Lizq Oasis
Welcome to Lizq Oasis, an organic family-run farm in the Sultanate of Oman growing date palms, fruit trees and perennial crops such as moringa, aloe vera and lemongrass.
We started cultivating this 15-acre plot in Oman’s desert borderlands at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula in 2013. Located in the outwash fan (piedmont, sayh/siyuh Ar) of the Al Hajar mountains, the flat gravel plain comprises mineral-rich sediments deposited by seasonal floodwaters over countless millennia. Early Bronze Age (3200-2800 BC) tombs perched on the ridges of nearby foothills bear silent witness to the ancient peoples who settled and farmed this area in the more temperate climate of 5000 years ago.
The Produce
Our goal is to produce a variety of high-value, nutrient-dense food crops in a sustainable and responsible manner. To this end we have focused on planting desert-adapted perennial crops, managing water resources conservatively, and building soil organic matter naturally without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. Our approach (broadly adopting agro-forestry principles) has, within a short space of time, transformed an apparently barren expanse of scrub into a thriving food forest and orchard. Today, the land supports around 500 date palms, citrus and tropical fruit trees such as mango, papaya, fig and pomegranate.
Lemongrass and aloe vera flourish alongside moringa, frankincense trees, and other tree species native to Oman and the Indian Ocean valued for their fruit, nuts or medicinal properties. These are intercropped during the winter season with vegetable crops such as beetroot, sweetcorn, chard, kale, tomatoes and radishes of different varieties.
Principles and Practices
We believe that the quality of the food we grow is intimately tied to the health of the soil it is grown in. Following traditional practices and techniques of farming, we aim to improve soil fertility biologically by adding organic matter in the form of cover crops, mulch, compost, green and animal manures. Soils improved in this natural way absorb and retain more water and carbon. As our system is no-till we also avoid the damaging release of carbon and soil erosion. We plant a diversity of crops in rotation in the interest of biodiversity and to minimise pests. Intercropping with flowers encourages pollinators and beneficial insects.
Growing food in an arid region where summertime temperatures typically reach 45C/113F, we also focus on creating a more permanent and diverse landscape by integrating a variety of trees with perennial crops. As well as providing their own edible crops in many instances, these trees shade, cool, provide moisture and buffer crops and soil from harsh sun and scorching winds. This agroforestry approach to farming is fast becoming recognised as a means of improving soils, enhancing food production and mitigating the worst effects of global warming.
