Organic pumpkins from ancestral seeds were brought together with the soil.

In Bayburt, 74-year-old farmer İsmail Öksüz has brought together organic pumpkins with the soil using ancestral seeds.
Öksüz, who has been engaged in farming for half a century and is interested in ancestral seeds and organic agriculture, ensures that the people of Bayburt have access to organic pumpkins while also keeping an eye on the ancestral seeds.
Continuing vegetable and fruit cultivation with the understanding of organic farming in Aslandede village, Öksüz stated that he will harvest the pumpkins in September, towards autumn, and will then put them on sale. Öksüz emphasized that their main aim is to ensure the continuity of ancestral seeds while delivering organic pumpkins from the ‘field to the market and from the market to the table.’
“Our main goal is to ensure the continuity of the seeds, not to lose ancestral seeds.”
Stating that he has enlarged his field for the continuity of ancestral seeds and has brought more pumpkins together with the soil, Öksüz said, “We are currently in our pumpkin field. We are trying to produce the same pumpkin that is famous in Turkey, the Adapazarı pumpkin, perhaps even tastier, from our ancestral seeds here. Customers who have eaten the pumpkins we produced in previous years will confirm the taste of these pumpkins, and those who buy the new pumpkins we have grown will understand the importance of what I have said after tasting them. We grow and sell these pumpkins, but our main goal is to ensure the continuity of the seeds of the pumpkins, not to lose the ancestral seeds. The pumpkins we have brought together with the soil are a very special variety of pumpkin. For this reason, I am gradually enlarging the field and planting more. I have currently planted pumpkins in two fields; this is our small field, and it might be a bit difficult to go to the other field,” he said.
“It will reach from the field to the market, from the market to the table.”
Stating that they will start harvesting in September, Öksüz said, “We are bringing our pumpkins from the field to the market and from the market to the table,” adding, “The harvest of the pumpkins will be in September. They are currently growing. We are bringing our pumpkins from the field to the market and from the market to the table. We want people to eat and taste these pumpkins, but it is very important for them to take the seeds. We strongly remind everyone we give pumpkins to, ‘please take the seeds, do not lose the seeds.’ Our biggest concern is ensuring the continuity of these seeds.”