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Who is the Grower?
Dead Sea Basil
In Israel, like everywhere else, climate patterns are changing and fuel prices have surged making the normal winter herb growing season more difficult to manage than ever before. In response, we have seen an increase of dramatic, new, and innovative ideas. All around the world growers and technical experts are trying to continue to supply the market in a way that is economical and sustainable. Economic and sustainable growing is not easy to come by in today’s agricultural world, but it does exist. In this case, it exists in Israel at the south of the Dead Sea where basil is economic and sustainable.
The Dead Sea is located on the south, central and eastern side of Israel’s border with Jordan. The Dead Sea is situated in the middle of the Syria Africa Crack, and it is the lowest point on earth at 400 meters below sea level! The Dead Sea has some of the harshest and most desolate conditions on earth with the highest concentration of saline in any body of water in the world. The temperatures can range anywhere from 100-105° F on average during the day and even the nights can range well into the high 90’s in the summertime. The winters in the Dead Sea are also warm, with temperatures ranging in the 70’s, and certain pockets of land will still register temperatures in the high 80’s. Precipitation in this area is practically non-existent. Rainfall is typically around three inches per year, but the Dead Sea is fed by watershed from higher rainfall areas like the Jordan Valley, and from the northern regions of Syria, Jordan and Israel.
So what do you do with a salty, hot area with no water? Basil thrives in this condition. Many growers have moved their greenhouses to the “hottest” pockets at the southern end of the Dead Sea and have begun to grow basil. Basil loves the heat and the salty water. In the winter time as many of the areas in Israel require heat and the fuel to keep greenhouses running, Dead Sea greenhouses that are hot enough on their own are not only economical but also sustainable. The Dead Sea is a truly unique basil growing area in the world.