Monday, February 2, 2015

OLIVE FIELDS - SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN SYRIA


There are two types of oil the Middle East are famous for - carbonaceous fossil oil and olive oil. The former is an oil of contention that wars are often fought for and bring ruin to the country as in the case of Iraq.  Whereas the latter is the oil of health. 

The olive rejuvenates not only people due to its culinary and medicinal uses but also arid land. Virgin olive like virgin coconut oil is being marketed worldwide. 

The olive trees are at home of what seems marginal lands surviving for centuries and yet remain ever fruitful. The olive apart from date provides sustainable living under harsh desert-like conditions. 

Olive branches bearing fruits that are about to mature.

To help collect water for the soil, shallow dug-outs are made for planting of olive, or perimeter stones may be arranged to around the trees. 

Older trees - the sod is left to dry up to recycle organic matter.

The following pictures are view of olive fields in the province of Lattakia, Syria.





On the hill slopes terraces are built.

The village of Qassabin is where my host family lives. Wonder what happens to them now with the civil strife that has been going on for years. We have lost contact.

A tractor plowing a vegetable plot beside an olive garden; Mrs Nejmo overseeing.

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