Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

A computerized system (foreground) mixes fresh water with saline brackish water pumped up from an underground aquifer, 800 to 1200 meters deep (background), to achieve required ratios for experimentation. The Ramat Negev R&D Center develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Cherry tomatoes are grown in desert sand at the Ramat Negev R&D Center, which develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. Due to limited annual rainfall experimental crops are irrigated with saline brackish water from underground aquifers, 800 to 1200 meters deep. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Peppers are grown in desert sand at the Ramat Negev R&D Center, which develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. Due to limited annual rainfall experimental crops are irrigated with saline brackish water from underground aquifers, 800 to 1200 meters deep. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Orly Cactus Farm is a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Jews, Bedouins, Thais and Sudanese refugees work side by side at the Orly Cactus Farm, a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Byproducts of cactus pear growing include jams, pickled cactus pads and spreads at the Orly Cactus Farm, a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Orly Cactus Farm is a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Ramat Negev R&D Center develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. Due to limited annual rainfall experimental crops are irrigated with saline brackish water from underground aquifers, 800 to 1200 meters deep. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Cucumbers are grown in desert sand at the Ramat Negev R&D Center, which develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. Due to limited annual rainfall experimental crops are irrigated with saline brackish water from underground aquifers, 800 to 1200 meters deep. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Orly Cactus Farm is a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Orly Cactus Farm is a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Jews, Bedouins, Thais and Sudanese refugees work side by side at the Orly Cactus Farm, a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

A dish of eggs on a base of cactus leaves at the Orly Cactus Farm, a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Tomatoes are grown in desert sand at the Ramat Negev R&D Center, which develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. Due to limited annual rainfall experimental crops are irrigated with saline brackish water from underground aquifers, 800 to 1200 meters deep. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Students of worldwide academic institutes get advanced practical knowledge and experience during an eleven-month period of study at the Ramat Negev R&D Center, which develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. Experimental crops are irrigated with saline brackish water from underground aquifers, 800 to 1200 meters deep. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Orly Cactus Farm is a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Orly Cactus Farm is a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Jews, Bedouins, Thais and Sudanese refugees work side by side at the Orly Cactus Farm, a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

A dish of chicken and cactus leaves on rice at the Orly Cactus Farm, a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Peppers are grown in desert sand at the Ramat Negev R&D Center, which develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. Due to limited annual rainfall experimental crops are irrigated with saline brackish water from underground aquifers, 800 to 1200 meters deep. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

Peppers are grown in desert sand at the Ramat Negev R&D Center, which develops advanced agriculture methods in the Negev Desert. Due to limited annual rainfall experimental crops are irrigated with saline brackish water from underground aquifers, 800 to 1200 meters deep. The center tests varieties of olives, pomegranates, jojoba, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs and ornamental flowers and the feasibility of irrigation with brackish water. Results and knowledge are shared with regional farmers and international academic institutions.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Orly Cactus Farm is a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

The Orly Cactus Farm is a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

SHAHAR BLOOM demonstrates the peeling of a cactus pear at the Orly Cactus Farm, a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.

Israel: Agriculture in the Negev Desert

SHAHAR BLOOM holds a cactus leaf, the raw material used to prepare the displayed dish of chicken and cactus on rice at the Orly Cactus Farm, a family owned business established in 1975. Covering 160 hectares of rugged Negev Desert terrain it organically cultivates and produces over 8,000 tons of cactus pears annually of which fifty percent are exported. Fruit is abundant and available for ten months of the year along 200 kilometers of 'cactus boulevards' in spite of annual rains of no more than 70mm.