Sde Eliyahu

Sde Eliyahu is an organic minded kibbutz that makes a living exclusively from agriculture.   Residents live and work deriving income from vegetable fields, drying herbs, fruit plantations, dairy cows, poultry, fish ponds and more.

  

 We had the privilege of a Biotour around the entire grounds then had lunch with everyone kibbutz style in the great hall!   We learned firsthand their cutting edge biological methods including Barn Owl and Kestrel for rodent control and Donkey for weed management.  

Crops are rotated from one spot to another to give soil a chance to recover, plastic is used for weed killing when fallow.  Weeds are hand removed or burned until the plants are a certain height, then left alone to grow naturally.  Harvesting is also done by hand mostly.  

Irrigation systems are vast yet simple.   Fish pond water is running through these lines.  Though it's hot, he kibbutz kids don't play in it because it stinks!   This box houses barn owls, each can consume up to 3,500 rodents per year. 

In the date plantations there was a problem with Jackals biting through the irrigation lines to have a drink, the lines were moved up six feet and are strung throughout the trees.  Birds are used to naturally control insect and the army donates used ammunition boxes which, when nailed to a tree, make perfect birdhouses. 

Our visit wrapped up with a video presentation on biological insects.  This amazing business is BioBee the production of bumble bees for natural pollination of greenhouse crops and open field orchards.  Along with the productions of other biological insects to control crop pests.  One astonishing environmentally-friendly solution for control of the Mediterranean fruit fly is Sterile Insect Technique.   They inundate the environment with male medfly pupae and adults that have been sterilized prior to being released into the field.  Mating between sterile males and fertile females does not yield viable offspring!  

 

What a day!  We'll return here in future Agritopia Tours, they have a strong awareness for the well-being of the environment and a genuine desire to supply consumers with agricultural produce containing the least chemical residues possible!   

Bet She'an

Since we were just south of Beit She'an, we popped up their to sightsee the ruins dating back to the fifth millennium B.C.E. 

Tour Extras...Masada, Bethlehem & Jerusalem

Masada

A trip to the Dead Sea area is not complete without a tram ride up the cliff side to Masada.  Herod built this fortification atop the plateau around 30 BCE. 

 

 

Herod used this stone aerie as his summer residence. 

 

 

 

 

Bethlehem

 

 

 

 

 

Jerusalem

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join us next Agritopia Tour to Israel! 

A Few Tour Highlights…Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, Ein Gedi & Dead Sea

Though we experienced so much more, here are a few of the high points from our travels. 

 

 

 

 



Tel Aviv and Jaffa

 

 

Golan Heights

 

 

Sea of Galilee

In Sea of Galilee area we toured an organic Olive grower and Olive Oil producer.  The have developed a method of using the after process pulp to produce fine soap and hand cream products.  This pulp is thrown out by every other producer, so this is a perfect solution to massive wastes and the products are luxurious! 





Scouting around ruins in the area made us hungry for a seaside lunch! 

Off to the Dead Sea area down the west bank...

Endless greenhouse in Palestine. 

Floating in the Dead Sea is more like 'bobbing'.  It's fully saturated at 30% salt content. 

 Ein Gedi is a natural oasis on the shore of the Dead Sea that has been a life saving haven stop on dessert journeys for millennia.  The kibbutz Ein Gedi is a botanical garden that displays over 1,000 plants from five continents, all situated throughout the living community.  Impressive! 

Ein Gedi used to have a hydroponic installation and boasts being the forerunners of aeroponics. 

 

Israel - Bahai Gardens, Haifa

We had a short visit to Bahai Gardens, it was the end of our day, the light was about to fade and we were all tired.  The gardens are terraced on the slope of Mount Carmel and look out toward the sea.  The golden dome, a shrine and resting place of a prophet, is the gardens focal point. 

Bahai Gardens

The drive to and through the winding hilly streets of Haifa seemed interesting enough for us at that time.  We were content to reflect on the remarkable events of the day! We stood atop the hill, gazing over the dome and on into the deep blue of the Mediterranean harbour.   

There was a drive ahead and we were more than ready to get going to our lodging.   

Haifa harbour

(0649,0650, 0643)

Israel - Ramat Hanadiv Memorial Garden and Nature Park

Ramat Hanadiv  is a living memorial to Baron Edmond de Rothschild.  The management is based on sustainable interactions between man, nature and the environment. 

The nature reserve the area is mostly scattered scrub vegetation.  We saw small cattle and goat grazing, used to keep the vegetation trim and trees well established.  

The staff are passionate about their work, it’s a special place with programs for special needs workers helping with task such as planting and garden maintenance.  One of the areas has been planted and labeled in brail for the blind, everyone experiences an amazing aroma from herb bushes and fragrant flowers.  

The memorial garden is entirely irrigated, every plant grown in this immense exhibit is fed water from elaborate irrigation lines.  Ramat Handiv uses about 55,000 cubic meters of water annually, about the amount of 100 North American homes.  (0630,0631)  We were honoured by a private tour which gave us a familiarity with the immense task of grounds fabrication and maintenance, as well as a glimpse at the research facility.