We started in 2008. After witnessing and working with big NGOs in Palestine, we found that because they have to move through the architecture of government, they got hampered at every turn by an unhelpful administration like the Israeli one.

We'd been looking for a way around any form of confrontation. Usually, we've found that even 'non-violent protest' is confrontational and causes polarising of opinions, leads to ill-will and often a loss of sight of what originally was being fought over as people unite under convenient slogans and icons (flags are great examples of these).

We wanted something to get around both these problems and decided to found a grassroots permaculture movement. Grassroots being working directly within the community (thereby negating the probelsm of dealing with civic authorities) and permaculture being the nomer behind which the modern movement of common sense and sustainibility has stuck itself.

We identified 3 main issues we can combat:

1) Palestine is dependent on Israel for it's water - since the 50's, Palestine has been running on mains water. THis is controlled by Israel. The Israelis getting the first cut and the palestinians the remains (this despite the fact that the lion's share comes from aquifers located under the west bank in the first place).

2) Israel controls the food in Palestine - virtually all but specialist seasonal crops (eg. dates in august in Jericho) are produced in Israel and sold to Palestine. Obviously this means Israel dictates prices (not far off british supermarket prices) and this is a form of control that can be utilised under conditions of 'unrest' - like what happens in Gaza.

3) Less than 7% of all industrial and municipal waste is treated. Virtually all Wadi bottoms contain permenant streams of industrial effluent and sewage. This contaminates the alluvial deposits which are the most fertile bits. These heavy metals and pathogens make it into livestock and communities in increased doses leading to highly elevated levels of cancer, birth defects and inheritable genetic disorders. We have tried and tested methodology for dealing with waste on site so it has no need of contaminating the surrounding environment and wreaking havoc upon local biomes and communities.

The staff at the farm have backgrounds in biome conservation, sustainibility research, soil sytems analysis, farm work, construction work, NGO work and studying aquatic systems and infrastruture.

We have experience of working overseas so do not run the project as a 'consultation service' which turns up and tells local people they are doing it all wrong (far too common I'm afraid).

We have a research site (located on one of the least fertile, driest, hottest areas around). The reasoning behind such is that our techniques produce viable, environmentally friendly, sustainable yields. People can come to our farm and see that. They want to emulate our work and get free food for their family, they can use our consultation service and our mobile voluteer work force to do so.

We also do campaign work and escort famers and workers in dangerous areas where they are under threat if they try to harvest their crops etc. Unemployment in the West Bank is very high and most families own some land. If people work with the land to produce sustainable food for their families, it helps work against the sense of hopelessness many families feel in this situation. This in turn leads to less conflict and radicalism. Additionally, if a populace is independent from its tormentors for the majority of its vital services, this leaves far fewer grounds for conflict and disempowers the occupier completely passively.

We are self founded and self funded. We aren't a big organisation so are highly dependent on what we can do in our spare time (I've been touring the country giving lectures) and need all the monetary aid we can muster. Plus, with an organisation like ours, you know that donations do not go towards paying for a large logistical structure, it goes into helping people on the ground. Staff only take a wage when the project can afford it (rarely).