Regenerative Landscape Consultancy & Design - Site Visit to Gökömer, Ordu - Where most of the hazels on the planet come from
A few years ago I was invited to a village called Gökömer in the Pontic Mountains just outside of the Black Sea coastal town of Ordu in North Turkey. It was a great trip and very interesting to learn how the orcharders of this region use the rugged terrain to produce more hazelnuts than any other place on earth.
Gultekin Savaskan who joined us for our Design and Build a Forest Garden Course with his family and friends, asked me to take a look at this land in Gokomer. The village was founded by Gultekin’s ancestors and although Gultekin has spent much of his life away from the area he has always stayed in touch with the place and is now planning on establishing a learning center for regenerative practices on the property. I was there to consult on the possibilities for regenerative development of the plot and to work on a design for the area in the near future. Yigit Tasdemir (an incredible artist btw) also joined us on the trip and is planning on overseeing the design of the property i…