Hi Folks,
A very busy day today starting at 5 am on the road and back around 5 pm. We were blessed with good weather after a night of heavy rain. We wanted to get back to our locations in the Center of the Land and as well back to the NW Negev. All told just short of 700 kilometers.
As you experienced members of this Page know the videos and pictures we sent out last week confirm there is ample enough locations of acceptable wild barley to certainly start the Month of Abib with the upcoming new moon sighting.
Our efforts focused on obtaining the evidences that our brothers and sisters who keep the standard it needs to be aviv by the start of the month have what they need. For the rest of us it was a given based on experience and watching the growing cycle for the past 5 months.
For the benefit of new folks to this Biblical doctrine of establishing the new year we have some photos from 15 or more years ago for you to view. We needed to know back then what the minimum standard for aviv would be in the wild barley growing in cultivated soil was. That is the point at which it becomes physiologically capable of reproducing itself. That is our definition of aviv which we are happy others have been able to use. It is also the minimum standard for a Leviticus 2:14 Wavesheaf offering.
The first picture shows you we had a very good germination rate with 8.3 seeds. That is Zadoks number for them.
The second picture shows these same batch of 8.3 seeds dried out by leaving them in the sun as if in sheaf's in a field. Notice they easily grind into fine flour.
The third photo is of one of the respective acceptable wild barley plants we looked at today. Notice how long it is and how healthy the structure is from the root to the head.
The fourth photo is of the seeds from that head. Very nice soft dough that exceeds the Leviticus 2:14 standard.
Now for the selective evidences we present to you: The fifth photo is of a very large field overlooking the Jezreel Valley. Keep in mind this is the lower end of the field. The upper/higher end is more advanced than this section is, but this certainly exceeds what is needed. The green you see in all of these photos is winter wheat growing below these robust wild barley plants.
The sixth photo clearly shows you why we look for wild barley growing with domestic barley and domestic wheat. Here it is with wheat that is being cut for silage for a local dairy operation in the Jordan Valley. Very health and aged acceptable wild barley from an agricultural field not stony wasteland only used for feeding goats, sheep, and cattle.
Photos 7-8 are from another location along route 90 after the check point. Once again look at the dominance of this healthy barley growing in and amongst winter wheat.
Photo number 9 is of a wild barley field we look to in the Jordan Valley south of Beit Shaun. It is growing next to what appeared to be chick peas. The recent rains have really matted it down but it is a representation of health wild barley growing in good soils this cycle.
I will send this part of the report and follow up with more photos to insure our weak internet system here allows it through.