News

FROM FIELD TO BOTTLE: LAVENDER HARVEST AT BODRUM'S GARAOVA PARK

31.07.2024

Under the initiatives of the Bodrum Municipality's Agricultural Services Directorate, the annual lavender harvest in July took place this year with the participation of guest students from the Youth Agriculture Camp.

Lavender, increasingly used in sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, is cultivated by Bodrum Municipality as an agricultural R&D product on the municipal property of Etrim Garaova Agricultural Park. The lavender ready for harvest is cut by machines operated by the Agricultural Services Directorate staff. Guest students, as part of their Field Applications Course, joined in the early morning hours to collect and transport the harvested lavender, promoting a spirit of unity, togetherness, and solidarity through hands-on learning. At the İsmail Hakkı Tonguç Agricultural School’s Distillation Unit, the lavender is processed the same evening to extract essential oils, producing lavender oil and lavender hydrosol.

In addition to bottled lavender oil and hydrosol, the Agricultural R&D teams also create value-added products such as lavender cologne and lavender soap. These products are distributed to guests and citizens during various events and activities.

ÇYDD Students Engage in a Scented Lavender Harvest

High school students from the Contemporary Education Support Association (ÇYDD), hosted by the Municipality, also participated in the early morning harvest on July 30 in Karaova, one of Bodrum’s key agricultural areas.

Students from various cities across the country attending the week-long Agriculture Camp expressed their satisfaction with the lavender-scented harvest experience as part of their Field Applications course.

For the production of various essential oils, the Agricultural Services Directorate of the Municipality provides Medicinal Aromatic Plant Distillation Services.

Ensuring the continuity of the lavender harvest within the scope of agricultural services without any profit motive, the municipality also processes medicinal aromatic plants such as lavender, bay leaves, thyme, and sage brought by residents from across Bodrum district in the Distillation Unit as part of the "Supporting Our Producers Project."

Bodrum Municipality's Garaova Agricultural Park receives praise for its purpose-driven practices in promoting agro-tourism and educational activities.