Permaculture Practices Resist High Heat And Drought 2 Months Later Into Monsoon

[00:00:00]What's going on everyone? I'm Brandon and this is the Greening the Desert Project. I'm just going to shoot things right out the gate here because from previous time I showed the tour of the land from April and I was coming out of spring time a little bit and making the transition into summer.

[00:00:17]So, that was really cool to see all of that different vegetation that was growing and now actually coming about 3 months later is coming into summer time.

[00:00:25]The hot and dry really started kicking in the last month here. So, there was a lot of die off and really just getting to see this transition is just really cool to see and observe, but also at the same time there's been some really cool activity. So, let's get right into what's going on around here.

[00:00:44]Been on and off rain today.

[00:00:47]Nice steady sprinkles for some time and just kind of dumping down [clears throat] at the next opportunity.

[00:00:58]What's really nice is the fact that we haven't gotten any rain for a few months.

[00:01:04]And now we've got all this little moisture from the clouds overhead.

[00:01:10]It's been kind of on and off all day today.

[00:01:19]All right, so this is kind of nice.

[00:01:21]I was I was pretty much planning the tour just to show what everything looks like a few months 3 months later, I think from the last little tour from April.

[00:01:35]And that was coming into spring time and now we are in the midst of summer.

[00:01:41]Few days away from the official monsoon season, but it's super nice that we're getting the moisture early cuz it definitely needs it over here.

[00:01:51]But now we can start the tour and just see all the different green. It's a really good contrast with the land when it gets all wet and everything. So, be able to spot all this nice green that's growing.

[00:02:03]And just with the moisture even, hopefully we'll get a little bit more growth around here.

[00:03:41]Got a little bit in there.

[00:05:00]>> As I sneak my way through the branches here.

[00:05:41]See, the rain garden was up there.

[00:05:44]So, now I'm just kind of sweeping back towards the property line just to see this with the cliff roses.

[00:06:32]So right over here is actually the property line just behind the big basin here. You can see my fence post for the fencing and it's actually like 20 ft past those posts. So just on the other side of that tree right there is the property line.

[00:06:54]And then kind of comes up this way.

[00:07:03]So I just come from that way.

[00:07:06]We're making our way over.

[00:07:43]So now I'm basically walking parallel to the property line here.

[00:07:50]So to the left is the neighbors.

[00:07:53]To the right is me.

[00:08:15]This is the old build site from the very beginning.

[00:08:19]This all was cleared out. Can see that last couple years it started filling in.

[00:08:35]So this is the driveway path that goes down the hill and off the property.

[00:08:40]I got a good view of the storm clouds and some rain obviously.

[00:08:59]So I kind of skipped over through this the last time.

[00:09:09]This area has almost a similar feel to the north portion, which I'll get to in a little bit here.

[00:09:54]>> So there's the big basin that I just passed a minute ago.

[00:09:58]Now we're kind of coming through the Fraggle Rock area, so named by everybody last year.

[00:10:07]This area has all the multiple basins that I was able to dig.

[00:10:12]And this is about the depth that you can get down or get up here without hitting solid rock, so Smell is amazing. Just the smell of rain mixed with all the different flowers that are still going around here.

[00:11:04]It's nice too because it's not too hot and it's not too muggy out.

[00:11:10]Sometimes Actually, it's more so during the monsoon season. So when we get the higher temperatures and then this humidity definitely can make it really muggy and just makes you really sweaty trying to run outside in the rain and stuff.

[00:11:29]But this is actually pretty nice.

[00:11:34]So now I'm in the northern section of the property.

[00:11:50]So definitely a little bit different looking from the last time in April especially with all the heat and the dry that we've had the lack of moisture.

[00:12:04]So everything's dried dried up.

[00:12:11]And all that wheat plucked a lot of the seeds and a lot of the birds ate the seeds, too.

[00:12:24]Everything just has a little bit of green left.

[00:12:29]So this moisture will definitely help a lot of the grass and a lot of other stuff that was just holding on.

[00:12:38]There's a lot of vegetation though, so a lot of this will contribute to building the organic material into the soil which is definitely a plus along with the rotational grazing with the goats.

[00:12:55]Got some nice leafy green here. Oh yeah, these are actually legumes. These are native legumes.

[00:13:01]I'm trying to remember what they are exactly, but I know that they're in the pea family.

[00:13:06]And they're native.

[00:13:21]Just trudging along.

[00:14:27]>> So also this whole north side that I'm walking the goats had been moved through here all through the winter and a little bit from I think last monsoon season.

[00:14:45]So you'll be able to see all the hay that's scattered some of the manure just building up all the organic material.

[00:14:55]Especially with this moisture, this will help things break down but then also just hopefully retain a little bit more moisture with some of the heavier mulching in the spots and then I've also just got more vegetation growing than the previous years back here too.

[00:15:17]I've also been doing a lot of chop and drop along the way as I move the goats.

[00:15:59]And then the wash is right down there.

[00:16:03]And I know it's not flowing, otherwise I would be running to it.

[00:16:07]And that's kind of a tell sign that it almost sounds like wind is what it sounds like, the wind going through the trees when you know the wash is going.

[00:16:18]And it'll be quiet like this.

[00:16:21]And no wind, and you'll just hear the faintest sound of wind off in the distance or you think it is, but that's the wash.

[00:16:29]So, that's how I know it's not going right now.

[00:16:36]It's pretty cool at the beam of light coming through the clouds.

[00:17:10]And now I'll be making my way back to the southern portion.

[00:17:20]>> It's kind of the one thing if you notice it's kind of this definitive transition almost between what was going on back there.

[00:17:30]And then you come up here to the southern portion.

[00:17:46]So now I'm right back where I started in the very beginning.

[00:18:09]Just coming down.

[00:18:11]Oh yeah, the first thing I'm coming to is the pond. This thing filled all the way up just from that storm.

[00:18:16]>> It's a day [music] that begins with a crystal blue skies, a gentle cool breeze as we watch the sunrise. The change of the winds and the gusts that start blowing, a sign of the monsoon and the storms that are showing. The rain starts light, but [music] it's just the beginning as it soaks the dry sand. The hydration it's bringing the clouds that arise high mixing water and air.

[00:18:35]And this is the time to run out and prepare for the nature counts down right after the storm. A deluge of riches from sky and from heart for this desolate [music] dry land. No life on the breeze, but a change in the season brings life A COLD DRINK.

[00:18:50]WHOA, TREE ORGANIC.

[00:18:51]>> [music] >> WE'RE OUT IN THE rain securing all through the desert we're gaining.

[00:18:57]Down in the basins and over the plain, we're capturing every last drop in the chain.

[00:19:02]Drink [music] it all in.

[00:19:04]Let the moisture run deep. Whoa, tree organic. [music] The desert won't slave.

[00:19:14]>> [music] >> Let's do it