The Call for Ingenuity - Sokhneh Farms
Farms looking to make profit often use pesticides and impersonal mono cropping to grow food. This method probably is good for profit, but not good for the quality of what we eat.
For Sokhne Farms, they’ve decided to take a different path.
Many would not consider using an unhealthy plot of land to grow and sell food, but the call for ingenuity is answered when one embraces a true challenge.
One side of the farm - yellow soil surrounding.
For Karim and Laith at Sokhne Farms, they’ve decided to commit to making their arid plot of land to become a blooming paradise of flowers. At least for now.
As part of my efforts to learn about agriculture in Jordan, a friend recommended I meet Karim Azar, a chef in Amman and one of the owners of Sokhneh Farms.
Within a few hours, I was sitting with Karim at a cafe talking agriculture, food, and everything in between. “I hope you get into agriculture at some point”, says Karim. “It’s fun”.
A few weeks later, I was at the farm for a visit and to take a few photographs.
Karim, Steif, and Um Muhammad browsing the land
The attitude was clear when it came to what they’re doing with the land: “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”
These are some of the lessons I learned during my short visit:
Experiment patiently. They love to try new things and see what works for the land. They grow plants such as loofah, passion fruit, olives, pomegranates, cactus and figs. Each year yields new failures, and therefore, new lessons. Agriculture pushes you to be patient. They know this is a long term project that will yield results with patience. If one thing doesn’t work this season, you’re going to have to wait until the following year to try it next season. “فش طولة بال زي طولة بالي”, says Karim to me.
No chemicals. There are agricultural solutions that don’t require us to spray and sterilize everything.
Leave them to grow. Karim likes to keep things as they are. Let weeds grow in between. Let the flowers roam wild.
Clean the land organically - they discovered that sunflowers are some of the best cleansers of top soil from heavy metals and contaminants.
Be different. The flowers they grow at Sokhne farms are not your usual flowers. Despite their efforts to sell them commercially, they found that their flowers are best sold and appreciated at markets and private events.
It was clear to me that Sokhneh farms is treating their land with a true conscience, with the goal of having more farms in different locations and selling quality food.
I look forward to seeing how Sokhne Farms grows into an initiative for cleaner and intentional agriculture in Jordan and the region.
A thank you to صطيف and أم محمد for their hospitality.
