Narköy Farms | Kerpe, Turkey
Wow, what a beautiful place filled with wonderful people. I found myself working here for a week during the time that I was staying in Istanbul. I learned of this place through a mutual friend that I was put in contact with. It's the establishment of her relatives. Narkoy is located in Kerpe, which is a small town on the Black Sea, about 2.5 hours outside of Istanbul. Once I arrived, I was warmly greeted by Nar and the other volunteers. There were about 7 of us volunteers and then a handful of full-time workers on the farm.
The establishment is separated in two parts; the front end that houses the reception, guesthouses, workshop and restaurant, and the back end that is home to the support, farm and volunteers. The entire concept of Narkoy is really interesting. They have a diverse audience. While I was there, a big group from CitiBank in Istanbul came to the farm for a corporate workshop. In this case, they use their establishment as a big metaphor. Metaphors can be made from every aspect of the farm and translates to tangible learning opportunities for the workplace. Everyone at Narkoy seems really passionate about what they’re doing, and that is apparent while visiting. It was so refreshing to be there!
As far as my experience there, I spent my time tending to the gardens and spending the days out in the fields with the cows, goats and sheep. The goats were my favorite, if you’ve ever have the opportunity to spend a day in a field with a bunch of goats… it can be quite comical.
The volunteers all slept together in a large tent. A big room with 8 single beds and a fireplace in the middle - ran solely from hazelnut shells. The days consisted of eating all of our meals together in the main tent, work in the morning and in the afternoon for a few hours. The food here was absolutely amazing. Everything that we ate was from the farm, even down to the cheese!
Visit Narkoy to learn more about what they're doing!
Narköy - the first night I arrived
Huyire and Süla, both such lovely spirits!
Fatma, she is amazing. Milking the cows before we take them out to graze.
To be free. Letting loose in the middle of the field, dancing. Four ladies and some traditional Turkish dance. Oh, to feel alive!
Passing the time knitting and playing games with stones
Heading back to the farm. "DUR" but they don't listen. Hurrying across the road before cars start coming!
Let's see how they get out of this one...
Narköy restaurant
I will miss these ladies!