Aude department of France, July 2023
You supported Vincent, a cereal grower and market gardener in the Aude region of France, and his project.The aim was to plant 570 trees to restore the soil, enrich his vegetable and cereal production, and also diversify and increase his agricultural output.
The farmer took things a step further this year by installing an additional greenhouse. A small house has been built to accommodate woofers on the farm, and vegetable production has increased significantly. Wheat production was finally halted altogether due to the now too dry conditions. Vincent has decided to concentrate on growing vegetable.
This project has proved a challenge in an area where rainfall is low and the deficit is increasing every year due to climate change. However, to date we have observed very little tree mortality. The project has been through two intense droughts and the trees are still there, the few dead one having been replaced over time.
But how is this possible? There are several reasons. First of all, we chose species resistant to dry conditions like olive trees and holm oaks. As the saying goes, it’s vital to “plant the right tree in the right place”.
Vincent has set up a system of swales (channels for conveying water) to store water and allow it to infiltrate where the trees need it. He has also mulched around the base of the trees – to protect them from competing with other plants for water and limit water evaporation from the soil.
Finally, nature does things well. When developing, the trees first grow in their root system, before developing above ground. This enables them to capture more water resources in difficult conditions. Their growth takes off once the root system is well established. Vincent’s occasional watering and adding old manure in 2023 will help these trees. As a result, the trees don’t grow very tall, meaning their root system has to start growing again after three to four years.
As for the trees near the greenhouses, thanks to plenty of water they are now taller than the others. In the end, it doesn’t matter. The trees will continue growing for several years before reaching their final height. The project is coming to an end and the target of planting 570 trees of 12 different species has been reached!
