This is my ABSOLUTE favorite of your videos yet, James. As the daughter of American farmers, this is so interesting to me. When I visited Albania, the lack of commercial farming was one of the most surprising aspects of Albania I experienced. This documentary focusing on an Albanian farmer who has done so much research/trial & error in an effort to restore the land toward more productive farming in Albania is an important story that needs to be told.
That's because during communist era of 45 years our country was closed and did not use the western methods of agriculture including commercial farming. Despite 32 years of democracy agriculture by enlarge is still not commercialized due to our landscape mostly mountainous! But I can tell you one thing: our soil is very rich especially in some parts of our country. I have one wish: that America and Albania can do some exchange of crops. Both countries can benefit big time. For example the original organic corn in Albania is unbelievable. You can find it in September. And some varieties of those California grapes are heavenly.
Great stuff. I can't say that we are doing permaculture, but we are homesteading and we use all of our chickens' manure and rabbits from the coops and run and turn it into soil. I also go around the neighborhood around fall and collect all the leaves people gather for us in the alley.
As an Albanian living in USA. I am in the process of my journey in permaculture here. I am very happy that this type of farming is being reintroduced to Albania considering its history. Also this video was what the words “Self Actualization” really mean. Very well told story
Awesome content. Who would know people are practicing regenerative farming in Albania if nobody documents it. It's wonderful to see how these methods bring fertility and producing abundance in Albania too. There is an answer to chemical fertilizer shortages. It's bringing back natural farming. Thank you for sharing.
Duuuuuude this documentary is fantastic! I'm very excited to watch more content like this from you, sharing your passion in life with us. It's especially great seeing you promote permaculture in Albania. Thank you for being the change we need in the world. You're doing great things 👏
Great to see … “growing your soil” is the key to growing good fruit & veg Using the hens to help in the soil building process is excellent … and free eggs !
Yaassss so interesting. I've been really intrigued with permaculture principles and trying to find ways to incorporate them into what I would like to do. Awesome content! 👌
I recently moved from the states to Albania/Macedonia! I would love to stop by and learn more of your techniques. I plan to turn my families old property into a homestead some day.
Absolutely loved watching this video. I'm so glad I waited until I could watch it on my TV rather than on my phone. You got the editing just perfect, with the drone shots, panoramas and dialogue. The music suited it beautifully too. Thanks again! ❤️
Really interesting new format, you’re a great storyteller and this farm is absolutely lovely, so much respect for what Sam and people like him are doing 👍
Great Video, James and thank you Sam! So inspiring., our favorite subject as well and so important, especially now with the rising prices and shortages of chemical fertilisers. Perhaps this can be a start of building a network of knowledge, experience and contacts and help to inspire more farmers to turn back to the old ways of ecological and permaculture farming in AL.
This is fantastic. I became a certified Permaculture Designer 25 years ago. I had the fortune of studying with founder Bill Mollison. Also, I studied Advanced Permaculture Design, with pond building, graywater systems, etc. I'm headed to Albania in 3 weeks, for 3 weeks, my second visit. One of my focuses is small scale agriculture and artisan food products. In my studies, I've seen videos on big agriculture seeking to consolidate small fragmented landholding (post-communist land redistribution) to create large, efficient farms. Similarly, with tourism, I see a lot of big tourism developing (I witnessed that style in the Canary Islands in the early 90's) along the coast mainly, but also in the main tourist cities and towns. I'm looking for examples of smaller tourist and food production activities that can add value to, grow, and self-sustain their projects. Can I visit you in Pogradec in early July?
Sam (and James), I have now put Pogradec and the places to "Must visit", so hopefully later this year I may be able to invite your for a beer or two, while learning more about your projects there as well as Albania in general. Have a place in Tenerife, where I do also want to make into a permaculture place, but have lots to learn and an open mind 🙂 Keep ut the great work and extra thanks to you James, for all your great videos, great info, presentation and insight etc 🙂 Keep it up guys and best of luck !
@@JamesLeithart Thanks James, will for sure do so... - Thanks! Will actually probably send you an email as well soon, assuming your email is still the gmail, as listed in the "about-section" Keep it up and nest of luck there! 👍🤠👍
Loved this the most of all your videos! We need more farmers with this mindset in Albania. This way of farming is perfect for the fragmented and mountainous landscape of Albania. What Albania's economy critically needs right now are plants for Agro-processing. Freezing and packaging fruits and vegetables. So if any investors with know how and access to markets are listening: PLEASE, PLEASE CONSIDER INVESTING IN ALBANIA AS WE ARE LOOSING FARMERS TO THE CITIES AND TO EMIGRATION BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF THIS PART OF THE CHAIN.
I know it's been 3 months since you did this video but I just watched it on TV I felt compelled to write to tell you to please keep up the great work you are doing These stories will forever help future generations in Albania learn about the beautiful heritage they always had I am sad to hear about large scale agriculture destroying the soil and soul of Albanian food I wish this farmer much success and I so much hope that the gov of albania supports these young entrepreneur.... Anyways I will look for your page to go support you both 😊
I know you think that involving the gov will somehow help the farmers, but in the end, they only destroy them. You don't believe me? Just look at what is being done in the States and Netherland. Just some examples.
The tourism content seems to be getting a lot of players on all platforms. This type of content is more pragmatic, mature and frankly there’s not enough of it. It may lead to business interest, and eventually help you get that damn passport. 😀 Great stuff
I agree! Honestly, I had no idea this video would be so well received. I thought no one would be interested in this type of farming especially in Albania, but I’m very thankful to be wrong. Typically it’s the tourist information that brings in the views, but after this experiment I think i’ll dive deeper into these types of stories as often as I can
Really great video James. I want to say a lot of NGOs played a big role to trick the Albanian farmers to adopt "modern" method and the results are negative, loss of top soil, flavor and the farmers themselves are in debt. Albanians place a lot of trust, almost revere western foreigners as Gods. In the 90s, a lot of the fruit trees were local old varieties, that did not require a lot of maintenance and human intervention(spraying, etc.). During the democratic reforms, a lot of these trees were cut down to plant "modern" varieties that have crazy input costs, sure they produce more, but the quality is lower and the costs are high. It is mind boggling how farmers in Albania do not see their mistakes, they are not big land owners, it does not make sense to adopt volume industry methods. If these methods were efficient, than why do Greeks hire cheap labor from Albania, or the US farmers Latin American illegals? It's clearly financially unsustainable, without even getting to the environmental aspect. But everyday you see insane news from Albania, Korca and Pogradec farmers throwing their unsold apples into canals, why? Why not throw them next to the apple trees, let the nutrients go back to the soil and stop using chemical fertilizer, your production would probably halve, but your costs will be even lower. It would have been wiser to have gone back to the old apple varieties that grown naturally in Korca. There is the crazy drive to become rich, many of these farmers have been to Greece and Italy decades ago when this kind of farming was in boom and inputs had low costs. They saw how well their employer used to live and want to replicate it. That ship has sailed and is not coming back. Fertilizer and fuel will go higher and higher, the global elites have made that clear. I hope to see more videos promoting a return to natural farming, that includes bringing back old heritage animal breeds not just heirloom vegetables and fruits. I would recommend your friend Sam visit the remote villages west of Pogradec to get seeds of old variety vegetables and fruits that are more suited for the region, climate and soil. Fruit trees in rural Albania do not require baby seating. There are some great innovations these small farmers can adopt from the west. 1920s farming technology that was powered by animals. The Amish still use horse drawn tractors and sickle mowers. You'll see in Albania farmer's still use medieval plow when they can't afford the fuel, that is hard physical work because the tech is primitive. The west figured out how to tractor entirely using the horse, maintenance is super low, you can get by just by renting the horse and keeping the equipment in working condition. No fuel costs, it's perfect for the small landowners in Albania. Instead they have taken loans to buy tractors and god knows what else, and now they are nearing default.
Wonderful video James. Wonder where Sam is from? He sounds northern European my guess German or Dutch! A great man with deep integrity especially when he discussed about elderly Albanians using old and healthy methods of farming and younger ones who ignore them. What a beautiful idea of permaculture farming of you guys. Wonder if Sam can use some of lake's water or if is already using it. It may be even better than the tap water from the town. Can't imagine a better feeling after sweating while working on the farm and taking a deep splash into the lake! There is a region near Pogradec called Moker where unfortunately most of the population have left the country for good but, that's where you and Sam may be able to find some of the world's oldest and healthiest crops! Cheers
Thanks for the comment! Sam is German by passport, but has lived in Albania almost his entire life. His family founded the organization I currently work for back in 1991.
Awesome. It would be great if we could get your boss over to our patch of land in Vlore. We would be able to learn so much. If you could put me in touch that would be great. Happy to pay for services as well.
Hi James, thank you for this video. It is amazing to see the application of permaculture in this context. May I ask what’s the name of the organisation you work with? I am a Local and Global Development Master’s student and the main theme of my thesis will be the agri-food sector. Thus, I am exploring different methods and theories in order to choose some examples. It would be amazing to portray an example for my homecountry. Is there any way I could ask you some more info about permaculture in Albania? Anyways, thank you again for this documentary and I hope to see more like this in the future. All best!
The name of the organization is Nehemiah Gateway Albania. This project is only a very small part of what we do, and it’s still in very early development stages. I cannot give you much more information about permaculture in Albania. But I’m sure Sam can! If you send me an email or message on instagram I can try to connect you with him so you can direct questions to him!
Hi James, Is it possible to buy some produce from Sam? I don't mean a big amount, I just want to cook a meal to see the difference between the usual produce of the market. I'll be there in August.
This is my ABSOLUTE favorite of your videos yet, James. As the daughter of American farmers, this is so interesting to me. When I visited Albania, the lack of commercial farming was one of the most surprising aspects of Albania I experienced. This documentary focusing on an Albanian farmer who has done so much research/trial & error in an effort to restore the land toward more productive farming in Albania is an important story that needs to be told.
exactly! with the hope to educate other farmers to do the same with their own crops as much possible
That's because during communist era of 45 years our country was closed and did not use the western methods of agriculture including commercial farming. Despite 32 years of democracy agriculture by enlarge is still not commercialized due to our landscape mostly mountainous! But I can tell you one thing: our soil is very rich especially in some parts of our country. I have one wish: that America and Albania can do some exchange of crops. Both countries can benefit big time. For example the original organic corn in Albania is unbelievable. You can find it in September. And some varieties of those California grapes are heavenly.
Great stuff. I can't say that we are doing permaculture, but we are homesteading and we use all of our chickens' manure and rabbits from the coops and run and turn it into soil. I also go around the neighborhood around fall and collect all the leaves people gather for us in the alley.
As an Albanian living in USA. I am in the process of my journey in permaculture here. I am very happy that this type of farming is being reintroduced to Albania considering its history. Also this video was what the words “Self Actualization” really mean. Very well told story
Nice, where are you? We are homesteading in Shitcago currently in a tiny city plot.
Awesome content. Who would know people are practicing regenerative farming in Albania if nobody documents it. It's wonderful to see how these methods bring fertility and producing abundance in Albania too. There is an answer to chemical fertilizer shortages. It's bringing back natural farming. Thank you for sharing.
Great Job James you're videos are very underrated
Duuuuuude this documentary is fantastic! I'm very excited to watch more content like this from you, sharing your passion in life with us. It's especially great seeing you promote permaculture in Albania. Thank you for being the change we need in the world. You're doing great things 👏
thank you for watching it! i really appreciate the feedback 🙏
Amazing video. Inspirational 🇦🇱🙏
Hey Semi, finde so eine Tolle sache was du da gebaut und gemacht hast 👍
Libe Grüße Lano
Great to see … “growing your soil” is the key to growing good fruit & veg
Using the hens to help in the soil building process is excellent … and free eggs !
exactly! fascinating stuff
Yaassss so interesting. I've been really intrigued with permaculture principles and trying to find ways to incorporate them into what I would like to do. Awesome content! 👌
that’s hilarious because i had no idea 😂 glad you enjoyed it!
I recently moved from the states to Albania/Macedonia! I would love to stop by and learn more of your techniques. I plan to turn my families old property into a homestead some day.
I saw your email! I'll respond soon.
I really like this new type of your videos my friend. Keep the good work 👍💪
Absolutely loved watching this video. I'm so glad I waited until I could watch it on my TV rather than on my phone.
You got the editing just perfect, with the drone shots, panoramas and dialogue. The music suited it beautifully too.
Thanks again! ❤️
I think, as someone who makes videos on youtube, one of the highest compliments is when someone waits to watch it on their TV. Thank you!
Really interesting new format, you’re a great storyteller and this farm is absolutely lovely, so much respect for what Sam and people like him are doing
👍
thanks! i’ll play with this style here and there but it’s hard and takes longer to make so i’m not sure how often
Great documentary. Thanks James
Glad you enjoyed it
I love this! Thanks for sharing. It’s clear how passionate Sam is about it💕
i know! i had to film him so he would stop bothering his wife about it 😂 (this is a joke, in case that’s not clear to someone reading it)
@@JamesLeithart 🤣💕
@@JamesLeithart Heyyyy you make me sound such a naggy wife 😂😂
Great Video, James and thank you Sam! So inspiring., our favorite subject as well and so important, especially now with the rising prices and shortages of chemical fertilisers. Perhaps this can be a start of building a network of knowledge, experience and contacts and help to inspire more farmers to turn back to the old ways of ecological and permaculture farming in AL.
that’s the hope!
This is fantastic. I became a certified Permaculture Designer 25 years ago. I had the fortune of studying with founder Bill Mollison. Also, I studied Advanced Permaculture Design, with pond building, graywater systems, etc. I'm headed to Albania in 3 weeks, for 3 weeks, my second visit. One of my focuses is small scale agriculture and artisan food products. In my studies, I've seen videos on big agriculture seeking to consolidate small fragmented landholding (post-communist land redistribution) to create large, efficient farms. Similarly, with tourism, I see a lot of big tourism developing (I witnessed that style in the Canary Islands in the early 90's) along the coast mainly, but also in the main tourist cities and towns. I'm looking for examples of smaller tourist and food production activities that can add value to, grow, and self-sustain their projects. Can I visit you in Pogradec in early July?
Absolutely! Send me an email or message on instagram when you come through and we can arrange it
But why Albania ?
@@iginiomassari6811 Hi, can you clarify your question please? Why Albania in general? Or something specific? Thanks!
Visit the region of Permet, lots of small guesthouse operations that grow most of the food themselves.
@@zjarr6279 Thanks for the tip!
Great subject! Keep it up! and maybe add info about how to find a small farm in Albania and what the price ranges may be... Thanks again!
Sam (and James), I have now put Pogradec and the places to "Must visit", so hopefully later this year I may be able to invite your for a beer or two, while learning more about your projects there as well as Albania in general.
Have a place in Tenerife, where I do also want to make into a permaculture place, but have lots to learn and an open mind 🙂
Keep ut the great work and extra thanks to you James, for all your great videos, great info, presentation and insight etc 🙂
Keep it up guys and best of luck !
thanks Jose! You’re more than welcome to visit the land. Just let me know whenever you get a chance to make it here
@@JamesLeithart Thanks James, will for sure do so... - Thanks!
Will actually probably send you an email as well soon, assuming your email is still the gmail, as listed in the "about-section"
Keep it up and nest of luck there!
👍🤠👍
Very nice new format, I really enjoyed it. 😃
Loved this the most of all your videos! We need more farmers with this mindset in Albania. This way of farming is perfect for the fragmented and mountainous landscape of Albania.
What Albania's economy critically needs right now are plants for Agro-processing. Freezing and packaging fruits and vegetables. So if any investors with know how and access to markets are listening: PLEASE, PLEASE CONSIDER INVESTING IN ALBANIA AS WE ARE LOOSING FARMERS TO THE CITIES AND TO EMIGRATION BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF THIS PART OF THE CHAIN.
wow im in ma 2nd year natural garden too! much more north unfortunetly, i wish i could be in albania! its agriculture paradise!
where are you doing it?
@@JamesLeithart lithuania
This is awesome! I walked by your farm 2 months ago when I was in Pogradec but I didn't realize it.
it’s easy to miss!
I really liked this video and how they experimenting with nature 😊
Interesting James, we need to get pesticides out of our foods. Thank you for sharing ❤️ ☀️🌊
Thank you for sharing this with us 🙂
Looks great James!!
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻☀️☀️☀️ Keep going!!
Nothing beats nature, great video.
Incredible nice story and amazing development in such a short time
✨⭐️🌟
yeah, it’s pretty incredible!
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for sharing this story.
i’ll have to take you to see it for yourself!
I know it's been 3 months since you did this video but I just watched it on TV
I felt compelled to write to tell you to please keep up the great work you are doing
These stories will forever help future generations in Albania learn about the beautiful heritage they always had
I am sad to hear about large scale agriculture destroying the soil and soul of Albanian food I wish this farmer much success and I so much hope that the gov of albania supports these young entrepreneur....
Anyways I will look for your page to go support you both 😊
I know you think that involving the gov will somehow help the farmers, but in the end, they only destroy them. You don't believe me? Just look at what is being done in the States and Netherland. Just some examples.
The tourism content seems to be getting a lot of players on all platforms. This type of content is more pragmatic, mature and frankly there’s not enough of it. It may lead to business interest, and eventually help you get that damn passport. 😀 Great stuff
I agree! Honestly, I had no idea this video would be so well received. I thought no one would be interested in this type of farming especially in Albania, but I’m very thankful to be wrong. Typically it’s the tourist information that brings in the views, but after this experiment I think i’ll dive deeper into these types of stories as often as I can
Inspiring.
More of these, thanks 👍
glad you enjoyed it!
You’ve got 1 more brother
Really great video James. I want to say a lot of NGOs played a big role to trick the Albanian farmers to adopt "modern" method and the results are negative, loss of top soil, flavor and the farmers themselves are in debt. Albanians place a lot of trust, almost revere western foreigners as Gods. In the 90s, a lot of the fruit trees were local old varieties, that did not require a lot of maintenance and human intervention(spraying, etc.). During the democratic reforms, a lot of these trees were cut down to plant "modern" varieties that have crazy input costs, sure they produce more, but the quality is lower and the costs are high. It is mind boggling how farmers in Albania do not see their mistakes, they are not big land owners, it does not make sense to adopt volume industry methods. If these methods were efficient, than why do Greeks hire cheap labor from Albania, or the US farmers Latin American illegals? It's clearly financially unsustainable, without even getting to the environmental aspect.
But everyday you see insane news from Albania, Korca and Pogradec farmers throwing their unsold apples into canals, why? Why not throw them next to the apple trees, let the nutrients go back to the soil and stop using chemical fertilizer, your production would probably halve, but your costs will be even lower. It would have been wiser to have gone back to the old apple varieties that grown naturally in Korca. There is the crazy drive to become rich, many of these farmers have been to Greece and Italy decades ago when this kind of farming was in boom and inputs had low costs. They saw how well their employer used to live and want to replicate it. That ship has sailed and is not coming back. Fertilizer and fuel will go higher and higher, the global elites have made that clear.
I hope to see more videos promoting a return to natural farming, that includes bringing back old heritage animal breeds not just heirloom vegetables and fruits. I would recommend your friend Sam visit the remote villages west of Pogradec to get seeds of old variety vegetables and fruits that are more suited for the region, climate and soil. Fruit trees in rural Albania do not require baby seating.
There are some great innovations these small farmers can adopt from the west. 1920s farming technology that was powered by animals. The Amish still use horse drawn tractors and sickle mowers. You'll see in Albania farmer's still use medieval plow when they can't afford the fuel, that is hard physical work because the tech is primitive. The west figured out how to tractor entirely using the horse, maintenance is super low, you can get by just by renting the horse and keeping the equipment in working condition. No fuel costs, it's perfect for the small landowners in Albania. Instead they have taken loans to buy tractors and god knows what else, and now they are nearing default.
Wonderful video James. Wonder where Sam is from? He sounds northern European my guess German or Dutch! A great man with deep integrity especially when he discussed about elderly Albanians using old and healthy methods of farming and younger ones who ignore them. What a beautiful idea of permaculture farming of you guys. Wonder if Sam can use some of lake's water or if is already using it. It may be even better than the tap water from the town. Can't imagine a better feeling after sweating while working on the farm and taking a deep splash into the lake! There is a region near Pogradec called Moker where unfortunately most of the population have left the country for good but, that's where you and Sam may be able to find some of the world's oldest and healthiest crops! Cheers
Thanks for the comment! Sam is German by passport, but has lived in Albania almost his entire life. His family founded the organization I currently work for back in 1991.
Awesome. It would be great if we could get your boss over to our patch of land in Vlore. We would be able to learn so much. If you could put me in touch that would be great. Happy to pay for services as well.
send me an email! james.leithart(at)gmail
hi i love you're vids
Hi James, thank you for this video.
It is amazing to see the application of permaculture in this context. May I ask what’s the name of the organisation you work with? I am a Local and Global Development Master’s student and the main theme of my thesis will be the agri-food sector. Thus, I am exploring different methods and theories in order to choose some examples. It would be amazing to portray an example for my homecountry. Is there any way I could ask you some more info about permaculture in Albania?
Anyways, thank you again for this documentary and I hope to see more like this in the future. All best!
The name of the organization is Nehemiah Gateway Albania. This project is only a very small part of what we do, and it’s still in very early development stages.
I cannot give you much more information about permaculture in Albania. But I’m sure Sam can! If you send me an email or message on instagram I can try to connect you with him so you can direct questions to him!
@@JamesLeithart shum faleminderit!
Hi James,
Is it possible to buy some produce from Sam? I don't mean a big amount, I just want to cook a meal to see the difference between the usual produce of the market.
I'll be there in August.
Possibly! Send me a message on instagram or something and i can try to help you figure it out
Where is location?
Just outside Pogradec.