I had the privilege and honor to visit a farm in the outskirts of Madinah , the city that welcomed prophet Muhammad and where he lived and spread the religion of Islam from.

Madinah was known for its gardens since the days of the prophet, and still produces some of the most delicious dates you can buy in Saudi Arabia.

But, under some of those Date palms lies fields of herbs and vegetables, producing a very diverse range of products. Produced in a very Dry-Land appropriate designed method, where the high shade from the palms is creating a cool micro climate, while shading and limiting the evaporation.

We can see this method of food production throughout the dry lands of Arabia and North Africa, stacking high shade above sometimes citrus , sometimes nuts and fruits and then beneath comes the shade tolerating herbs and vegetables. I have seen similar systems in Yemen and Egypt.

Vegetables grown in Madina were Okra, Beans , Peppers, Rocket, and Lettuce.

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