Experience rural life with our family and explore Istanbul, Turkey

Details

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  Description

  About me & our family
  
  Hello, I'm Fehmi. My close friends call me Fehoo :)
  
  A few years ago, I decided to take a step back from my busy city life and return to my family's farm in a small village in the northern part of Istanbul. Since then, our farm and our production have grown, and I have rediscovered how much I enjoy being close to nature, working with animals, growing food and simply being part of the process from planting a seed to harvesting what we grow.
  I currently work online as well as helping my family with the farm, so my life is a combination of remote work, farming, family life and, of course, welcoming volunteers from different parts of the world.
  I have three sisters, all married, and they live nearby, so our family is quite close. I also have four nephews who never seem to run out of energy — I'm their uncle, so I get to enjoy the fun without having to raise them! 😄
  I live with my mother and father. My mother is a strong, hardworking and determined woman, and I feel very lucky to have her. My father is much more relaxed and prefers not to tire himself out too much. 😄
  
  We have a large garden, around 80 sheep, 50 chickens, 5 cats and a dog. We grow a variety of seasonal vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, watermelons, beans and peas. We sell our produce at local markets, and some of our customers also come directly to the garden to choose and pick their own vegetables.
  
  During the summer, we sometimes have additional people helping us with planting and harvesting, but most of the time the farm is managed by our family.
  
  We have a house in the village center, where you will stay, and another small garden house on our land, about 1 km away. We spend most of our days there, especially during the summer. The land is on a hill with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside, and one of our favorite things is simply sitting under the shade of the big oak tree and enjoying the day.
  Life here is peaceful, but it is not completely quiet. 😄 During the summer, there are weddings and celebrations in the village square, and if you're lucky, you might even end up dancing with us!
  
  A little about life here
  
  One thing I think is important to understand before coming is that farm life is very different from having a regular job with fixed working hours.
  
  Our days are not always the same. Weather conditions, animals, crops, customers, visitors and family matters can all change our plans. Some days can be quite busy, while other days are much more relaxed. We may work for a few hours, take a break, have tea with visitors, and then continue working later when the weather is better.
  
  So we really appreciate volunteers who are flexible, adaptable and comfortable with changing plans. You don't need to have previous farming experience — most of our volunteers didn't. What matters more to us is being willing to learn, taking initiative when you see something that needs to be done, and becoming part of our family life while you're here.
  
  We don't expect perfection. We simply hope that while you're staying with us, you will treat our home and farm with care and help us make our everyday life a little easier — just as we will do our best to make your experience here comfortable, enjoyable and memorable.
  If this sounds like the kind of experience you're looking for, I'd love to hear from you.
  
  Welcome to our little corner of Turkey! 🌿

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Language practice

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Charity work

  

  Movies & TV

  

  Pets

  

  Events & social

  

  Culture

  

  Self development

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Gardening

  

  Animals

  

  Winter sports

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Beach

  

  Water sports

  

  Hiking

  

  Adventure sports
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I live in a rural area in the northern part of Istanbul, around a one-hour drive from the city center. Although we live in the countryside, Istanbul is still easily accessible by public transportation, so you can enjoy the peacefulness of village life while also exploring one of the most exciting cities in the world.
  
  After working in the corporate world for about seven years, I decided to take a break from my career and return to my family farm. Since then, I have been learning and working with my family in farming, small livestock care and poultry raising. I will be happy to share what I know with you, but I also believe that cultural exchange is about learning from each other. Your experiences, stories, skills, traditions and way of looking at life are just as valuable to me as what I can teach you.
  
  While you are here, you will have the opportunity to experience Turkish family life from the inside, rather than simply visiting Turkey as a tourist. We will share meals together, spend time with my family, visit local markets, experience village life and, whenever possible, explore Istanbul together.
  I also love hearing about different countries and cultures, so please feel free to introduce me to your food, traditions, music, stories or anything else from your home. If you would like to cook a traditional dish from your country, I would be very happy to try it with you! 😊
  
  I will do my best to make you feel welcome and comfortable here and to give you a genuine experience of Turkish hospitality. At the same time, I hope that our time together will be a real cultural exchange where we both leave with new experiences, stories and a better understanding of each other's world.

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  Help

  I need help with gardening, animals and simple home projects.
  
  I need help with vegetable planting, maintenance and harvesting. We also take care of around 80 sheep and 50 chickens, so there are various daily tasks such as feeding and watering the animals, cleaning the sheep barn and chicken coop, collecting eggs, and keeping the areas clean.
  
  Depending on the season, we may also have small repair, maintenance or DIY projects around the farm and garden. You don't need to have previous farming experience — most of our volunteers didn't. I will show you how things are done and help you learn along the way.
  
  An important thing to know about our farm is that there is no fixed daily work schedule. The expected help is around 4–5 hours a day, 5 days a week, but this does not normally mean 4–5 continuous hours of physical work. We usually work in shorter periods, take breaks and continue later, especially during hot weather.
  
  Our plans can also change depending on the weather, animals, crops, customers, visitors or unexpected situations on the farm. Sometimes we may be very busy, while on another day we may work for only a couple of hours and have plenty of time to relax. We are looking for volunteers who are comfortable with this kind of flexible and sometimes unpredictable routine.
  
  We also really appreciate initiative. You don't need to wait for us to give you instructions for every small task. If you see something that needs to be done around the house, garden or farm, we appreciate you taking the initiative and helping when possible. Of course, we understand that everyone has different backgrounds and habits, and we don't expect perfection.
  
  If you work or study online, that's absolutely fine and we are happy to give you time for your own projects. We simply ask that you have enough flexibility to participate in our farm life and be available when we genuinely need your help.
  
  We will always try to communicate our plans and any changes in advance whenever possible. At the same time, please understand that some changes on a farm are genuinely spontaneous and cannot always be predicted.
  
  What matters most to us is not previous farming experience or perfect skills, but a positive attitude, willingness to learn, flexibility and a sense of responsibility. While you are here, we hope you will feel like part of our family — and in return, we appreciate volunteers who help make our family's everyday life a little easier. 🌿

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Turkish: Fluent
  English: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I want to improve my English language skills. I am at a very basic level. Besides our daily conversations, I would be very happy if you could help teach me English as well.
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  Accommodation

  You will stay in a separate guesthouse right next to our main family home. It is a private space where you can sleep, relax and have your own privacy during your stay.
  The guesthouse has a sink, a small kitchen counter, , a stove and basic kitchen utensils, so you can prepare something simple for yourself if you wish. However, there is no private bathroom or toilet inside the guesthouse. The bathroom and toilet are located in our main family home, which is just a few steps away, and you will be able to use them whenever you need.
  
  The washing machine is also in the main house, so you can use it whenever you need to do your laundry. Clean bed sheets, pillows, a shower towel and a small towel will be provided for you.
  
  We normally eat all our meals together as a family, and your meals are included during your stay. We usually have something available in the kitchen if you feel like having a snack during the day. If you'd like something different, you can also easily buy snacks or other small things from the local grocery shop nearby.
  
  I really enjoy sharing food and trying different cuisines, so if you'd like to cook something from your country or introduce us to one of your favorite dishes, I'd be very happy to try it with you! 😊
  
  You will have your own private space, while the bathroom, toilet and washing facilities are shared with the family in the main house.

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  What else ...

  Life here, free time & transportation
  
  I currently work online while also taking care of our garden, animals and family farm. Life here is generally calm and peaceful, but I am also a cheerful and social person who enjoys meeting people, discovering new places and making the most out of life.
  
  You will normally have two days off per week, and we will try to plan them together according to both your preferences and the needs of the farm. Outside of your helping time, your free time is yours. If you have online work, studies or personal plans, you are welcome to use your free time for them.
  
  Because this is a family farm, our daily routine can sometimes change depending on the weather, animals, crops, customers, visitors and other unexpected situations. We will always try to communicate our plans in advance whenever possible, but some things simply cannot be planned ahead on a farm. We appreciate volunteers who are comfortable with this kind of flexible lifestyle.
  
  On your days off, you can enjoy the natural beauty around us, go for walks, explore the village or visit nearby places. During the summer, there are also beaches within easy reach.
  
  Public transportation from our village to Çatalca, the nearest town, is available regularly between approximately 6:30 AM and 7:30 PM. From Çatalca, you can connect to Istanbul and other parts of the city.
  If I am available and you would like some company, I would also be happy to accompany you on your days off and show you around. We can visit nearby places by car or explore Istanbul together. When going to central Istanbul, I usually drive to a convenient point and continue by public transportation because of Istanbul's heavy traffic.
  
  Getting to and from the airport
  
  If I am available and my schedule allows, I will be happy to pick you up from Istanbul Airport when you arrive and take you back to the airport when you leave.
  
  However, please don't consider airport pickup as a guaranteed service, as I also have work and responsibilities on the farm. If I am not available, don't worry at all — you can reach us quite easily by public transportation.
  
  I will send you detailed directions before your arrival and help you plan your journey step by step. I will also stay in contact with you during your journey if you need any help.
  Please choose Istanbul Airport (IST) rather than Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), as Istanbul Airport is much closer and more convenient for reaching us.
  
  Our seasonal help
  
  As spring arrives, our workload increases. We have a large garden, sheep and chickens to take care of, so there is always something happening around the farm.
  
  Depending on the season, we grow vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, watermelons, beans, lettuce, parsley, dill, arugula, onions, garlic, broad beans and peas.
  
  We also go to local markets several times a week to sell the produce we harvest. You are always welcome to join us if you would like to experience a local Turkish market!
  
  April–May: Preparing the garden, sowing seeds and planting seedlings.
  
  June–August: Mainly harvesting, maintaining the garden and preparing our produce for the markets.
  
  Autumn & winter: Different seasonal tasks, animal care, garden preparation and maintenance.
  Shared spaces & cleanliness
  Cleanliness and hygiene are important to us, especially because we share our home and everyday life.
  We don't expect you to clean the entire house or do all the housework. However, we do expect everyone to take responsibility for the shared spaces they use.
  
  For example, if you use the kitchen, please clean up after yourself. If you notice dishes that need to be put away or a shared area that needs tidying, we really appreciate you taking the initiative rather than waiting to be asked.
  
  We understand that everyone comes from a different culture and has different habits, so we don't expect perfection. We simply ask you to treat our home as a shared living space and help us keep it comfortable for everyone. 😊

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  My animals / pets

  Sheeps

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