stirring up smaller conflicts but the constant fight between countries and powers would stop.
@@tefinnegan5239 I've been using the term "elected administrators" we don't need representatives to decide policy for us, we need to democratically decide policies and have our elected officials manage them.
@@Gabrong - the world does have one leader… and He rules on high through the Word-Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If all would just listen and follow Him, the world would be a better place ❤
An interesting adjunct to Don's story . . . he has been testing wildfire mitigation on mycelium-rich landscapes with a neighbor. Yes, lots of mycelium 'running' through the soils will slow down and stop catastrophic wildfires. You might want to do a follow-on video about Don's mycelium vs wildfire research.
I believe you completely, but I think explanation is pretty incomplete. Healthy mycelium go hand in hand with healthy root systems. Healthy root systems come from established diverse healthy plants. Diverse healthy plants native to a ecology that experiences fire do not burn easily.
maybe on the ground but a lot of oregon wildfires spread thru t he tops of trees etc.maybe the trees need to be better watered and greener and not so dry.
Don, you are a legend! What you have done there needs to be recreated thousands of times over and over again. Andrew thank you for your crucial work! Keep grinding!
In Sierra Nevada in Spain, there are ancient irrigation channels called “acequias” that use the snowmelt. They had incredible knowledge to move water to where it was needed. They also had places where they would slow down and store the water, knowing that it would seep down into the rock just to sprout up out of the rock downslope.
It's funny, you make it sound like it's a lost ancient technology, in Argentina in the provinces of Mendoza and San Juan 95% of sidewalks have acequias running alongside them, for people who live there it's actually weirder seeing streets without acequias. We can call them what we want but acequias are practically a synonym for irrigation channels and in places where they need them they usually have them in some shape or form and they are probably as ancient as farming since they go hand in hand.
@@simonesmit6708 How is it lost knowledge, we have them we know how they work we have better technology that replaces them. It's not rocket science, even beavers build ditches to channel water.
I’ve lived in Oregon for 18 years. Oregon never fails to amaze. 🌲🌲🌲. I was a Wildland Firefighter last year for the state and I was also on the biggest fire in Oregon called the bootleg. Almost 600,000 acres. A lot of resources were used and a lot of water was used. And of course a lot of land was destroyed. But slowly has came back to life! Good job on the video just thought I would share!
@@dont.ripfuller6587 - Fire WILL destroy it when man causes the right conditions. Currently the entire west is drying up and burning because of the government and NWO cabal using geoengineering and HAARP. th-cam.com/video/rf78rEAJvhY/w-d-xo.html
There are many trees in Oregon that require fire for their seed to germinate and produce new trees. The land wasn’t destroyed. It was renewed. Drive up the Mackenzie river. Notice how green everything is now? Beetles that were killing the forest have been killed. Unfortunately, many people lost their homes, but the forest can grow back healthy. In our instant gratification culture, we fail to realize this. It’s not about the current moment in time, there is a future, and that future is what we need to be thinking about.
He absolutely needs to start teaching classes on how to do this! Have a 2 or 3 day working class would help so many people like me who have some idea how to do this but would make a lot of mistakes. Thank you for the advice and video!
@@e1000sn At 1:35 he said it is “winter rain forest and summer desert ecosystem”. This is harder than having just a rainforest or just a desert ecosystem because it gets either too wet or too dry. And while you can find plants that like it dry and plants that like it wet, there really isn’t many that can survive both too wet and too dry conditions. I would really want to learn to manage water as well as Don does
@@e1000sn I have visited his farm…. It’s a beautiful epic amount of work. You clearly do not know of what you speak. You definitely do not own a farm or tractor. If you did you would respect what he has done.
Ive been doing this down a ravine on my land. Its starting to work but my biggest enemy are gophers who will turn my dams into swiss cheese but every year my water lasts longer and longer. I dont have a year round creek but one storm fills every pond and i estimate i have about 10 million gallons being collected and stored for a time
@@davidprietogomez7254 city boy. you know nothing about it. who needs all those addictions to plasticized artificial garbage you mentioned? a few decades ago we were ok without most of it. life seemed better too btw. certainly less expensive. And we had plenty of industry , certainly more than now. it wouldn't stop essential industries at all.
@@uncertaintytoworldpeace3650 what are you talking about? if anything, living off the land intelligently is far cheaper and far more healthy , including NO food shortages , less dependency on paid utilities, less dependency on stores, etc.
Hello from Prescott! Just another senior wanting to claim you Andrew as a hometown boy. I am from S D and watched old time farmers preach many of these practices -old European. I truly thought this was lost will and wisdom, but here you are. Thank you for making people aware of the possibilities.
Thank you for the sweet comment! Prescott will always have a special place in my heart; such a beautiful example of community! Cheers and I hope you're doing well :-)
Don came to speak at my school this spring and it was the one week I was down with a bad fever. Really hate to have missed that and missed meeting him but glad I get to hear from him through this video at least.
@@chrish4439 yes an old strategy that is seldom used in our world. Chris please post a link of your video showing how you’ve recharged the acquirer on your land. It’s an uncommon feat these days so guys like Don are blazing a path for others to follow. The age of the tech matters not. Leadership is where it’s at.
I did a similar project in Zimbabwe, Aquatorline on a 4-hectar plot. I managed to keep it the only green spot in draught seasons. I had an artificial pond too. For the heavy rain season, I had a drainage system, stopping water locks. I worked together with a local. When I left the country everything fall apart and turned back to dessert. The local left for Britain with his family from the money he made from the plot.😁😁
@@kazual9206 that's a shame, but I have worked with a few communities and most projects are still alive and well.. I am willing to share with you the methods we have used for creating a sustainable community projects.. It may not be 100% but there are plenty of people who need the help and expertise you have
This is an incredible irrigation system; those drone shots of water moving through the channels are magical! I follow each of you separately, and your collaboration here is remarkable, at the highest levels of working in harmony with nature. I'm proud to be a fellow Oregonian, and I'm looking forward to part #2!
Thanks for sharing this, I remember Siskiyou Seeds, remember buying from them years ago. I first moved to this area of Southern Oregon in 1979, a bit further east but same Rogue River Basin, to help establish a multi-home retreat community within a non-profit. A spiritual mission but, with year-year round spring-fed stream (we developed ponds with Salmon & Trout) where I lived many years. I was the garden and food-growing coordinator so am very familiar with the winter rainforest/summer desert climate that Tom describes. I also later was a licensed landscaper in Oregon for 21 years, that included ornamental landscapes, small farms, greenhouses, small orchards, native habitat restoration projects rebuilding riparian areas after floods in 1993, etc. However many 1,000's of properties I touched there. Currently have a design team based in San Diego (work in any state and central america though), for helping people find land, develop projects from homesteads, eco-communities, farm-to-table restaurants, working farms, help develop herbal products/farm brands, etc. and in the mix residential landscapes, pools, ponds, ADU's, etc. We currently have 2 architects, 2 permaculture farmers, lady with masters in regenerative agriculture if someone wants livestock/chickens (we work with vegans too though), Naturopathic Doctor, graphic designer w/masters in sustainable design, artist and my own background of skills acquired in 45 years of projects. People on our team have worked in many countries, had Dr. Elaine Ingham set up soils lab & composting of one of our team members large project in Hawaii, etc. This is so cool to see such a great example of water management and working with nature. Thanks again for sharing.
What you're doing is wonderful, love your respect for the land. It's nice you have water rights to help you live your dream. So many people who want to be homesteaders or people that own acreages don't own water rights and are prohibited by law to catch or retain water that falls on their property. This makes it difficult for so many to be self reliant. You are doing it right!
Ponds are also what allow us to have livestock in the wilderness without fouling streams, so the livestock can continuously trim brush and understory, greatly lessening fire danger and damage.
Actually, livestock forages plant growth, not allowing plants to grow and depositing organic matter and eventual forming a forest. Without a forest the earth becomes drier and hotter eventually terraforming the earth into a baron desert. Roy Bedichek talks about Farmers in Texas taking pride in whipping the land to death and I believe its a core philosophy in efforts to "regreen the desert" considering they assume its reversible. Also out of africa theory where abundant sites even back to homo erectus are around cannanite, scythian territories which are now Ethiopia and Baghdad. Not the deeper forested parts of southern Africa where humanity is only now encroaching. Even Looking at New Mexico there's evidence of precolonial agricultural development. What even makes a rancher? Do you have to fence your cattle in or can you just follow your buffalo around? I mean a big clue in would have probably been the great dust bowl.
Great video. My only comment would be to plant more trees around the ponds to create shade over 50% or more of ponds to reduce algae growth. Thanks for addressing how to retain water and not reduce stream flows too. Great to see your semi-year round stream I’d fully year-round with more flow - proof that what’s you are doing is positive!
The accepted safety protocol is to avoid planting trees in the constructed dam wall because if they were to grow large and fall over they may take a large chunk of the earthen dam with them. Also tree roots could create leaks. Nevertheless trees grow on their own and we manage their size with sheep and pruning
I read a book recently called 3 Against the Wilderness. It's set in the 1920's when the trapping out of beavers in the interior of British Columbia led to a drought. Good read.
What an absolutely fantastic property. I only have one pond currently but hope to add in several more on this 5 acres that I am developing. Love the inspiration!! Thanks for sharing 😊
It's fascinating, because places like #Greenland have done this for generations. th-cam.com/video/2rCzN9WPmgk/w-d-xo.html and keep up with th-cam.com/users/messytimes for more awesome stuff!
@@YodaWhat Yeah that one was late at night, but explain. I assume making reservoirs feeds the underground aqueducts, and keeps the water availability in the ground water? I would be interested in knowing the full effects, because I am unsure of that science tbh.
@@matthewcurry3565 Yes, ponds recharge aquifers. But more than that, ponds even out the uneven rainfall. Beavers have even reversed mild desertification.
Thankyou you this is a great showcasethe that demonstrates how the management or waste of water determines abundance or crisis. Glad we have more and more maturing examples like this. Sadly the major powers dont want people to realize that responsibility canyou generate abundance rather than lack and dependance. Glad to see a model of monsoon/desert. I'm seeing that in our midwest region and and working to regenerate this peice of land Great content.
Amazing in every way. Such deep wisdom and service to the earth, the waters and the community. Thank you both for this! And thank you Don for such deep connection and beauty that you bring forth! You inspire us!!!
He has effectively demonstrated how to leverage gravity to feed the crops by simply directing the flow into them. Just fantastic pragmatism, something to learn from. Thanks for the video!!
This is incredible; The fact that you are using an irrigation system and preservation of the vital liquid used by our ancient tribes in Ecuador, all coastal areas, the Andes mountains and the Amazon in South America, is very ecological, sustainable and also beautifies and maintains nature strong and healthy surrounding area where flora and fauna can thrive safely and securely. Congratulations.
Full of plain talk information, historical relevance, and how this all ties into what we can do modern day to conserve and distribute water properly. California, I'm looking at you.
With fires getting so large and frequent it should be one of the main talking points to get new people on board also the drought proofing definitely important
So... we're talking about a water park, so to speak? The water starts high and flows down "slides" to other pools and eventually gets pumped back to the top. A never ending water circuit. Got it!☺️♥️
It's wonderful what Don has done to implement the best use of streams and capture of water available on his land. If more farmers used these methods, there would be fewer drought-stricken areas. Oregon is a beautiful state! Thank you for your video, Andrew.
Wow I love the footage of the water flowing over that terrace that is mixed into the agroforestry. I love how he opens that flood pipe and it goes to the crops! You can tell it flows pretty well and there is not a big differential between the beds and paths for the water
Wonderful! The care, love and connection that is shown here is astounding. Of course, this is a very specific kind of place, that chose it's custodians well! The gift they are offering to the ecosystem, and to their neighbours downstream.. Starting high in the system like this is vitally important for regenerating landscapes.. And the fact that they are using all this incredible energy to grow seed is even more impressive - the start of the food chain. Hats off, Ben
I love this it reminds me of my family farm in Tumalo Oregon my grandfather was able to grow 100 acres of alfalfa through Gravity feed watering. Pretty impressive considering the whole property is shaped like an upside down bowl with the center being the highest point! They hand crafted Wooden Barrel pipe line allmost a mile long to pipe water to the center of the property at the highest point under pressure. I remember my grandfather fixing leaks in it has a child it would spray water 40 feet up in the air! Now it takes to 2 separate huge pumps probably cost upwards of $3000 a month to run! pretty amazing with the old timers could accomplish.
Fantastic! Using techniques used by natives and working with nature is wonderful, the way to sustainable farming. Thank you for doing this and showing others how.. You're a true role model.
definition of co-habitation, not only improving a water source for yourself, but for the wild life too. Promoting growth of life and food. He is a Wizard!
Wow, how insightful of him to point out the impact that our culture has had on the ecosystem and then to have a solution for that impact as well. Let us all follow this example.
Have you considered growing aquatic plants to help recycle the water in those lower level ponds? Perhaps you could avoid having to drain the pond to access the nutrient muck by growing plants and harvesting them from time to time and composting or feeding them to something else if needed, thus extracting the nutrients in that way. That's something I might consider, from my perspective. Makes me think of how aquaponics is done with the fish poop in the water flowing through the planting area and then it gets cleaned and sent back into the fish reservoir. Another level on the ziggurat would further slow the descent.
you could omit that parenthesis nonsense. don't worry about triggering people. it's correct without the qualifier...we *NEED* to make some serious changes.
just found your channel, it's head and shoulders above a lot of other permie videos on yt. you let the person talk and also dont have them repeating too much basic information. plus those 3d visualizations of the land are amazing!
My deepest respect to a farm owner that goes to these lengths to keep the nature in balance with the agricultural. Seems like everyone is a winner whit that kind of environmental geo engineering. The question is just, is there enough areas to be building that kind of farms on to supply good for citizens, out said in another way. Could it be done in a bigger scale multiple places and then cut down the low land areas and plant them into wildlife area?
The U.S. has a HUGE problem with mismanagement of resources and counter-nature industrialization. Huge cities are killing our ecological systems... bleeding us dry... and for what? Industrial efficiency? Anyone who's familiar with the transportation industry knows we're screwed in that department.
Not entirely. Management is crucial to making the most of the resources nature gives us, but you only get what you get. Getting results similar to this in Eastern Oregon, for example, would require a much larger catchment, and the results still wouldn't be as productive because of the harsh winter
This is such a great example of intelligent farming. The best integration of logic and planning (mixed with lots of hard work) that I have seen. It is nice that we get to see it after it has been functioning for 10 years. I hope other farmers see this and implement this style of farming.
I came from a family who knows only farming. I was also a farmer before joining a corporate job. Recently I bought land in a dry area, where there is average rainfall in between 400 to 600 mm. I want to implement rainwater harvesting before anything to start cultivate.
It's one of the videos that inspires and resurrects my dream. Thank you.
Hello @andrew millison, thanks for such water wizardry. I have been watching your other videos on the Indian subcontinent. Do you know someone or a group that can help me in design a suitable rain water catchment area for my land? God bless your service to this land.
@@kbalanandam:
If you manage to get some good water catchment going, maybe you could try to work with conservationists to reintroduce beavers; beavers will build dams for you free of charge (well, they'll "charge" some vegetation in form of the food they eat, but the fertility they bring is worth ten times that and more).
Hoon
Beavers only work at certain elevations. Ive seen em on the mountain up high where theres aspens but have never seen beavers in the foothills where theres junipers or in the desert.
@@koltoncrane3099:
Beavers will live pretty much wherever there are both trees and sufficient water to build dams. It's not so much dependent on elevation itself, although elevation will obviously influence those two factors in different ways.
With that in mind it becomes rather clear why you don't see beavers in the places you mention, since junipers are drought-tolerant trees that do well in places with little water, and deserts typically have few trees and little water.
That being said, there are countless places today that have been made into deserts by humans through various destructive practices, particularly through deforestation and poor agricultural practices; in other words, many places that are deserts today could probably easily support beavers if they were first to be restored back to proper health in terms of vegetation, and as soon as the beavers come in they reinforce that cycle and make the entire environment healthier even faster.
This can be readily seen in e.g. places that have previously been used for cattle grazing on grass, which degrades the soil and prevents larger forms of vegetative cover from growing back; when the cattle is removed, you see growth take place and ecosystems springing back to life. And as those environments recover it's not just beavers that come in to reinforce the restoration, but forests themselves literally both hold moisture and create their own rain through a biotic pump that sucks water evaporating from the ocean inland along cover through repeated cycles of evapotranspiration.
It's very sad to think about what an immensely negative impact humans have had on forests worldwide, but I still maintain some hope that we might start turning things around and begin the work on restoring the forests to their former glory, although it will likely take tens of thousands of years at this point. It's really quite depressing to think about how we've managed to destroy systems that took tens of thousands of years for nature to establish (not to even mention the tens of millions of years they took to evolve in the first place) in just a few centuries, even just decades in some places. It makes me incredibly sad.
@@hoon_sol I think the OP is from India and AFAIK we don't have beavers here.
This isn't just a great video about permaculture but just a really well made video in general. I'm very, very impressed by you both.
hi there :3
who knows wha the truth is
Yes, but ancient bones they digged out to make those ponds were from people like you and me, having same worries and aspirations. Were they sacrificed in religion ritual manner to bring the rain so crops dont die and whole village die with them, or was that done just for wicked fun of ancient sadists? we will never know what truth is, but I can tell you, view is impressive. We are all gonna die in pollution. Cheers. This is rare eart!
Didn't expect to see you here!!
@@nesa1126 ja die Menschen sind der Meinung dass mit Technik alles möglich ist.
Dies ist eine Möglichkeit neue/alte Wege zu gehen.
Ich finde es wunderbar, daß solche Ideen publiziert werden um anderen Menschen dies auch zu ermöglichen.
Danke für dieses Video.
The core concept of slowing water down and storing it in the landscape is seemingly simple but it’s amazing to see these types of brilliant, complex and interconnected systems at work. 🤙
It is brilliant. I love this videos. Funny thing is that I live in place where everything is flat as a mirror lol. My town has one little hill and it is artificial one built for training and shooting practice by military.
@@nesa1126 😂 my farm is on the slope of a volcano and the water drains so fast it can rain 20 inches from one storm without making even the slightest puddle.
@@ainabearfarm8075 time to dig some swales .
@@fillfinish7302 I have them but they don’t hold water because the soil is so porous. At the very least they are holding some organic material but the rain never causes running water along the surface here. It has some pros and cons. Great drainage! 🤙
Swales can be dug out even on flat levels. They hold watercwell.
When he starts talking about the indigenous people, beavers and fire management, you know that guy knows his stuff!
Except that he said he removed the beavers and cut down the old growth forest, which is not what the Indigenous people would have done. Terrible video, bad advice, non-native thinking.
@@ecosteaderFrom the way he spoke, I understood him saying “we” as in Americans/settlers, rather than speaking about himself literally 🙏🏽
Haha except indigenous people literally fought wars with each other as to who can kill beavers and sell them to the white man.
Just brilliant. Public policy needs to be updated to reflect this kind of thinking. Everyone who can do anything to help recharge aquifers, ensure stream survival and increase fire resistance should be able to legally do so. This country needs more people like this. The video production was also excellent. Well organized presentation. Five stars.
Rather than say "this country needs more of these people" why don't you go be one. The whole "if more people were like this" nonsense is why we're in trouble. Everyone wants to say what others need to do, rather than going out and being the change, being the example. It's easy to point the finger. That delusional lunatic trump shows us that everyday. Go do the work and teach with your actions
Living off the land doesn't contribute to taxes. Our government structure is shaped to serve capitalism and capitalism funds government. Allowing individuals to be self sustaining isn't part of the agenda.
Just ask all the Middle Eastern regions that didn't ask for governments and democracy. They were perfectly fine as tribes, but the Western Nations had other ideas.
Virtue signal
Our grandpa use to lecture us on taking care of the “watershed” on our property we always did but land around us got broke up and sold off over the years and the water table got screwed up. so of course they wanted our water and the state half ass agreed with them that’s why it’s important for people understand “water rights” along with “mineral rights” luckily our grandpa did. So thankful for channels like this the knowledge they can impart to the average Joe is awesome!
@Billy William nope but everyone’s ignorance on such subjects led to confusion and hard feelings on the mtn. Land without water ain’t worth much and ppl think they are just entitled to water if they don’t have it.
Ugh! Instead of trying to steal your water, why don't they ask you HOW you keep water on your land?! That way there'd be more than enough for everyone? Greed is SO evil!
@@TheBereangirl he explained how the land around was broken up and then folks build septic systems and houses and filled in the low spots and the gullies that water used to flow thru, and destroyed the natural contours. Roads and driveways & drainage ditches keep the water moving fast away!His family's land remained a large undisturbed plot, and retained the water, and after a while looks like an oasis in the concrete jungle!
@@richardmccann4815 thanks for the info, its sad how modern engineering can ruin a landscape. "Oh God help us, we're in the hands of engineers."😏😂
@@TheBereangirl It's not modern engineering insomuch as it is modern stupidity. With modern technology you can effortlessly create canals and permaculture systems like in this video. Something like this would take the labor of many men, many years to complete. People choose to do otherwise.
The Inca civilization used a more refined, but similar, technique to capture water high up in the Andes. The captured water slowly seeped down into various layers of stones that filtered and also slowed the rain water runoff-enough so it could be captured and used to irrigate their hi altitude terraced, farm lands.
Interesting, thank you
Not just the Inca. People on every continent figured this out and did variations of it for millennia. But the people of the past century are just SO much smarter than the collective wisdom accrued over the millennia. Thus, we are now destroying the nuclear family.
Am I the only one who gets emotional about this kind of video? Makes me sad how disconnected the mass majority of farming is from nature in the U.S. Seeing this makes me happy but gives me a sense of dread. Grateful for the few who are doing this work.
❤❤❤
This should've been atleast 1 hour long. Absolutely fascinating
Best part was just letting that guy talk. I love listening to super intelligent people. Just listen to way he talks. Dude is the man
Unbelievable - the simplicity and yet complex results. Takes a lot of observation of the land, but the result is, for sure, worth it.
Actually doesn't take that much observation just takes perspective. A semi trained permaculturist could notice these potentials very quickly
Awfully complex way of saying anything. Looks to me like a vague generalization so as to be the booster comment that sways others with a generally agreeable statement. Viktor Schauberger was saying the same and more around 90 years ago in a much more coherent manner. In fact one could attribute "Water Wizard" to Schauberger as that was his "nickname" when he was alive.
@@roguereductionist8147 Thank you for your input. Perhaps 90 years ago, someone else was able to make comment similar to mine, as I was not around.
Good on you for recognizing both the brilliance and extremely difficult task of making these complex irrigation systems works. I have to remind myself the armchair quarterbacks who have barely lifted a finger to make a comment usually see themselves as far too intelligent and advanced to actually perform the work themselves, and so I too usually give them a pass when they start minimizing the accomplishments of others. 👍
I have been thinking about it for a long time. It's nice to see a physical representation of it. Esp. the part where you opened the valve and let the water cover as much SA as possible. I smiled the whole time I watched this video. Thanks for sharing.
I just came across this content today and I have to say I am very impressed to observe that both Australia AND America are swinging away from unsustainable super-farms, to more biodiverse, sustainable permaculture practices. This change in mentality is long over due and a joy to witness.
Aren't certain rural state and local members still poisoning and redirecting water from our basins/river systems in QLD through to NSW though?
You JUST came across it, so maybe you shouldn't assume it is a broad cultural trend.
But this isn't true at all
It’s mostly an Oregon thing in the US right now. Oregon people really care about the environment, I live in southwest Oregon about 10 mins from this guys farm and it’s amazing what they can do with water.
@@nunliski Its growing, at different levels and states, and also different regions have different environments so it won't all look the same, and many people are learning how to do these things so there will be alot of trial and error. So its good to see stuff like this its very inspiring and the potential of what can be done. Alot of the problems we have can be resolved through other means that are much more abundant and harmonious than we are being told. Spread the word to anyone willing to hear, it will multiply.
Best 10 minutes I have spent on the tube in a while. So much evidence in the beauty and productivity amongst diversity. Mono culture the ruination off a civilization.Rather follow this lead than Monsanto any day.
This is brilliant. Great to see the work of the permaculture movement from 20 years ago bearing fruit.
Randomly clicked, I stayed and learned a little something something. Thank you
I grew up in Talent Oregon and this is how my grandpa irrigated his orchard. Stay safe with the fires. I love siskiyou seeds
Hi neighbor.Used to live in Applegate.
Define "this".
@@roguereductionist8147 My Grandpa used the Talent irrigation ditch to water his orchard. He would let it out slowly and gravity did the rest. He didn’t have ponds but the orchard was on a bit of a hill and this was how he watered all the time without the use of sprinklers. I think had he been alive today, he would have perfected it. He died in 79.
@@katherinez9654 Thats called flood or surface irrigation. People still do it off of the Talent irrigation ditch. There isn’t much left to perfect about it because it’s a technique that has been used for thousands of years.
These are the type of people we need running our agricultural system and environment
Amazing what a thinking human being with a clear vision can accomplish. Absolutely fantastic!
Yeah and ironic that someone from Oregon can do "thinking". 😆
You left out one thing - MONEY. These ponds aren't dug by hand, nor is the land terraced by hand. It takes money to buy/rent the machines or hire someone to do it.
In other states the GOV itself prevents smart people like this from making progress... its illegal to even collect rain water in a lot of states.
Amazing to see what a country with now jeuus can accomplish.
@@Rattlerjake1 or you get a few beavers :)
I did my PDC back in 2016 and was living in a rental property in a dense urban area where the adjacent properties where higher and when it’d rain the water would just runoff and almost flood my yard so I turned the slopes into small swales to save and slow the water and it was hugely successful😊
For people like us that don't have a creek running all year round at some point in the year you will have a creek running and you can catch it downstream with a pond and build a pond at the highest point of the land and pump the water up there and start releasing the water in almost vertical swales canal and imitate this model, it inspires me for its simplicity
That only works if you own the land. People that ranch or farm etc by public land are screwed from my experience even if it’d help wildlife and plants.
and then like this guy said, the consistent saturation of soil throughout the year caused by pond retention will cause the seasonal creek to turn into a year round one if your lucky enough
@@Phyankord actually the seasonal creek was probably a full time creek for 10 farms down the watershed until this guy "slowed the water down" on just his property. He owns the rights so he can do it, but yeah he basically is depriving the next farm down from the opportunity to have such a system if you think about where that water would be going if he didn't have it all dammed up and infiltrated on his own place. The top part of the next property down will get some residual effect but three or four farms down and they will be netting a loss in riparian seepage from having their full time creek reduced to a "seasonal creek" by upstream water usage.
@@EarthShadowFilms in the video they said that all of his downstream neighbors benefited from this practice. they arent actively draining gallons upon gallons every day from the creek. im willing to bet they initially filled it with the heavy rains that they get from winter/spring because we can have pretty heavy rains here in oregon, allowing that heavy rainfall to flow downstream isnt going to benefit anyone in the short or long term. in the video they expressely pointed out how the river is no longer seasonal but continously flowing and the quantity of water coming from it has only increased because not as much is seeping into the soil anymore, i really cant see how this could possibly equate to a net loss in water flow downstream where in this climate it would always naturally have a higher water flow downstream especially as more natural streams converge.
Oooooh… water fight!
People like Don should be in charge of the agricultural department of the united states.
For sure! Instead we have Billy G8s buying up alllllllll the farmland he can get hands on to grow soy or NOTHING at all. They want us to be malnutritioned, vegan, weak, starving slaves and unable to mount a resistance effort for their NWO/WEF Great Reset™
@@michaelstarr5861 lol you are aware that eating meat is what makes us weak? Vegan athletes outperform meat eating athletes everytime. It's scientifically proven that meat wakes up our prehistoric survival instinct. Also you sound like someone who believes in conspiracy theories, concerning that please please please if you're going to put forth an agenda, let it be one you created, let it be one that brings people together instead of tearing them apart. Don't let loonies cram down misinformation into your brain.
Great suggestion
Yes!
Would never happen. Corruption out competes itself to the top. Plus, his hands would be tied in such a heavy and wasteful bureaucratic system. What he is doing now is very agile and has unlimited potential.
We need more people like you in leadership and without corruption:) thank you for your wisdom!
Maybe "we" don't need leaders?
@@tefinnegan5239
Yes, all we need is us. And we likely have to stop the leaders not enable them.
@@tefinnegan5239 having a kind of leadership is natural for human, like it or not. There are more individualistic people for sure but the population, the "tribe" needs a leader.
The question is what kind of leader is that and how many of them we have.
Ultimately the best result for all humanity would come from having virtually one leader for all, uniting the world. United, we would probably have some crime lords and separatists from time to time stirring up smaller conflicts but the constant fight between countries and powers would stop.
@@tefinnegan5239 I've been using the term "elected administrators" we don't need representatives to decide policy for us, we need to democratically decide policies and have our elected officials manage them.
@@Gabrong - the world does have one leader… and He rules on high through the Word-Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If all would just listen and follow Him, the world would be a better place ❤
An interesting adjunct to Don's story . . . he has been testing wildfire mitigation on mycelium-rich landscapes with a neighbor. Yes, lots of mycelium 'running' through the soils will slow down and stop catastrophic wildfires. You might want to do a follow-on video about Don's mycelium vs wildfire research.
I believe you completely, but I think explanation is pretty incomplete.
Healthy mycelium go hand in hand with healthy root systems. Healthy root systems come from established diverse healthy plants. Diverse healthy plants native to a ecology that experiences fire do not burn easily.
Exactly!!!
Where can we get info on this? Fascinating!
maybe on the ground but a lot of oregon wildfires spread thru t he tops of trees etc.maybe the trees need to be better watered and greener and not so dry.
Don, you are a legend! What you have done there needs to be recreated thousands of times over and over again. Andrew thank you for your crucial work! Keep grinding!
Just beautiful. So grateful for your beautiful home. gives me hope. It's my dream come true.
Mine too! Best of luck in making it a reality :-)
In Sierra Nevada in Spain, there are ancient irrigation channels called “acequias” that use the snowmelt. They had incredible knowledge to move water to where it was needed. They also had places where they would slow down and store the water, knowing that it would seep down into the rock just to sprout up out of the rock downslope.
It's funny, you make it sound like it's a lost ancient technology, in Argentina in the provinces of Mendoza and San Juan 95% of sidewalks have acequias running alongside them, for people who live there it's actually weirder seeing streets without acequias. We can call them what we want but acequias are practically a synonym for irrigation channels and in places where they need them they usually have them in some shape or form and they are probably as ancient as farming since they go hand in hand.
@@CMZneu in a lot of places it is lost knowledge.
@@simonesmit6708 How is it lost knowledge, we have them we know how they work we have better technology that replaces them. It's not rocket science, even beavers build ditches to channel water.
Como si las acequias fuesen algo perdido Bro. Literal un canal para irrigar
@@CMZneu exactamente lo mismo pensé yo
This was one of the better lectures I've attended.
I’ve lived in Oregon for 18 years. Oregon never fails to amaze. 🌲🌲🌲. I was a Wildland Firefighter last year for the state and I was also on the biggest fire in Oregon called the bootleg. Almost 600,000 acres. A lot of resources were used and a lot of water was used. And of course a lot of land was destroyed. But slowly has came back to life! Good job on the video just thought I would share!
Thank you for your work fighting the fires!
Fire doesn't destroy the land, it cleans up the land.
@@dont.ripfuller6587 - Fire WILL destroy it when man causes the right conditions. Currently the entire west is drying up and burning because of the government and NWO cabal using geoengineering and HAARP. th-cam.com/video/rf78rEAJvhY/w-d-xo.html
@The Banned - The ponds will eventually refill, but those helicopters just might prevent his property from burning too.
There are many trees in Oregon that require fire for their seed to germinate and produce new trees. The land wasn’t destroyed. It was renewed. Drive up the Mackenzie river. Notice how green everything is now? Beetles that were killing the forest have been killed. Unfortunately, many people lost their homes, but the forest can grow back healthy. In our instant gratification culture, we fail to realize this. It’s not about the current moment in time, there is a future, and that future is what we need to be thinking about.
This should be shared everywhere! The more we take care of our environment the more we live longer!
He absolutely needs to start teaching classes on how to do this! Have a 2 or 3 day working class would help so many people like me who have some idea how to do this but would make a lot of mistakes. Thank you for the advice and video!
@@e1000sn all you've demonstrated here is an embarrassing lack of understanding of the climate in southern Oregon.
@@e1000sn At 1:35 he said it is “winter rain forest and summer desert ecosystem”. This is harder than having just a rainforest or just a desert ecosystem because it gets either too wet or too dry. And while you can find plants that like it dry and plants that like it wet, there really isn’t many that can survive both too wet and too dry conditions. I would really want to learn to manage water as well as Don does
@@e1000sn a literal rain forest?
Where the fuck do you think this guy lives?
He is a long time educator! Just find him he is amazing!
@@e1000sn I have visited his farm…. It’s a beautiful epic amount of work. You clearly do not know of what you speak. You definitely do not own a farm or tractor. If you did you would respect what he has done.
It was nice to hear him acknowledge that the indigenous peoples managed the land well.b
well, some of them did . but in oregon they burned A LOT of land . so you'd have to be a nomad like them.
@@christigoth absolute bullshit, the America's were pristine.
Ive been doing this down a ravine on my land. Its starting to work but my biggest enemy are gophers who will turn my dams into swiss cheese but every year my water lasts longer and longer. I dont have a year round creek but one storm fills every pond and i estimate i have about 10 million gallons being collected and stored for a time
This is AMAZING. Imagine if everyone lived this way.
🙏❤️🙏🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
We should, but unfortunatly we cant...
In this economy?
@@davidprietogomez7254 city boy. you know nothing about it. who needs all those addictions to plasticized artificial garbage you mentioned? a few decades ago we were ok without most of it. life seemed better too btw. certainly less expensive. And we had plenty of industry , certainly more than now. it wouldn't stop essential industries at all.
@@uncertaintytoworldpeace3650 what are you talking about? if anything, living off the land intelligently is far cheaper and far more healthy , including NO food shortages , less dependency on paid utilities, less dependency on stores, etc.
I was inspired by this farm, and I hope I get a chance to do similar permaculture work on the land someday.
It ain't rocket science...just common sense. I love it.
Hello from Prescott! Just another senior wanting to claim you Andrew as a hometown boy. I am from S D and watched old time farmers preach many of these practices -old European. I truly thought this was lost will and wisdom, but here you are. Thank you for making people aware of the possibilities.
Thank you for the sweet comment! Prescott will always have a special place in my heart; such a beautiful example of community! Cheers and I hope you're doing well :-)
Don came to speak at my school this spring and it was the one week I was down with a bad fever. Really hate to have missed that and missed meeting him but glad I get to hear from him through this video at least.
Don, you and your family are absolute legends. Thank you for showing what is possible. You’re more of a trail blazer than Damian Lillard.
Trail blazer? This is a very basic simple technic that has been used for literally THOUSANDS of years lmao 🤦♀️
@@chrish4439 yes an old strategy that is seldom used in our world. Chris please post a link of your video showing how you’ve recharged the acquirer on your land. It’s an uncommon feat these days so guys like Don are blazing a path for others to follow. The age of the tech matters not. Leadership is where it’s at.
@@chrish4439 most people in our western world forgot how to do it. so it's good they are re- introducing it to the modern people here.
Back to the roots of ancient agriculture methods. Water storage and irrigation by adapting to the landscape itself.
I did a similar project in Zimbabwe, Aquatorline on a 4-hectar plot. I managed to keep it the only green spot in draught seasons. I had an artificial pond too. For the heavy rain season, I had a drainage system, stopping water locks. I worked together with a local. When I left the country everything fall apart and turned back to dessert. The local left for Britain with his family from the money he made from the plot.😁😁
Gotta make a stronger, more robust meme
Thats too bad but we need land restoration so badly that I think it's okay to do it for profit. All hands on deck!
Interesting stuff... Come back to Zim let's teach families in rural areas where this kind of knowledge will be way more valuable
@@thabisokhumalo5343 Been there, done that. They don't learn and will blame you for failing after you leave.
@@kazual9206 that's a shame, but I have worked with a few communities and most projects are still alive and well.. I am willing to share with you the methods we have used for creating a sustainable community projects.. It may not be 100% but there are plenty of people who need the help and expertise you have
I feel like I just had a holiday. What an inspiring and refreshing look into a more positive future for us all. Great job!
This is an incredible irrigation system; those drone shots of water moving through the channels are magical! I follow each of you separately, and your collaboration here is remarkable, at the highest levels of working in harmony with nature. I'm proud to be a fellow Oregonian, and I'm looking forward to part #2!
You, Sir, give me hope. The world has a lot to learn from you.
Thanks for sharing this, I remember Siskiyou Seeds, remember buying from them years ago. I first moved to this area of Southern Oregon in 1979, a bit further east but same Rogue River Basin, to help establish a multi-home retreat community within a non-profit. A spiritual mission but, with year-year round spring-fed stream (we developed ponds with Salmon & Trout) where I lived many years. I was the garden and food-growing coordinator so am very familiar with the winter rainforest/summer desert climate that Tom describes. I also later was a licensed landscaper in Oregon for 21 years, that included ornamental landscapes, small farms, greenhouses, small orchards, native habitat restoration projects rebuilding riparian areas after floods in 1993, etc. However many 1,000's of properties I touched there. Currently have a design team based in San Diego (work in any state and central america though), for helping people find land, develop projects from homesteads, eco-communities, farm-to-table restaurants, working farms, help develop herbal products/farm brands, etc. and in the mix residential landscapes, pools, ponds, ADU's, etc.
We currently have 2 architects, 2 permaculture farmers, lady with masters in regenerative agriculture if someone wants livestock/chickens (we work with vegans too though), Naturopathic Doctor, graphic designer w/masters in sustainable design, artist and my own background of skills acquired in 45 years of projects. People on our team have worked in many countries, had Dr. Elaine Ingham set up soils lab & composting of one of our team members large project in Hawaii, etc.
This is so cool to see such a great example of water management and working with nature. Thanks again for sharing.
Awesome 👏 sounds like excellent work.
You're gonna tell us all that and not give us the necessary info to find or work with said "design team"?
why not share videos about it on your channel or do you have a website ??
What you're doing is wonderful, love your respect for the land. It's nice you have water rights to help you live your dream. So many people who want to be homesteaders or people that own acreages don't own water rights and are prohibited by law to catch or retain water that falls on their property. This makes it difficult for so many to be self reliant. You are doing it right!
Genius. Working with your resources instead of exploiting them.
He literally is exploiting his resources. 🤣
@@Wonderboywonderings I think he means in a non-sustainable, environmentally-destructive way.
this guy has got the golden ticket. very nice life you have made.
The best video explaining how swells and permaculture works. Thank you for this content!
This man is a genius. He could give lectures to people wanting to do something similar. For a fee of course. Experience is valuable.
Or just follow the beaver
Ponds are also what allow us to have livestock in the wilderness without fouling streams, so the livestock can continuously trim brush and understory, greatly lessening fire danger and damage.
Actually, livestock forages plant growth, not allowing plants to grow and depositing organic matter and eventual forming a forest. Without a forest the earth becomes drier and hotter eventually terraforming the earth into a baron desert. Roy Bedichek talks about Farmers in Texas taking pride in whipping the land to death and I believe its a core philosophy in efforts to "regreen the desert" considering they assume its reversible.
Also out of africa theory where abundant sites even back to homo erectus are around cannanite, scythian territories which are now Ethiopia and Baghdad. Not the deeper forested parts of southern Africa where humanity is only now encroaching. Even Looking at New Mexico there's evidence of precolonial agricultural development. What even makes a rancher? Do you have to fence your cattle in or can you just follow your buffalo around?
I mean a big clue in would have probably been the great dust bowl.
I love that this creator just gives his guest the mic and doesn’t feel the need to be in the shot
How it was done for hundreds of thousands of years, very smart guy for sure. Hard working guy. Good job.
What a wonderful example of adaptation and ingenuity, inspired by time-tested techniques. Great job :-)
This is what our Forrest and planet needs from us! 👌👍 love your design and dedication.
This individual deserves a Nobel prize for this kinda work and research.
TX needs your help like yesterday sir!!
Great video. My only comment would be to plant more trees around the ponds to create shade over 50% or more of ponds to reduce algae growth. Thanks for addressing how to retain water and not reduce stream flows too. Great to see your semi-year round stream I’d fully year-round with more flow - proof that what’s you are doing is positive!
The accepted safety protocol is to avoid planting trees in the constructed dam wall because if they were to grow large and fall over they may take a large chunk of the earthen dam with them. Also tree roots could create leaks. Nevertheless trees grow on their own and we manage their size with sheep and pruning
@@Siskiyouseeds I have a difficult time maintaining a pond because so much brush likes to grow on the banks. It's basically a hassle to keep up with.
I read a book recently called 3 Against the Wilderness. It's set in the 1920's when the trapping out of beavers in the interior of British Columbia led to a drought. Good read.
This brilliant Beaver Man has got it figured out! Water-wise and seed-savvy: I am inspired. Thank you.
A three D conceptual animated concept sketch with the topography of the terrain may make it more clear.
Great job indeed.
What an absolutely fantastic property. I only have one pond currently but hope to add in several more on this 5 acres that I am developing. Love the inspiration!! Thanks for sharing 😊
It's fascinating, because places like #Greenland have done this for generations. th-cam.com/video/2rCzN9WPmgk/w-d-xo.html and keep up with th-cam.com/users/messytimes for more awesome stuff!
Lmao a quick way to starve out everything down stream. Well played rich.
@@matthewcurry3565 You have that exactly backwards.
@@YodaWhat Yeah that one was late at night, but explain. I assume making reservoirs feeds the underground aqueducts, and keeps the water availability in the ground water? I would be interested in knowing the full effects, because I am unsure of that science tbh.
@@matthewcurry3565 Yes, ponds recharge aquifers. But more than that, ponds even out the uneven rainfall. Beavers have even reversed mild desertification.
This is a good basic lesson. I am happy he mentioned the need to avoid taking stream water in the summer.
Thankyou you this is a great showcasethe that demonstrates how the management or waste of water determines abundance or crisis. Glad we have more and more maturing examples like this. Sadly the major powers dont want people to realize that responsibility canyou generate abundance rather than lack and dependance.
Glad to see a model of monsoon/desert. I'm seeing that in our midwest region and and working to regenerate this peice of land
Great content.
Thanks for showing how ancient water and land management principles can still be applied to current times.
This is the best video I've seen on TH-cam! Thank you!
I so appreciate the kind comment! Cheers and thank you for tuning in :-)
Amazing in every way. Such deep wisdom and service to the earth, the waters and the community. Thank you both for this! And thank you Don for such deep connection and beauty that you bring forth! You inspire us!!!
He has effectively demonstrated how to leverage gravity to feed the crops by simply directing the flow into them. Just fantastic pragmatism, something to learn from. Thanks for the video!!
This is incredible; The fact that you are using an irrigation system and preservation of the vital liquid used by our ancient tribes in Ecuador, all coastal areas, the Andes mountains and the Amazon in South America, is very ecological, sustainable and also beautifies and maintains nature strong and healthy surrounding area where flora and fauna can thrive safely and securely.
Congratulations.
Absolutely a beautiful state to live in. Especially in the southern portions.
Full of plain talk information, historical relevance, and how this all ties into what we can do modern day to conserve and distribute water properly. California, I'm looking at you.
With fires getting so large and frequent it should be one of the main talking points to get new people on board also the drought proofing definitely important
'If you don't have water you're not in the game' - Don Tipping, Aug 2022- A man of great knowledge on permaculture and the betterment of humanity.
So... we're talking about a water park, so to speak? The water starts high and flows down "slides" to other pools and eventually gets pumped back to the top. A never ending water circuit. Got it!☺️♥️
It's wonderful what Don has done to implement the best use of streams and capture of water available on his land. If more farmers used these methods, there would be fewer drought-stricken areas. Oregon is a beautiful state! Thank you for your video, Andrew.
This looks very similar to ancient agriculture that I’ve seen on videos. Very good use! So long as its not in a flood or heavy rain prone area.
Finally a responsible human being with my thought process on land development. You have your shit together man. Much respect.
Wow I love the footage of the water flowing over that terrace that is mixed into the agroforestry. I love how he opens that flood pipe and it goes to the crops! You can tell it flows pretty well and there is not a big differential between the beds and paths for the water
Wonderful! The care, love and connection that is shown here is astounding. Of course, this is a very specific kind of place, that chose it's custodians well! The gift they are offering to the ecosystem, and to their neighbours downstream.. Starting high in the system like this is vitally important for regenerating landscapes..
And the fact that they are using all this incredible energy to grow seed is even more impressive - the start of the food chain. Hats off, Ben
I love this it reminds me of my family farm in Tumalo Oregon my grandfather was able to grow 100 acres of alfalfa through Gravity feed watering. Pretty impressive considering the whole property is shaped like an upside down bowl with the center being the highest point! They hand crafted Wooden Barrel pipe line allmost a mile long to pipe water to the center of the property at the highest point under pressure. I remember my grandfather fixing leaks in it has a child it would spray water 40 feet up in the air! Now it takes to 2 separate huge pumps probably cost upwards of $3000 a month to run! pretty amazing with the old timers could accomplish.
Fantastic! Using techniques used by natives and working with nature is wonderful, the way to sustainable farming. Thank you for doing this and showing others how.. You're a true role model.
i was thinking....every "anti-indian" president was basically Hitler.
60 million indigenous, man....Adolph learned that mess from us!
Absolutely amazing what this man has done.
Agreed!
definition of co-habitation, not only improving a water source for yourself, but for the wild life too. Promoting growth of life and food. He is a Wizard!
We really need our (CA/West coast) big AG/Dairy industries to take his approach with their water usage/management
Wow, how insightful of him to point out the impact that our culture has had on the ecosystem and then to have a solution for that impact as well. Let us all follow this example.
Have you considered growing aquatic plants to help recycle the water in those lower level ponds? Perhaps you could avoid having to drain the pond to access the nutrient muck by growing plants and harvesting them from time to time and composting or feeding them to something else if needed, thus extracting the nutrients in that way. That's something I might consider, from my perspective. Makes me think of how aquaponics is done with the fish poop in the water flowing through the planting area and then it gets cleaned and sent back into the fish reservoir. Another level on the ziggurat would further slow the descent.
I saw someone else use duckweed and other aquatic plants to feed pigs. It was mixed in with grains and milk.
the landscape looks so beautiful. watching it gives me a little more peace
All farmers should be doing this (where possible) anyway. Good job man 👌
you could omit that parenthesis nonsense.
don't worry about triggering people.
it's correct without the qualifier...we *NEED* to make some serious changes.
Oh that more people were wise like this man…
So thankful to see this.
Thank you for sharing.
just found your channel, it's head and shoulders above a lot of other permie videos on yt. you let the person talk and also dont have them repeating too much basic information. plus those 3d visualizations of the land are amazing!
Awesome, thank you for the kind feedback and welcome to the channel! Cheers :-)
Permaculture is a wonderful philosophy.
Amen!
My deepest respect to a farm owner that goes to these lengths to keep the nature in balance with the agricultural. Seems like everyone is a winner whit that kind of environmental geo engineering.
The question is just, is there enough areas to be building that kind of farms on to supply good for citizens, out said in another way. Could it be done in a bigger scale multiple places and then cut down the low land areas and plant them into wildlife area?
Don Tipping is an amazing human . So awesome to
Come across this video🌈
See? If resources are lacking, then it's because of poor management. So we don't really have a resource problem, we have a management problem.
Well said… I’d like to put that message on a bumper sticker!
The U.S. has a HUGE problem with mismanagement of resources and counter-nature industrialization. Huge cities are killing our ecological systems... bleeding us dry... and for what? Industrial efficiency? Anyone who's familiar with the transportation industry knows we're screwed in that department.
We have a corporate greed and leadership problem for sure.
"The future is management!" ~The corporate stooge in Fallout.
lmao sorry I just found that ironic after recently watching that show.
Not entirely.
Management is crucial to making the most of the resources nature gives us, but you only get what you get.
Getting results similar to this in Eastern Oregon, for example, would require a much larger catchment, and the results still wouldn't be as productive because of the harsh winter
This is awesome, educational and exactly what we would like to do with our future farm
Also, fellow Oregonian here! I'm just a few hours away
This is such a great example of intelligent farming. The best integration of logic and planning (mixed with lots of hard work) that I have seen. It is nice that we get to see it after it has been functioning for 10 years. I hope other farmers see this and implement this style of farming.
Couldn't agree more! Thanks for watching.
Not to mention, Seven Seeds farm produces incredible variety of robust seeds. Seeds to grow old by . . . .
Hey don tipping is a great friend awesome to see his hard work get recognition.
No doubt, he's a great guy with plenty of knowledge to share. :)
Great video and graphics. Really demonstrates this brilliant system. I would love to get away from plastic pipes!!
Don Tipping is the GOAT!