Ecotourism | Social Entrepreneurship | Permaculture Impact
Dear date lovers and organic produce ambassadors. We are excited to announce the launch of our webshop!
الى محبي التموروعشاق المنتجات العضويه الصحيه يسعدنا اعلان افتتاح متجرنا الالكتروني و يسعدنا اعلامكم توفر رطب المجول الطازجه والعضويه
1 kG of fresh organic Medjool dates for 7 JD
As a response to the COVID pandemic, people are using much more plastic bottles than before. It is expected that the consumption of plastic bottles will stay on a high level after the corona pandemic, as people get more used to bottled water. Up to now, there is no regulated national Waste Separation and Recycling system in place in the Kingdom of Jordan. Currently bottles end up in landfills or incineration plants, accompanied by its negative impact on the environment of the kingdom. The project aims to reduce the single use plastics by raising awareness and offering practical alternatives to drinking water distribution.
Applying for cooperation with the Jordan Ministry of Environment is an exciting step. JoReC has a good track record on positive environmental impact and we are excited to invest our time and energy in one of the PeaceWadi missions, which is a cleaner Jordanian environment.
“We are proud to announce our cooperation, setting up further efforts to achieve a cleaner environment in Jordan”
Faris Atiyeh, PeaceWadi second generation founder
PeaceWadi and JoReC (Jordan Recycling & Upcycling Centre)find each other in having a socially durable and economically viable impact on society, amongst others through environmental innovation. This is done by offering practical techniques, skills to re- & upcycle waste and underutilized resources to local societies and entrepreneurs in Jordan.
As part of our cooperation PeaceWadi had the honor to host one of the workshops that JoReC offers. The main aim is to provide a method to convert a waste stream, plastic pallet strips, into handbags!
As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Jordanian government launched a programme to show how beautiful this country is. The environment of PeaceWadi is perfect to enjoy a rural escape from the city and enjoy the Jordan Valley.
Faris Atiyeh, second generation founder of the Peace Wadi
We are happy to host for the programme and are excited to stimulate national and international tourism to the Jordan Valley!
Programme:
Come and enjoy the farm atmosphere, discover the peace of Jordan Valley, and take a swim in our fully organic pool. There are beach showers and changing rooms available on the property.
Contact us for any questions. We are looking forward to receive you on the farm!
Phone: 079 733 8899
Radio Jordan Interview
Welcome to Peace Wadi!
In the beautiful Valley of Jordan, our farm is a space of warmth, community, and sharing and we welcome you with open arms.
The Project
At the centre of all activity on the farm is the Project. Here we gather with friends and family, cook together, laugh over bonfires and barbecues, and sit out in the evenings. The wind blows through the arches cooling the shaded interior and, even on the hottest of summer days, the underground sitting room provides a light and peaceful place to rest.
5:00 am: Our alarm goes off. Half asleep we brush our teeth and put on our working clothes. First off, we start with weeding the fields. The torn-out weeds will be used as fertilizer aligning with the principles of permaculture, an organic and self-sustaining way of designing farm lands without the usage of chemicals resembling natural ecosystems. Our work is a race against the clock as the sun is rising and the burning heat is creeping upon us. Summertime in the Jordan Valley easily means temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius. After all our muscle strength is strained, we go to the animal housing, while our dripping sweat marks the way we’re taking. Trailing behind us following the trail we’re leaving is the farm dog – sometimes accompanied by her puppies. Our sweet friends, the chicken and pigeons, are awaiting us to feed them and renew their water.
After that is done, we take a short nap and later wake up to the sweet smell of Turkish coffee, that has been kindly prepared by ‘amu Mohammed, the founder and owner of Peace Wadi. For breakfast we enjoy a variety of local foods, such as dibbs and tahini, falafel, hummus, zait and zaatar, fruits and vegetables.
Afterwards we take care of the social media pages and brainstorm for new projects. During the hottest hours of the day, we take a break to read, enjoy the fan, and appreciate the peace and idyll of this place. Often, we can be found under the sharing tree laughing and drinking Moringa tea (which can be found on this farm) to stay hydrated.
Frequently, there are also guest or visitors, that used to volunteer here, which we enjoy getting to know. The atmosphere here is welcoming and open with a friendly vibe, which fits right in which the mystical spirit of the Valley. The Valley has sacred meaning as the people that are described in the Bible and the Torah, as well as the prophet Mohammad (pbuh) have lived and acted here. The farm has an excellent view on أريحا (engl. Ariha or Jericho) and القدس (engl. Al-Quds or Jerusalem). Wanderers, that have crossed the only 300m faraway King Hussein Bridge, often come here to get some rest and drink a cup of tea before continuing their journey.
In the late afternoon we prepare dinner for us and whoever wants to join us that day. Dinner regularly exists out of vegan food as we often have vegan people here and it’s better for the environment and safer to make in this heat, as it rarely goes bad. We close the evening by enjoying the fresh air outside while being mesmerized by the stars and the stunning view on Palestine.
Occasionally we also join Mohammad watching the Jordanian Netflix series جن (engl. Jinn) and discussing the controversial topics that the series deals with.
Not too late we fall asleep accompanied by the sounds of the birds and the mosquitoes.
Amber and Marieke (Dutch volunteers that have come to the farm through a project of the global student organization AIESEC)
Khobaizeh is a delicious and well-known vegetable, and this tasty plant grows in abundance here in the Jordan Valley. Nearly everywhere you look on the Peace Wadi farm, you will see khobaizeh sprouting up, notable by its signature velvety leaves and shape. Spring is the peak season for this crop, and it is so abundant that the past four years Peace Wadi has hosted a khobaizeh festival – a five-week fete to celebrate spring, community, and of course plenty of delicious khobaizeh-based foods.
Khobaizeh can be prepared in a variety of ways on its own, or added to other vegetarian dishes to compliment the flavors of other leafy greens. Today we’ll be sharing our favorite simple recipe to prepare this tasty plant, and in just a few steps you too can whip up a vegetarian khobaizeh dish the whole family will enjoy!
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
-7 white onions
-1 head of garlic
-2 chili peppers (add or subtract for your own preference. Two gives a mild amount of spice)
-8 tomatoes
-5 large bunches of khobaizeh (enough to fill a large colander when chopped)
-½ lemon
-Salt & pepper to taste
-Oil
Supplies:
Large saucepan
Wooden spoon
Knife
Cutting board
Colander
Instructions:
Khobaizeh is an abundant and nutritious vegetable option. It can be substituted for spinach in a variety of dishes, and the possibilities are endless when it comes to this tasty and resilient plant. Have a favorite khobaizeh dish? Let us know in the comments below!
Happy cooking!
Megan & Kitkat
Date cultivation is one of Peace Wadi’s ongoing projects. Volunteers have the opportunity to help tend to the many trees, which require constant loving supervision. In the arid Jordan Valley, water is a precious resource; consequently, regularly mending irrigation canals along the roots of the date trees is of the utmost importance. Pollination, which is done by hand, is another vital step in producing the sweet dates.
This aromatic date fruit can be enjoyed in many ways, one of which is date molasses. Date molasses has a dark amber color and a richly sweet flavor. It can be eaten with yogurt, mixed with tahini and served with naan bread, or simply by the spoonful.
Peace Wadi volunteers also have the opportunity to help create this sweet treat! Want to make some at home? All you need is dates, water, and a little bit of spare time to create this sticky sweet dessert all by yourself!
Date Molasses Recipe:
Prep time: 30 minutes – 1 hour
Cook time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
-Dates
-Water
Materials:
-Two large pots
-Empty and clean flour bag with holes
-Large spoons
-Large shallow pan
-Potato masher or similar tool to mash dates
-Sanitized* glass jars and lids for storage
Instructions:
*To sanitize the glass jars and lids, simply soak and rinse them in hot soapy water, then boil in clean water for 10 minutes to ensure you store your molasses safely.
Date molasses can be stored at room temperature for up to a year or longer. Do you have a favorite use for your date molasses? Let us know in the comments below! Happy cooking!
-The Date Molasses Trio (Rae, Kat, & Megan)
Jordan offers a variety of places that are worth a visit. The location of the ‘Peace Wadi’ farm enables volunteers who are working at the farm to explore the surroundings in their free time. We took this opportunity, did a little research and decided to go on a daytrip to the ruined city of Jerash.
It must be stated that Jordan is a country full of hospitable people and that is what makes hitchhiking a good option. So we decided to hitchhike to Jerash. It is 70-80 km to Jerash from the farm, depending on which route you choose. And so we embarked on our ‘journey’. We took 2 hours and 5 cars to get to Jerash from the farm. On our way to Jerash and removing from one car to another we were lucky enough to interact with locals as well. This interaction with ‘new’ cultures is what we find so alluring about hitchhiking. On the way to Jerash we were invited for a coffee with the most stunning view over one of the towns we passed through. We were also invited to a bakery to witness the process of bread baking. We tasted some of the freshly baked bread straight out of the wooden oven. After filling our stomachs with bread and coffee we were able to continue in the direction of Jerash.
‘Kidnapped’ by the locals to drink an arabic coffee with a view over the valley.
Once we arrived in Jerash we were immediately captivated by a stunning scenery over the town and particularly over all the Roman ruins that can be found on the archeological site in Jerash. Jerash is considered one of the best preserved Roman towns in the world. There are several theatres, temples, plazas and baths that can be visited on the site. We even witnessed some horse racing in one part of this ruined city.
Temple of Artemis, South theatre, Oval plaza and some horse racing in the ruined city of Jerash.
Tourists coming to Jerash mostly do so with the purpose of visiting the archeological site. However, we decided to see the ‘authentic’ town as well. We walked through some streets while observing a simple daily life. We didn’t meet any other tourists while browsing the streets and the locals seemed to be very interested in our presence there. We were greeted by most of the vendors and were offered to taste some goodies such as freshly roasted nuts, some fruits and some sweets.
Vegetable stalls placed on one of the streets we passed through.
In our experience time flies very fast in Jordan and so we tried not to stick around too long in Jerash. In the afternoon we started hitchhiking again. This time we tried to look for someone who would be willing to take us to Salt. Salt is a town that lies between the farm and Jerash and so it seemed very appropriate for us to stop by on our way back to the farm and have a quick look at it. Even though hitchhiking in Jordan is quite easy, there still is a tiny problem one can come across and it has to do with the language barrier. Locals mostly speak very limited English and since we speak very limited Arabic this causes some challenges that need to be overcome. But in the end a car with a man driving to Amman stopped and offered us a ride. What is amazing about Jordanians is that they truly want you to feel welcome and for this reason they go out of their way to help you as much as they can which in this case ended up with the man driving us directly to Salt. Such experiences make our hitchhiking adventures even more pleasant and memorable.
Chilling and sipping some chai in Salt.
We enjoyed our walk in Salt – city of fog – tasted some more freshly baked bread, browsed the vegetable market, bought some tasty nuts and enjoyed some chai at the end. Once we felt satisfied with all the experiences we had made that day we headed to the traffic lights and started approaching cars driving in the direction of the farm, or rather to Shuna. After a couple of minutes we stopped a car with two guys who offered us a lift. We had a nice conversation with them and in the end they also went out of their way and brought us directly to the farm. We even got some flowers from them as a gift. How kind of them! As already mentioned, locals can be very hospitable and welcoming and that is what makes Jordan a special place to be.
Selfie taken on the rooftop of the ‘Peace Wadi’ farm – facing Jericho and Jerusalem – with Mohammad, owner of the farm.
You are probably looking for freedom : your freedom, the freedom of the people around you or the ecosystems freedom. What would happen if you were completely free ? The volunteers of Peace wadi are experimenting with a way of working without any obligations or rules . We didn’t learn that at school and it’s a challenge.
Travelling by bike around the world I am looking for freedom. My wheels brought me a few hundreds meters from the borders with Palestine. Here I am not the only person who is looking for freedom. Mohammad, who founded this project sais that we are all the children of the valley. Very quickly you will understand that there are no obligations or defined structure. This sounds pretty cool and you’ll have a great feeling of liberty. It’s beautiful on paper but concretly is it that easy ?
There is a link between all the volunteer stories about this place. The challenge of being free. Being brought up in schools, as children we always have to do what the teacher asked us to do. After school it’s often the same with your boss when you get a job. How can we find our purpose in an open space full of possibilities ? This is challenging. Most of us needed few days to adapt themselves and to find the motivation. Peace wadi is quite a big place and the possibilities are endless. You can plant, you can make a movie, you can help the farm workers, you can write a blog post . You can do whatever you want because you will do it well with your heart. And It will be beneficial to the farm. This is the philosophy.
When the evening comes Mohammad often sits down on the balcony and looks at the valley around us. It’s the Palestinian city of Jericho where he comes from. We never talked about that but you’ll see on the walls of the house a post card where it’s written ‘make hummus not walls’. Following my experience this summarizes the wish of this project and the people around it very well. This farm is a pretext to bring people together. It’s a very beautiful pretext because we cultivate food respecting the ecosystems. But at the end we mostly share , we learn from each other, we meet each other. This only can help us to be free together. Freedom is like everything we want to achieve : we need to practice it ! When you start your day no one will say to you : ‘go there and do that’ . You’ll have the freedom to choose. And this is a great opportunity to learn how to motivate yourself and how to trust yourself . Values that probably most of us want to spread in our society.
Peace wadi is an open air laboratory. You’ll face a way of working that’s not common in our society.It can desorientate you in the begining but you will adapt yourself. Big ambitions are behind little works in a garden.
