02.11.2026 14:02
Nizamettin Özdemir, a 66-year-old retired civil servant living in Sarıbaşak Neighborhood of Olur district in Erzurum, established a 252-square-meter greenhouse with support under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Çoruh River Basin Rehabilitation Project. Özdemir, who produces an average of 5 tons of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers each season in the greenhouse at an altitude of about 2,000 meters, protects his plants by lighting a fire in the greenhouse at night when the temperature drops below zero.
Nizamettin Özdemir, who established a greenhouse with state support in his village at an altitude of 2,000 meters in Erzurum, sets an example with his perseverance by producing 5 tons of vegetables every season.
Özdemir, 66, living in the rural Sarıbaşak Neighborhood of the Olur district, established a greenhouse on an area of 252 square meters with the support he received within the scope of the "Çoruh River Basin Rehabilitation Project" carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the provinces of Erzurum, Artvin, and Bayburt after retiring from civil service in 2017.
In his neighborhood at an altitude of about 2,000 meters, Özdemir produces an average of 5 tons of vegetables every season despite the region's harsh climate conditions.
Showing with his perseverance that greenhouse cultivation can be done under harsh climate conditions, Özdemir aims to set an example for the local people by continuing his production and to encourage more people to take up greenhouse cultivation.
HE RETURNED TO THE LAND AFTER RETIRING FROM CIVIL SERVICE
Producer Nizamettin Özdemir told an AA reporter about the greenhouse cultivation process he began with state support.
Stating that during his time as a civil servant he always spent his annual leave in his rural neighborhood and never broke his connection with the land, Özdemir said that he started production by establishing his greenhouse in 2018.
HE LIGHTS FIRES IN THE GREENHOUSE AT NIGHT
Drawing attention to the region's climate conditions, Özdemir said, "At first I had a lot of difficulty. The region's climate conditions are known. When a person wants something, everything can happen. What matters is that a person makes an effort. For example, here when the air in the greenhouse drops to 5 degrees below zero, the plants get cold. In such situations, by lighting fires in a few places in the greenhouse at night, I take care of this in 2-3 days."
Explaining that he produces an average of 5 tons of tomatoes, cucumbers, and varieties of peppers in his greenhouse per season, Özdemir mentioned that many people received greenhouse support, but most did not continue this work.
I DID NOT WANT TO WASTE THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED BY THE STATE
Stating that he will continue production as long as his health allows, Özdemir noted the following:
"I wanted to show the possibility of greenhouse cultivation in this region. I did not want to waste the opportunity provided by the state. After all, we are making a contribution. We produce clean vegetables. We do not use any chemical additives. Whenever possible, we use heirloom seeds. Even if the season is difficult and the altitude is high, production takes place in our greenhouse. I started as a hobby, and my goal was to show that certain things can be done. Thank God, our friends buy the vegetables we produce here. I love this work very much. Here everything is done painstakingly, one by one. There are 12-13 clips on a tomato. These are attached one by one as they grow each period."