I love sitting here on this couch from time to time to reminisce all the villages we've visited in the past...
In Lebanon we are facing an economic crisis from one side, and Corona from the other...
and all of Lebanon returned to agriculture.
We did return to agriculture, but most importantly is what we know, what we've learned...
and what we can do with the land.
Every person who had a piece of land was told "there you have a piece of land, now go farm"
But what do I plant?
Where do I start? What do I do?
What are the things that I'm supposed to do to start?
We've been visiting lots of places for the past three months so that we can learn a lot
I took a few notes, and I would love to tell you about them...
I remember Lynne, Lynne from Baskinta, she was a graphic designer...
She left everything to return to the village to take care of chickens and harvest on a land that was left for 40 years
She also took care of her neighbors apples!
Hello, my name is Lynne, and this is my son Ryan...
and we returned to nature, as Anthony has already told you
We came back to plant here on our land, we've had this land for a long time...
but we decided to this year...
to produce our own product
so that we can be healthy and full in our house...
We are around 4 families, which we will all benefit from this land...
that we are all working on.
There is nothing like Lebanese apples
So beautiful! They look so tiny!
I remember the forest fires
During this episode in Chouf, we suddenly discovered that around 80%-90% of the Lebanese mountains were filled with terrace
and now it was left...
It was left, and is now filled with trees, however, we are not allowed to cut them down...
because their is a law that forbids a person to return a land for agriculture in less than 30 years!
People run to get the license so that they can cut the trees down
The law forbids to cut down trees, unless its after 3 years the fire...
with legal documents, so there has to be a police report
a report from the forest center, or others...
So that the ministry of agriculture makes sure this land has been burnt for longer than 3 years...
There is also another law that forbids to change the use of the land, after it's been burnt, for 30 years...
and this is a very important thing!!
Hopefully this would prevent people who burn their land to change the use of their land
because as we can see this entire land is filled with Pinus brutia
Which is a kind of gum trees
and the law forbids to cut it unless you have a license to build on the land!
We continue to Saydet el Nourieh
The salt! We still have a lot of salt in Lebanon...
The Lebanese salt is very important, very delicious!
We are not in need to get salt from outside Lebanon.
As you enter the monastery, you can buy the bag for only 2,000 L.L.
and you would be encouraging local businesses...
This rough salt is sea salt...
in salads, with eggs...
would be amazing!
We sell from here, then some merchants come and buy some...
But I sell most of it...
George the carpenter lives here, with the salt...
He started with the father, and now he's continuing...
you can come to those rooms you see behind under the monetary, and buy some salt...
Priest Atef, is such a big deal! I visited him 3 times...
and most importantly the little farm he did, has all types of animals...
him and his wife
Smallah (in the name of God)
 
the rooster is beautiful!
My name is Atef
from Mokhtara village
Thank God, I have this farm
of course I provide the animals for the butchers and the vegetables for the market through my farm
 
 
 
Everything that he has been harvesting!
The second time I visited he showed us we saw how they make the wheat
Chouf and all other villages in Lebanon returned to planting wheat
and for the past years we've actually forgotten about wheat...
and today we can return to harvesting wheat!
The wheat is the seed of peace and success
what am I supposed to tell you?
its the food of the people...
who doesn't love wheat? who doesn't take care of wheat?
People are thankful for this blessing!
Both the wheat and the olives!
Both are truly a blessing to have!
Anthony: I know they cut the wheat, but what I'm seeing is that you are pulling it from the ground...
When you pull the wheat from the ground its more for people who have a cow
However, the wheat cutter, cuts the wheat in its way and continues...
Anthony: So the cows will end up eating all what you are pulling...
 
 
I went to Kfarhouna. In Kfarhouna,
Father Nabil showed me that we have chickpeas in Lebanon, a lot of them.
We used to call it Em Elaybeneh.
Scattered everywhere, but left untouched
But we can start planting chickpeas again
And we can plant our own food without having to import from Mexico or other places.
Anthony: Here, you have little heaven on earth. We're talking about
800,000 square meters
It starts with the greenery
we know there are water springs as well as trees.
Behind us, the chickpea fields stretch as far as the eye can see
People have begun to grow wheat again
I think, this is a piece of land, of many others in Lebanon,
that will restore Lebanon's foundations, so we no longer need to outsource.
We say that Lebanon is a slice of heaven
and that is what we are proud of.
Ramliyeh...
The village of Ramliyeh is a very small village. It's a very charming village.
It also has organic products. It has...
strawberries...
wild strawberries... It has a lot of beautiful things
I got to know the village and enjoyed it. When you walk in Ramliyeh and you see all the greenery,
you wouldn't believe you're on Earth...
you'd think you're in heaven
Anthony: You see the strawberries
called woodland strawberries [in French: fraises des bois]
it's white on the inside
it's very rare here... I hadn't seen any in Lebanon before
It doesn't taste like strawberries...
It tastes extraordinary...
strange... special...
On the one hand, it's sugary
On the other hand, it's spongey
It's organic. You just pick them and eat.
A tree that is 900 years old, even more
imagine if it could speak
You don't want to love your country? Lack of loyalty... That's something God will hold you accountable for
But you don't want to love your land
after all it has been giving us
An oak tree, like this one, has been living for 950 years
How many civilizations? How many people has it witnessed pass by?
Eating honey from this land, seeing it, and smelling the land
You go into all this greenery. You see the water. All these new discoveries
that I've come across these past months, or rather years, strengthen the bonds I have with my land further and further
I hope that each and every one of us opens their mind and says,
"I feel connected to my land. I feel connected to my nation."
Because that's the least one could do as part of their belief
Thyme
Thyme is very important yet we overlook it, saying
"What's the big deal? We eat manakish every day'
Thyme is very important, not just here, but all over the world
Hundreds of thousands of meters could be grown
to be exported
There are 500,000 square meters of thyme in Baalbek
How amazing is that?!
Most are for bakeries in Lebanon while some are exported.
Michel Bitar. I'm originally from Ras Baalbek
We're now in Taybeh.
Taybeh's land is famous. They call it Taybeh
because of how strong and fertile the land is
All crops grow successfully
We know that thyme lives
if you create the necessary environment, with no humidity
you dried it at a specific temperature
without exposure to sunlight to prevent blackening
without exposure to humidity to prevent mold
your thyme can last up to 7 years easily
Lebanese thyme comes in many forms
Wild thyme has very narrow leaves and a sharp taste
It's wild thyme meaning it grows by itself in the mountains without being cared for
We also have this thyme right here
We planted this thyme such that
in each 1 square meter there are 9 varieties of thyme
We grow 9 varieties of thyme together
I learned from the Chouf
Anthony, let me tell you about bees
It's an animal that isn't harmful
However, if we get too close, it will want to defend itself
It will try and sting us
To prevent this from happening, especially since a bee dies when it stings
and we don't want to lose any bee
we use a smoker which tricks the bees into thinking there is fire
the bees become preoccupied with collecting their forage in order to leave
Then we begin to test
This hive consists of two levels
The upper layer is the one we use for honey
The bottom layer is the one we aren't allowed to touch.it's left for the bees as food supply
When we want to harvest honey, we only use the upper layer
People think that when honey solidifies, it's bad honey
However, all honey that comes from flowers
may, at some point in time, solidify or crystallize
almost like a jar of ghee
I learn from every trip to the Chouf
When the bees are storing
it is imperative that we do not use any form of pesticide whatsoever
no matter what happens to the hive or area it is in
we cannot use pesticides
this is because pesticides are chemical compounds, basically a gas
that evaporates in the air
honey is a substance that attracts the moisture around it
this moisture, surrounding the hive, is infused with these toxic chemicals
So it enters into the honey
If I want to buy a jar of medicinal-like honey,
I end up getting a portion of poison alongside it
This is a huge mistake that is more dangerous than sugar itself
We place this rock on top for two reasons
First,  to prevent the lid from flying off due to wind
and prevent any damages and attacks from natural predators
Second of all, it becomes, at some point, a sign used by the bee to identify its hive
There is one more important thing to know
It is detrimental that...
if my bees were in the South with citruses
I can't  keep the honey from the citruses with this honey here
With every trip to the Chouf, I learn common agricultural mistakes
the things one can learn, and our ability to reach a certain level where our mind thinks about organic foods
our mind thinks about not using pesticides
our mind thinks about what we should do...
Anthony: Suheil, I just got here and for the first time I see a valley this large...
this large...
it hasn't been ploughed yet but there are a lot of holes
holes, holes, holes...
What's the plan?
Suheil: First of all, welcome
We're in Barouk at a height of 1300 meters
The idea behind this project started with trying to find a new method
in order to replace the old techniques or old farming itself
with new modern scientific methods
Take this piece of land, 12,000 square meters, if you look as far as the eye can see
the grass is all removed
There are holes, holes holes...
as if an animal came to dig holes, like a dog came to dig holes
We used pitting without damaging the land
without removing the grass around it
How many years has this land been untouched?
Around 30 to 35 years
Anthony: And now it's being brought to life again
Suheil: Not in my time
Now we're trying, during these conditions, this year that past
We...
I couldn't believe I'd be this happy
Finally, Mark Beyrouthy, I think you've grown used to him by now,
he's appeared in more than 5 to 6 episodes
we interviewed him and he told us where to start if one has a piece of land
test the soil, check for water,
decide what to plant: trees or smaller plants, or even vegetables
and all these details
The person must love the land. He can't learn to love the land
One must love the land and know what to plant
Anthony: I have 1000 square meters of land. Could you advise me on what to plant?
First, what I ask everyone is the essential question
Is there any water? This is very crucial
Then we have to ask "Where? Am I located on the coast, the middle, or in the mountains?"
If we were in the mountains and we had water
it is known that the two most profitable cultivars, that work well in the mountains, are cherries and apples
Of course, when we say this, we mean new varieties
We can't keep planting Golden and Stark and all what our ancestors grew
We really need to head to new varieties
We need to apply what is known as GAP, which stands for good agricultural practices
instead of doing everything aimlessly
Many plants can be grown in the middle region ranging from pomegranates to apricots and peaches
if we're talking about trees
On the coast, they are known: avocados, bananas, and all citruses
That's if we're talking about trees
Now, if someone has 1000 square meters only, he can't make profit
He'd have to do this for his home. Then, what I'd advise is growing practically everything
This is a very important thing to do
Planting to reach self-sufficiency
Anthony: It will need time
Mark: Of course it does and that's why
while your plants grow, you can plant in between them, sort of a kitchen garden [in French: potager]
our own  thyme, our lettuce, our tomatoes,
So that, at least we're able to
Because those trees need 4,5, or even 6 years to grow, we'd be able to do all these other things in the mean time
We later asked ourselves: Is it possible there are organic apples? Organic pears?
Yes! It's possible for there to be organic apples.
How much time does it need? How is it done?
Taking a bite
Amazing!
Can you hear the crunch?
I loved it!
We're in Lehfed, in Apple Natura, an organic apple orchard
The word organic, we talk about a lot
For you to become organic, you need to prepare. It takes around 3 years.
You need to get a certification
Anthony: To clarify and repeat all the significant things we said
In an orchard of red apples, white apples must be planted on the sides
Or in the middle, scattered in a few places, for pollination
for pollination, which is very important
Anthony: Bees must be near as well
This is crucial! That's why, when we spray pesticides and we kill the bees
it's a recipe for disaster
What they do, then, is spray hormones. Why do you want to do that?
The bee exists for this and the wind is there
Some people decide to spray to prevent birds from coming
to prevent insects from coming
When God gives you a blessing, he gives you apples, for you  and some, for the birds.
One should be aware of this
The first thing you should know, this is what I always say,
that you know you're in partnership with nature
meaning, if a bird comes to eat, you should let him.
If aphids come to eat, you should let them
If you're going to complain and whatnot, organic is not for you
Anthony: Someone used to tell me that God gives us extra, not for us but for the birds
A hundred percent right! It's a philosophy.
If you want to grow organically, you have to implant these ideas in your brain
you should know it's difficult, it needs 3 years of preparation
it doesn't happen haphazardly
if you spray insecticides, of course you're killing harmful insects
but you're also killing bees and lady bugs
you're killing humane creatures that are important
that are beneficial and helpful, especially bees
Bees are what allow your orchard to produce twice as much
What if we spray and the bees are gone?
That's all what we learned
Today, someone who has a piece of land whether it be a 1000, 2000 , or even 5000 square meters
what is most important is not planting one variety only
Exactly! Sustainable agriculture is life itself
It is life!
Anthony: Some cucumbers, some tomatoes , some...
If you plant figs, you harvest and pick during fig season
I harvest in fig season, grape season, pomegranate season
Anthony: What's the importance of, in land this large,
you're enjoying it, planting it, and benefitting from it
what's the importance of having bees here?
The significance of bees on this land is that,
today, in modern agriculture, they're using hormones to spray everything from vegetables to trees for pollination
to increase production quantities
Nothing is a greater blessing than a bee on this land
It increases the pollination of everything, from vegetables to trees
we even benefit from the honey
We eat honey for our sweet tooth and use it as medicine too
We talk about the Cedar forests. When we say cedars, we say Bcharre.
We walked in Ehmej. We strolled in Jeij.
We walked through many cedar forests, including Tannourine and Niha
We saw the vast amount of Cedars we have in Lebanon
Hopefully, someday we'll see the project of connecting all these forests together
more than 15 villages participating in this project
we learned a lot from this, especially when we walked through the cedars of Jeij
We felt closer to God and witnessed the beautiful view
from the top of the hill, Beirut is visible
This is the most beautiful country in the world, no matter what happens, no matter what people say
Currently, we only have 16 nature reserves
they're not all known
Anthony: Is this maple?
This is maple. In Lebanon, we have 3 types of maple
or in French, érable.
I learned a lot.
I learned! I learned! I learned! Every day, I learn.
This idea of filming Live with everyone, especially on youtube
allows each and every one of us to speak, to express what's in their hearts
The person who affected me the most was the local mayor
Local mayor Maroun, in Mtein
What a great underrated village
How many countries next to us have names that changed?
Syria, for example, was the Levant (Bilad al-Sham)
Iraq was the Mesopotamia (the Land Between the Rivers)
Lebanon, is still, to this day, Lebanon
Its land still belongs to God
Like God came to this world and was tortured
The Lebanese, as well, will be tortured.
Because it's the most beautiful place on Earth, the entire world has its sights on it
And, Mtein, like I told you last time, is a miniature Lebanon
So, it's the same story...
Here, you are a piece
This body you have, it's from the soil
The sweat that trickles down waters the trees
The farmer is the person with the most hope
In a moment of danger, everyone might run away
except for the farmer
He's the last one to leave his land. He might die before leaving
This is how I wrap up the first round, the first trip
and starting from tomorrow
we're going to start a new trip to learn more about this land
to dive deeper into the land
to go deeper into what knowledge Lebanon has to offer
I'd like to end on this last point
Today, it's summer and we're planting
Would we like to sell our apples for 7000 L.L. per crate?
Would I like to sell my tomatoes and cucumbers ?
only to get to winter and realize I have nothing
We should learn how to preserve our food [ in Arabic: mouneh]
We should produce our own apples.We should produce our tomatoes.
We should produce our cucumber and all other varieties.
Hopefully, we'll all go back to producing in summer
buying and stocking in winter
so that the seasons pass by and we'll stay self-sufficient
without needing to outsource anything
This is the best place in the world, not only for its food and agriculture
but also for its people, its knowledge, its heritage, and its history
We're going to rebuild it together, for sure
in a short period of time, it'll pass...
