How This Woman Turned Arizona's Desert into a Farmland Oasis

Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with very hot summers and mild winters. This climate has meant the region has been a hub for agricultural growth for thousands of years despite the fact rainfall has always been relatively low. It's Arizona's rivers and aquifers that hold groundwater which have supported the state’s now $23 billion agriculture industry. In terms of revenue generated, Arizona's top five agricultural products are cattle, calves, lettuce, dairy products, cotton, and hay. In total, farmland makes up about 35% of the state of Arizona. Farming in the desert has been a challenge for Arizona’s modern farmers, who grow water-intensive crops like cotton, alfalfa and corn for cows. It's estimated that these farms use nearly three-quarters of the available water supply to irrigate their crops.

The Colorado River system, which supplies 36 percent of Arizona's total water use has experienced extensive drought conditions for the past 19 years. This has resulted in Lake Mead dropping to historically low reservoir levels. More than one-third of Arizona’s water flows up the Colorado River to Lake Mead. This year an intensifying drought and declining reservoir levels across the Western United States has prompted the first-ever water supply cuts to Arizona farmers.

Extensive droughts and dwindling water supplies have wreaked havoc on the once prosperous farms that could endure the arid conditions. Arizona has also become one the fastest growing states in the last decade, as result there has been a demand for tree lined neighborhoods, golf courses and lawns, all of which require vast amounts of water. As we keep consuming the ancient groundwater, without it being replenished, water tables drop and rivers start to dry up.

However over the last 30 years Arizona has been turning this around, in this video we will show you how a low cost innovative water retention system is being used in the desert, turning the dry landscape into a fertile carbon sink stretching over 100,000 acres and we will show you how this system is recharging the aquifers, by improving water retention by at least 28% which has helped to increase biodiversity, turning the desert back into a farmland oasis. Thanks to Valer Clark Austin and Josiah Austin restoring the watershed in the Chiricahua Desert in Arizona and Mexico.

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#greeningthedesert

[LeafofLifeWorld]

The results of restoring a watershed are astonishing!!! 💦🌿 What do you think, do we need more of this?

[mrow]

There was a bunch of farms in Australia who ripped out trees and shrubs because it was believed that they just sucked up all the water. The land got drier as a result. One farmer went against the trend and put all those trees and shrubs back in and his farm flourished. The government was trying to force him to rip up all the plants he planted because they believed they knew better. Other farmers looked at his farm and started doing the same thing and their farms flourished too. Only until the government sold the land out from under him for a strip mine did the farmer fail.

[ainabearfarm]

Glad to see people like this being celebrated and respect being given to the ancient wisdom of indigenous peoples. The way forward is looking back. 🤙

[GeorgiaAlbert]

To make a desert bloom is to add water. Here in the United State of Nevada, . a desert State, we have a species of Beaver, an aquatic mammal that build dams. Nevada's Beavers build dams in streams that had regularly dried up in the dry season, and they transform the area into a lush desert oasis with trees and sweet water flowing year round. Maybe our Beavers can transform the dried up streams in Austrailia, China, Mongolia, and the Sahara to help reverse desertification. Beaver ponds sustain fish, wildlife, and can provide irrigation water. and water for livestock. The Beaver dams slow the water flow so the water can be absorbed by the land. Beavers work for no wages. They will build you fantastic dams, plus do all the maintenance, and all you have to do is keep the Beaver safe and happy.

[evilchaperone]

Absolutely beautiful native American farming practices. The corn provide a stalk for the beans. The beans provided nitrogen to the soil, and the squash provided ground cover for the soil. That's coming back into practice in large commercial farms. Laying two crops at the same time. One for ground cover and one for an addional crop. That way you can get twice the yield with the same amount of water, fuel and fertilizer. The natives had that down to a science hundreds of years ago.

[alanm]

I am in awe of these people who have the vision, the patience and the tenacity to see a project like this through to fruition. The world, in general, should listen and take note as a lot of our self made problems could be resolved without conflict or high cost. Absolutely brilliant.

[KJSvitko]

Every home and business should have a rain water collection and storage system.
The little rain that does fall should not be wasted. We must live in harmony with nature and the environment.

[stonew]

That's wonderful. Such simple technology.... In the dry Serengeti of East Africa they are employing a method of digging depression holes at regular intervals to hold the water. It's making a difference as more plants and animals are returning to these areas. These old traditional technologies are often simple and the most effective.

[rodneypate]

A wonderful story. Wouldn't it be simpler to re-introduce beavers back into the area. Like bees, beavers work diligently and smart and create a better effect in restoring the land than humans. Keep up the effort, I'm so proud of all of you that takes care of Morher Earth ❤♾

[budgarner]

I've seen where beavers have been allowed to transform creeks and land into new fertile wetlands. Smart lady, cattle ranching according to the grasses on the land. Like selecting crops based based upon soil and moisture content of the land. Simple is truly better. Kudos to all.

[richardfiennes]

Same as in Australia! Cotton is SOOO greedy for water. However, growing hemp would greatly reduce water use and it is fine for clothing whilst not needing so many pesticides etc!

Anita Roddick founder of the ethical "Body Shop" chain used some of her wealth to push the use of hemp products and clothing I believe to no avail. The cotton industry is v powerful and refuses to embrace far more sustainable plants. Interestingly, ONLY 1% of cotton clothing is actually recycled around the World.
Kind of says it all very sadly!

[maniswil]

Southern Arizona is not in a drought. The rest of the southwest is. Just a small detail. This year and last year has brought more rain than any other time in recent history. Just the amount of rain days alone this year is going to be a record.

[babyabraham]

Amazing transformation of barren land into lush green pastures and farm land . A little water can do wonders . Every rain brings water, all we have to do is to provide a space for it to rest . Wonderful work .

[ethandfortune]

Crazy because I grew up building rock dams in the creeks behind my house 25 years later they are much much bigger bodys of water plus when it rained you could hear the water going over the rocks fro. The back patio. ❤ great video.

[MjMurphy]

Wow! One woman made a vast change without any prior training. There’s hope for all of us.

[jacobedward]

"Anybody with a good will can go out and do something"
Love that! Put in your best effort and be patient and willing to learn.

But I hope there are more people in the Southwest who will help save their home, because I'm not going down there!

[grantmccoy]

Something I just noticed yesterday was how soft the soil has become after a severe drought this summer was quenched by heavy rainfall. The soil was so parched, that it actually was splitting apart. After the rain, the top layer broke off, like a flake, and all of the soil, even underneath is extremely soft. It's shocking. It makes me wonder if this actually is nature's way of tilling the soil.

Basically, even drought can have benefits.

[bpkline]

Valer Clark Austin, the "This Woman" in the title of this video is the woman who turned Arizona's Desert into a Farmland Oasis - and they don't even mention her name in the title or the description.

[MrArtist]

The EXACT opposite is happening here in Arizona, we're quickly turning in to one large desert as our forests are either being cut down or trees dying from severe lack of rain and snow. AZ's largest natural lake is completely dried up and water is becoming more and more scarce. I suggest everyone to plan on leaving the southwest U.S. when you get the chance.

[wesrennells]

For those interested this is a practice called permaculture to my knowledge it is only used on private owners lands but should be used wide spread. That being said it is getting hotter and hotter every year here in AZ and we're getting what feels to be less and less rain fall to compensate for the current usage