That is how West Bank farmer Imad Musleh describes his deep-rooted love for the land that has nurtured, fed and clothed him, his siblings and children.

Imad is a diligent farmer who grows an array of crops and rain-fed fodder. His crops include cucumber, tomato, zucchini, eggplant and bell pepper. Relying on irrigated crops has drained his budget, which has pushed him to try different, more cost-effective types of irrigation.

In 2014, Imad was selected to receive a share of recycled water through Anera’s latest agriculture project. The Jenin Water Reuse Project is funded by the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Anera’s community of donors.

The program utilizes recycled water from the Jenin wastewater treatment facility to benefit 240 farming families in need of better irrigation methods for their land. It also introduces new fodder crops like alfalfa to help keep communities self-sufficient, ending their dependence on imported fodder.