Hugelkultur
Hugelkultur is making raised garden beds filled with rotten wood.
This produces a raised garden beds filled with organic material, nutrients, air pockets for the roots of what you plant, etc.
Over time the deep soil of the bed becomes rich and loaded with soil life. As the wood shrinks, it makes more tiny air pockets.
Hugelkultur is almost self-tilling.
The first few years, the composting process may warm the soil giving a longer growing season. But more important the wood fibers and the abundance of microbial activity allows for water storage that allows for sustained growth in arid climates.