University students join efforts to preserve and promote local seeds

Bornova Municipality, in collaboration with agriculture faculty students, held discussions on the importance of local seeds and introduced the Ecological City Local Seed Center and Local Seed Gardens. Heirloom seeds obtained from tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, and cucumbers are distributed free of charge to producers and citizens. Mayor Ömer Eşki emphasized the significance of local seeds for food security and agricultural heritage.

The Agricultural Services Directorate of Bornova Municipality organized a talk with agriculture faculty students to raise awareness about the importance of local seeds. As part of the program, students were introduced to the Bornova Municipality Ecological City Local Seed Center. Afterwards, they visited the approximately 8,000 m² Bornova Municipality Local Seed Gardens, where tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, and cucumbers are grown for seed production, and collected heirloom seeds from the fruits.

Bornova Municipality distributes these seeds free of charge to local producers and citizens, organizes seed swap festivals, and participates in various related events. Seedlings grown from these seeds are used both in municipal gardens and given free of charge to the public, especially to those who benefit from the City Gardens.

“A very useful experience for us”

Students who took part in the event stated that preserving local seeds is crucial for both ecological balance and future generations, adding that the hands-on training reinforced this awareness. They also emphasized that Bornova Municipality’s work in this field makes a valuable contribution to agricultural sustainability and expressed their happiness to be involved in such projects.

“Local seeds are the guarantee of our future”

Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki said, “Local seeds are not only our agricultural heritage but also the guarantee of our food security. As Bornova, we will continue to take steps to protect both our producers and our land.”