EGET LAVENDER HARVEST FESTIVAL CELEBRATED ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY

Trade Newspaper / July 21, 2026

To read the news: https://ticaretgazetesi.com.tr

EGET, extending its environmentally friendly production to personal care products, has been creating resources for the education of young people for 10 years.

The 10th Traditional Lavender Harvest Festival of the Education Geriatrics Ecological Agriculture Tourism Foundation (EGET Foundation) was held at the EGET Foundation Armutçuk Organic Farming Enterprise in Ula district of Muğla. The Guest of Honor at the 10th EGET Lavender Harvest Festival was Prof. Dr. Fahri IŞIK, recipient of the Turkish Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Prize. At the festival, held on July 17-18, participants of all ages harvested lavender grown using organic methods and participated in the scientific and social events.

The Guest of Honor at the festival was Archaeologist-Academician Prof. Dr. Fahri IŞIK, recipient of the Turkish Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Prize. On the first day of the festival, Prof. Dr. Fahri Işık gave a seminar and talk titled "The Carians of Luwian Nobility Who Were Not Greek at All." Also on the same day, guests participated in the lavender harvest, experiencing the production process firsthand. On the first day, Class Teacher Aylin Bal led participants in traditional street games, Yoga Instructor Ahu Başer conducted a traditional yoga workshop, and Dr. Lale Oğur provided training on first aid for flies and insects. The day concluded with a karaoke event where participants sang and had fun.

On the second day, the lavender harvest continued with guests of all ages. Additionally, Erdinç Özal gave a training titled "Catch the Light: Tips and Tricks for Photography with a Mobile Phone." Class Teacher Aylin Bal, this time under the title "Unforgettable Neighborhood Games," played traditional neighborhood games with the participants. Dietitian Ayşegül Öztürk spoke about “Healthy Living with a Lavender Breeze”, Agricultural Engineer Süleyman Kurnaz discussed “Bee Ecology and Natural Beeswax Making”, and Beauty Expert Gözde Aktaş Kurnaz presented “Natural Skin Care”. Throughout the festival, EGET products and homemade foods were offered to the participants.

Following the festival, EGET Board Chairman Özlem Uzman made an assessment, stating, “Our activities, which we started with the slogan ‘From nature to you, from you to education,’ are significantly influenced by our Armutçuk Agricultural Enterprise and our decision to cultivate lavender. First and foremost, we demonstrated that lavender can be grown at this altitude and in this climate. Our lavender brought prosperity to the beekeepers who brought their hives to our area, and we were delighted. We extracted the oil from the lavender we cultivated and produced its hydrosol. By processing the agricultural products we cultivated using ecological methods, we transformed them into high-quality raw materials; with this accumulated experience, we launched the Efilyun brand in Muğla. Our products quickly began receiving orders from various provinces of Turkey and from abroad.”

Uzman stated that all their efforts are aimed at transferring the income they earn as scholarships to young people at risk of dropping out of education, saying, “To date, we have been able to provide scholarship support to 290 young people. The main purpose of EGET's agricultural activities is to create a regular source of funding for our scholarships. In addition, with the production methods we have developed and the experience we have gained, we aim to be an example and guide to producers in different regions of Turkey, starting from Muğla, in transforming agricultural products into economic value.”