16.07.2026 11:20
In Düzce, university student Bilal Köse started the harvest season at the blueberry garden he established as an alternative to hazelnuts. Visitors pick the fruits grown with good agricultural practices from the branch and spend time in nature.
The blueberry garden established by a university student in Düzce as an alternative product to hazelnuts attracts attention from citizens during harvest season. Visitors, who pick the fruits grown with good agricultural practices into their own baskets, take photos in the garden and spend time in touch with nature.
FRUITS OF 3 YEARS OF LABOR Bilal Köse, a student at Düzce University Faculty of Theology who bought land with his family in the Musababa village attached to the center, researched to find an alternative to hazelnut, the region's main agricultural product. Following experts' advice, Köse decided on blueberry production in 2022, and after the third year, he started getting high yields from the crops he planted with good agricultural practices.
The young farmer, who opened the garden to visitors with the start of the harvest season, offers citizens the opportunity to pick their own fruits. Visitors to the garden, which also contributes to rural tourism, pick blueberries from the branches and spend time taking photos in the garden.
SUPPORT PROVIDED TO YOUNG FARMERS Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Esra Uzun stated in her visit to the garden that they support young farmers as part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's project to expand good agricultural practices. Emphasizing that the products grown in the region reach consumers directly through rural tourism, Uzun said, "Our brother Bilal is one of the producers benefiting from the project. The products grown here reach consumers through rural tourism. As the Ministry and Provincial Directorate, we support young farmers like Bilal. Farmers who practice good agriculture, have agricultural insurance, use modern irrigation systems, and combat diseases with biotechnical methods are very valuable to us. As the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, we are always by their side and will continue to be."
GROWN ENTIRELY NATURALLY Producer Bilal Köse said they produce completely naturally without using chemical pesticides. Expressing satisfaction with the interest shown by visitors to the garden, Köse noted:
"Our harvest activities continue from 09:00 in the morning until dark. We bought this land in 2022. While wondering what alternative we could produce to hazelnut, we met our teacher Emrah Çiçek at Düzce University. Afterwards, we decided to produce blueberries. This is our third year. It's our first strong harvest year. Next year, we will get full yield. With the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and our Provincial Directorate, we produce with good agricultural practices. We definitely produce natural and organic products without using pesticides. In recent times, blueberries have become a popular fruit. People enjoy taking their own baskets and picking fruit. Previously, they saw 100-gram packages in markets; now they see trees full of fruit on 20 acres of land. This also appeals to people. The place has turned into a photo frenzy."
Gözde Yıldız, who visited the garden, stated that they organized an event as an association and said, "Picking blueberries from the branch was a special pleasure. We had a lot of fun and relieved stress. We also had the opportunity to take nice photos while picking."