Bert Rutgers

Hi Anne and John,

Thanks for your responses.
@Anne, great tip, really fundamental - and something I might have easily overlooked!

@John, good resources, recommended for anybody trying to figure out water requirements for their orchard (one paper is a bit technical, but worth going through the numbers).

The paper on olive production contained reference to another interesting paper that deals with how the effects of climate change on olive oil production are expected to vary greatly depending on location within the mediterranean (bottom line: some places will actually see increases in productivity and profitability, others will suffer).
Recommended for anybody located in the mediterranean, especially if you're (thinking about) cultivating olives - but probably has some relevant insights for other tree crops too.

Fine-scale ecological and economic assessment of climate change on olive in the Mediterranean Basin reveals winners and losers
https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.1314437111

best,
Berend

Hi John,

Thanks for the reply. You raise very good points, but luckily we've already figured out our preferences/solution wrt most of those issues.

It is really specifically the minimum criteria for water availability that I'm trying to figure out.
I know that with the right methods the hydrology of the land can be greatly improved - which we will implement as much as possible. But I'd like to know others' thoughts on whether there is a minimum threshold / hard requirements of water availability when scoping out potential sites. Elements/features that make or break the potential to rehydrate a landscape and establish a thriving agroforestry system within a human lifetime.

Of course the answer is: "It depends", but I'd love to hear what it depends on .

Again, given the context of 400-600mm annual rainfall Mediterranean climate with dry summers. Plus the desire to establish a commercially viable orchard of mediterranean species.

Hope this clarifies my question

best,
Berend

Hello there,
My wife and I are looking for a piece of land, and I have a question about site selection that some here hopefully might be able to help me with.

We are looking at land in southern Europe, Mediterranean climate, between 400-600mm annual rainfall with dry summers. Our intention is to establish an agroforesfry system with trees that are adapted to that climate (olive,  cork, pomegranate, mulberry, etc) to regenerate land under threat from desertification. Plot size 5-10ha.

I’m hoping to get some tips/advice on site selection considerations when it comes to water availability on the property.
1. would you say it is feasible to establish a productive orchard/food forest in that context without supplemental irrigation? I.e. relying solely on rainwater harvesting & earthworks
2. or is access to a water source necessary/highly advisable - whether a source/well or access to the water grid?
3. In the case that there is a well on the land, should we be looking out for any maximum depth? I.e. is there any general wisdom on how high the water table should at least be for the well to be usable/reliable?
4. Do you have any other advice/tips/warnings when it comes to considerations of water when looking for property in a Mediterranean climatic context?

Many thanks in advance! And my apologies if similar questions have already been asked on this forum, I couldn’t find them.

Kind regards,
Berend