Turkey
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11/01/2022
Hi to all workawayers!
We are a Turkish/German couple from İstanbul and have settled in Çeşme/İzmir a couple of years ago. My husband (63) and I (54, translator) grow olives by the organic method in our olive grove with approximately 270 trees. For this years olive harvest we are looking for experienced volunteers (aged 20+) who help us picking in october or november 2016 depending on the ripening of the fruit. The harvest will take 1-2 weeks.
This is our first time we invite volunteers to our smallholding to help us picking. We are looking forward to this new experience with great enthusiasm and believe that it will be great fun.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Farmstay help
Help with Eco Projects
Help around the house
Language practice
Help with Computers/ Internet
Teaching
During your volunteering you will gain insight to olive oil production and learn how to prepare table olives. You also have the possibility to gain insight to setting up a self-sufficent farm and life-style. During and after dinners there will be the occasion to have vivid conversations and cultural exchanges not only about Turkey and the Turkish culture but also about a lot of other topics such as literature, sinema, theatre, acting since we are coming from an artistic background.
When the harvest is finished we aim to take you sightseeing at least once during your stay. During your stay you can also learn and practice Turkish or other languages. Last but not least you will have the opportunity to meet like-minded people, including other workawayers. We are motivated by the opportunity to meet interesting people from around the world and share knowledge and experiences with them.
We live in the countryside but just 5 minutes by car or 20 by bike to the city of Çeşme where there are shops, bars and restaurants. The area is beautiful for walking with fantastic views. If you have a drivers' licence, you can rent a car and explore the area, go to the beach, etc.
The town of Çeşme lies across a strait facing the Greek island of Chios, which is at a few miles' distance and there are regular ferry connections between the two centers, as well as larger ferries from and to Italy (Brindisi, Ancona and Bari).
The area of Çeşme is in the form of a peninsula that is to the west of İzmir. Çeşme, which is located at the westernmost point of Turkey, has become one of the most popular holiday destinations in recent years. Located at approximately 80 km from İzmir, Çeşme is an area that is very easy to reach thanks to the modern roadway network.
With its wide and white-sanded beaches that are nearly 2 km long, quality accommodation facilities and spa resorts, Çeşme is a popular tourism destination, which has sunshine around 300 days of the year. The hot thermal waters bubbling through the sea turn the Ilıca beach and other beaches in the region into large thermal pools. This region, which can compete with the most beautiful beaches of not only Turkey, but also the entire world, has become one of our most important touristic hubs in this region.
Cesme is known as the windsurfing and kite-surfing capital of Turkey, and the third best surfing resort in the world. Especially Alacati offers the ideal location for surfing, and this is where all the surfing schools are located and the Surf Festivals take place in Alacati every year. Alacati is unique as the depth of the water do not go deeper than 1 meter for over 700 meters off shore and the area receives heavy winds.
Çeşme and Alaçatı offer diving areas for an unlimited number of amateur and professional divers. Especially the Fener Island is ideal for diving in currents with its shore that is almost 15-20 meters deep. The variety of sponges and corals in the natural habitat of this island is worth seeing. You may encounter seals or former seal caves during your dives. The continuously blowing wind of Çeşme is almost a center of attraction for sailing practitioners.
Alaçatı also welcomes various artistic events during the year in addition to water sports throughout the year; it hosts the Alaçatı Jazz Wind festival that is held every year.
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
We use the traditional method of olive picking which involves hand picking or combing the olives from the tree into nets. Then the olives will be packed and transported to the press nearby at the end of the day. We would ask one of the volunteers to help preparing the meals or cook something typical from their country. So if you are a good cook you will be very welcome.
It isn’t possible to determine the exact beginning and end of the harvest long time in advance. Therefore it might be possible that your scheduled arrival or departure lies days before or after the olive picking. On days when no picking takes place we would ask you to volunteer for other tasks such as gardening, planting, plant care, landscaping, chopping firewood, building or what so ever is needed to be done on the farm.
We’d ask that you have done olive picking before so that you know you like it. The work is physically demanding and you will need a positive attitude and a love of working outdoors. Please also be aware that you will need to bring sturdy footwear and old clothes for working in. We will ask that you do some house cleaning the day or day before you leave.
When picking we need to hurry since it is crucial to deliver the olives as soon as possible to the press otherwise the quality of the oil will be a minor one. Therefore we need to start at about 8.30/9.00 a.m. in the morning, have lunch abt. 1 hour between 1-2 pm and then work until 5-6 pm. From our volunteers we require help for 5 hours per day / 5 days a week or 25 hours a week.
For picking-free days the time table is flexible and more relax regarding meal time and work.
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Turkish: Fluent
In return you will be provided with accommodation in a private villa near the sea with 3 individual bedrooms (for two persons each) and good kitchen facilities or an annex building with one room (2-3 persons) and bathroom on our farm. Breakfast and snack lunch is provided in the olive grove on the days you are volunteering. You are welcome to have dinner with us. If you prefer to have dinner at your accommodation we can provide vegetables and fruit from our garden. Please understand that we cannot accept costs for meals taken in town.
We are not vegetarians but do not eat red meat. Meals and food provided will reflect this.
For more information please contact us directly. We speak Turkish, English, French and German and look forward to welcoming you to our home.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
More than two
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week or 25 hours/week
