A great tomato from the heart of the desert? All thanks to the Salad Trail, a working farm and interactive museum designed to teach visitors about the techniques used to farm a desert – techniques that have helped Israel become almost entirely agriculturally self-sufficient. And for a population that is expected to grow by 1.3 million over the next 10 years, these techniques are key to survival.

The Salad Trail is a stunning oasis in the middle of the sandy desert, home to a beautiful array of fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs and even a flock of pigeons. It is the brainchild of agronomist Uri Alon.