Is My Weeding A Micro-Contribution to Global Desertification

TED Talks are fascinating, and this is no exception. But as I watched this one, I could not help but wonder how my gardening work fits in.

The talk is not about urban microfarms, but - in an itsy-bitsy, teeny weeny way - am I playing a role in greening or desertification...? Or am irrelevant?

I live in a city; cities are artificial deserts. But L.A.'s coastal valleys are natural ones too. Getting dryer? Probably, if not for the massive quantity of pipeline-imported water we flood our gardens with.

As I listened to Allan Savory, I think of my work.  My March garden is naturally green and lush with wild grasses and plants. So what do I do? I pull out the weeds out and expose the bare soil...

Weeding? - My Micro-Contribution to Desertification ?

I compost it all though, so nutrients are not shipped away in my yard waste bin. And I make mulch with the coast oak leaves and use it to cover the soil. I am also carving depressions with overflows, so that the fresh water from our big Winter storms does not make its way to the street, and down the storm drain to the Pacific Ocean.

But could I do more, something different, to help this tiny land we own thrive with life, naturally.  Was it not thriving with life when we bought it, after being neglected for decades?  Am I killing it, even with my organic methods? Can I do anything? A giant herd is out of the question... But with 10 chickens, could I mimic the grazing herds mimicking nature? In a very small way? Or is that ideal laughable?

If you are like me, this talk will throw you for a loop. But regardless of your background, Allan Savory's talk is fascinating and stimulating, like all TED Talks. It will challenge ideas you may have about climate change and cattle farming. Enjoy!