John C Daley

well done

Perhaps people need to realise that 'influencers' are simply mercenaries who will peddle anything for money, creating an 'idea' that they personally believe
in the benefit of that product or service, whether they believe its good or not'
The problem I see with them, is that whereas advertisers are also peddling wares, but they do not pretend they believe in them.

Leigh, Have you considered a double roof on your house to shade it?

Bever, what do you mean?

I have not heard that expression.
From ; https://aglab.ars.usda.gov/let-s-get-to-work/plant-growth-and-root-development-resource-material#:~:text=Caliche%20is%20a%20shallow%20layer,semiarid%20areas%20throughout%20the%20world.

Caliche is used in construction worldwide.
Its reserves in the Llano Estacado in Texas can be used in the manufacture of Portland cement; the caliche meets the chemical composition requirements and has been used as a principal raw material in Portland cement production.
Caliche is often a challenge to agriculture.
It interferes with proper soil drainage, the formation of plant roots, and it also can contain soluble minerals that are not beneficial to plants.
The impermeable caliche prevents plant roots from penetrating to deeper soil layers, which limits the supply of nutrients, water, and space, making it difficult for the plants to develop normally.

Anne, do you have a photo?
- Do you get a lot of water flowing?
- Is the area steep?
- Do you have friable, loose soil?
In my case, the council grade the road 2 or 3 times a year,
- my ground is flat
- the top soil is only 6 inches deep and that is  removed to form my channel!

Has anything progressed in the past 8 years?

I live in a Forest, and when it rains a good stream of water flows out of the forest, down a road near me and drops into a dry creek.
Some years ago I realised it was a lost resource for myself, so I dug a 12 M earth drain when the ground was wet and within a single winter my dam was being filled.
Now instead of it evaporating away it is constantly topped up and the level now rises and falls about 900mm at the most.
Such water is perfect for irrigation etc and should be grabbed when possible.
If my dam is full it just continues down the creek bed.

Maybe look for some scientific papers on the subject.
If it was a reality there may be books about it, I believe it may not be a reality and just as people will pay extra for something which they believe is better, this may also apply to organic food.
What do you think?

There are other issues besides finance.
- soil quality
- flooding
- orientation
- access
- fencing
- shedding
- water supply
- septic
- roofing