It’s the last day and people are still working on irrigation and chop-and-drop. Neem is being harvested for mulch and natural pesticide. Chop-and-drop is around everything. It’s about strategic timing, opening the canopy when evaporation over rainfall flops into rainfall over evaporation. Mulch increases every year, and groundcovers are establishing more and more. The system is designed to time the way the forest falls to feed the soil at the optimal moment. Compost is covered by green mulch, and that is covered by small sticks. The fertility then decomposes and pushes down into the soil. The system’s organic matter is being reassembled into productive trees, and the system evolves as designers adjust to provide the best results. It brings me hope for the future and shows the outcome of applied permaculture design in the harshest of climates. If this is possible here, then we can do this anywhere in the world, and — most importantly — anyone can learn this design science and apply it in their home, neighborhood, and community.
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