This Farmer’s Garden Survived a Historic Drought, Here’s How

This Farmer’s Garden Survived a Historic Drought, Here’s How

From The John Lovell Show by John Lovell

May 20, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

John Lovell interviews Mike Herbert about innovative gardening techniques that thrive in drought conditions.

What if you could grow a productive garden in the middle of a drought — without constantly watering your beds?In this episode of The John Lovell Show, John sits down with Mike Herbert, a regenerative farming expert with 13 years of experience in soil development, organic farming, livestock, homesteading, and drought-proofing land. Mike has built a thriving family homestead using methods that seem almost impossible at first: hugelkultur beds, deep mulch, buried wood, swales, and water-retaining soil systems that help keep the ground moist even during dry conditions.John visited Mike’s property and was shocked by how much food his family was growing with far fewer inputs, less watering, and less dependence on the normal garden supply chain. From potatoes and ginger to livestock and family food production, Mike explains why many gardeners may be working harder than they need to — and how building soil the right way can make a homestead more resilient.If you are starting a garden, building a homestead, preparing for drought, or trying to become a better provider for your family, this conversation will challenge the way you think about food, soil, water, and self-reliance.In this…

People in this episode

Host: John Lovell

Guest: Mike Herbert

Topics covered

  • drought
  • regenerative farming
  • homesteading
  • soil health
  • food security

Keywords

  • drought-proofing
  • Hügelkultur beds
  • deep mulch
  • swales
  • organic farming

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hügelkultur, regenerative farming

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