The Negev: This is where the magic happens

Riding in a Jeep through Makhtesh Ramon, an enormous crater in the Negev desert, my driver Eitan Gutzwart keenly points out that it’s here, and only here, where you can meet God. “In the desert it’s just you, nature and God,” he explains.

It’s a profound conclusion, but staring at the distant horizon it’s easy to see why he might have arrived at it. The sights of the Negev, whether it is the rock cliffs or Ibex, truly take the breath away.

This is a place of history, geological significance and a thriving agriculture sector. And it’s all of that which we explore in the next part of a series from Jewish News with the Israeli Government Tourist Office,

The desert is a crucial part of the story of Israel, not least because David Ben Gurion is buried there. His grave is located at Sde Boker and he always talked about his love on the region. Walking by this rather understated site feels quite poignant, particularly at a moment when Israel feels in peril. It is a very tangible reminder of the Zionist dream.

Geologically the Negev is a fascinating place. The multicoloured layers in the rock all revealing amazing parts of our past. There are plenty of places to stay around the Negev too. For example, Isrotel Kedma hotel is relatively new and a stunning, modern environment in which to relax with family.

Conducting agriculture in as seemingly baron a space as the Negev desert might seem unlikely, impossible even. However, a combination of Israeli innovation, and, if we’re honest, Israeli stubbornness has meant there is quite amazing produce coming from the region. I saw it when I spent a summer on a Kibbutz in the Aravah Valley many years ago and it remains the case now in the Negev.

Take the Kerem Sheizaf vineyard for instance, run by Israeli journalist and columnist Zur Sheizaf. He flipped all convention in the way he runs his vineyard, proudly doing the opposite of what others had told him to do. “Your adventures and misadventures are just the same,” he proclaims with a cheeky grin.

He goes on to explain that the height that he is operating at, about 400m above sea level, and the subsequent temperature differences between day and night, “make the taste [of the wine] very sharp and make the colour very strong.” He adds that “we take the techniques – the old ones, the new ones, the organic ones, the more advanced ones or whatever and create an ecosystem. This is the challenge and this is the beauty of doing things in the desert”.

Sheizaf describes his vineyard as “a patch of softness inside all this harsh environment”.  Looking out at the rows of vines sprouting from desert sand, the grapes set to be turned into delicious wine, that description feels rather apt.

It is not just wine that Israeli agriculture has fostered. There is beer too! The Srigim Brewery, inspired by its founders’ trip to Bavaria, produces a range of very drinkable beers that have been developed over the years. The brewery also offers tours and is a wonderful hangout spot, a haven away from the heat. Just make sure you have a designated driver as the beers are pretty strong! The brewery operates as a co-working space, hosts live music and has a relationship with the music department at the local school too. Indeed, the Drunken Owl distillery flew out of there, producing a fabulous whisky if you need a chaser with your beer.

The Srigim Brewery is also home to a tribute to one particular October 7 victim. Tomer Nagar was a member of the Golani brigade and one of the first to encounter Hamas terrorists as the conducted their atrocities. He fired off 675 bullets before tragically being killed. There is now a Tomer Beer, so raise a glass to this fallen hero when you have a pint.

All these companies understand the importance of the land they are working in. Preserving it and operating in an ecologically responsible manner is at the heart of what they do.  Sheiza pays a lot of attention to ladybirds for instance, making sure the environment around the vineyard is ok for them so they can help his vines. This all requires huge amounts of innovation, not to mention dedication, but it seems to be paying off.

Hedai Offaim is also deeply conscious of the connection between the human and the land, and developing agriculture in a sustainable way. He “became a farmer because I had this romantic dream, poetic dream” of what that life would be like.  He imagined he would leave early in the morning “with a tractor, come back at sunset, eat a watermelon, play the violin in the hot wind”. However, at different points he has had very big farms and strayed from that dream.

Offaim explains that after losing a friend who was serving in the reserves, he felt determined to return to his dream and spent time travelling Europe to find out how this might be done. Now “we have in our farm a 40 square metre room in which we grow, 365 days a year, 750 kilos a day of green fodder to feed the animals. This means that we bring one truckload of seeds, and then we grow the fodder. We feed the goats. We milk the goats, we make the cheese. We pack the cheese, we brand the cheese, we send it in our own cooling cars to our own farm shops and farm cafes in Israel, which is not farm to table, this is seed to table, and this is seed to plate.”

This current approach puts ecological thinking right at the heart of what he does as a farmer and a chef. And don’t worry, he has vines and produces wine too!

All of these sites are just examples of the kind of agricultural innovation that is taking place in Israel. It is led by people who are proud to open their doors and show visitors the work they are doing.

Back in the desert crater, it feels like you are shut off from the world as you look for some of the fascinating species that live here and admire that ancient trees that have survived and provide shade. It is a magical experience. Later that night, sitting outside in the warm, looking up at the stars, I fully understood the magic this part of the country holds and why people have worked so hard to develop agriculture here and, perhaps, meet God.