I wanted to pluck up my courage and start writing for a long time. I couldn’t start anyway both because of my lack of experience in writing and because of my willing to write about more technical information we gain about natural life rather than telling memories and stories. But for me, the most important point of our travel that I want to tell is this precious knowledge. I hope, I get the show on the road at last. Yet, there are many things I want to tell and I collected.
I want to start from our first experience in a farm: Bayramiç Yeniköy. Sezgin has written about the life here before (Off The Road). So, I will just mention some subject that attracted me.
Bean again! And its soo fresh!
In Yeniköy, production is made by ecologic methods, without using artificial fertilizer and pesticides. Many kinds of wheat are planted, especially those under the risk of extinction, and sent to the mill to make wonderful bread. The most important thing here was its principle of not consuming anything that is not produced or gathered in local. When we were in there, there were just beans, peas, onions and different kinds of herbs in the garden. In our first days, we were thinking about what to cook as we didn’t get used to it. But after a while, trying to be contended with what we have made us more creative. Yes, we were eating beans everyday, but in many different ways. We were creating different tastes that we had never tasted before (farci with Mizuna). And of course everyting was so natural and delicious. In the beginning we were eating a lot, as we couldn’t keep ourselves away from those tasty meals. Even we got weight. But after a while, we start consuming less, maybe because of the nutritious food, as it should be.
We couldn’t see various examples of permaculture here. A grey water system for the kitchen (a system that cleans waste water before it is mixed with the earth – I will tell it in details soon-) is established, mulch (covering the soil with dead organic matter to protect the heat and to prevent evaporation) is prepared and rain water is harvested from roofs. There is a work to protect the earth from poisonous waste. Just natural soap and olive oil soaps are being used. We wash our clothes with a mixture we prepare easily. (Check Zehirsiz Ev for detailed information). As we don’t buy anything from the market, we don’t produce rubbish that doesn’t dissolve in nature.
Rubia Tinctorum Workshop from Elveda.
Before coming here, I heard some negative critics about the farm. Especially about employing the villagers. Now I think, those critics are mistaken. Because it is not possible for Mustafa to do everything on his own, and also it is positive to be in solidarity with the villagers. Even, as far as I have seen, Mustafa is the best adapted person to the village with close relations. There is not a situation like using villagers as slaves, it’s even not possible. It can be seen as a trade and solidarity. Usually Sister Elveda, the ex-owner of the land, is making the plantation. There are many things to learn from her, we were happy to see her everyday. Even I got a bit disappointed because of not making plantation, I understand Mustafa by allowing the job done by the skillful hands of Elveda.
In our last days, we caught Textile and Intuitional Painting Workshop by Mine Yapar by chance. (For other workshops: Yeryüzü Renkleri). We had the chance of getting information about gathering color elements from nature. Yellow from hypericum perforatum, pink and red from rubia tinctorum, blue from isatis tinctoria. It has been an amazing discovery for a person like me who likes to change the color of her clothes but doing this with chemical dyes knowing they damage the environment. Sister Elveda was the secret hero of our workshop. She already used to know these methods; she used to know those plants with which she colored her carpets, her socks since she was a kid. I can not stop questioning: how come we don’t use any of this information anymore?
Yellow color from Oak Tree.
We forgot all this knowledge as we fall apart from nature. I can draw by using AutoCad with 80 times hit of the mouse in a minute, but I am desperate against the climate change created by our consuming habits. Now we are trying to come over from this by travelling, learning and sharing. Yeniköy has helped for this a lot, and I’m sure it will more…
We remind TaTuTa for those who want to work here voluntarily.
