Special for the Armenian Weekly
As small and accessible as Armenia may be, I tend to hear about so many interesting and unique projects that it can actually feel strangely overwhelming at times. Whether it’s a woman who makes soaps for different skin conditions with local herbs grown in her own backyard, or a new company specializing in essential oils made in Armenia, my list of people to meet and interview continues to grow.
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This is an amazing story.
But something is perplexing: I thought olive trees cannot survive a winters like in Armenia and Artsakh: they need a Mediterranean climate. This is the first time I hear of olive trees being planted in a climate like Armenia & Artsakh.
I know the Meghri region of in Southern RoA has some kind of a micro-climate, warm during winters. But how will olive trees survive in Artsakh ?
Dear Hovik and Vrej,
I have no other thing to say but a big CONGRATULATION!!
A lot of people see only the negative, you didn’t want to see, you just wanted to do something and you did. This is a good lesson to all the pessimists and I wish you all the success.
It will be interesting to know about,
– how many hectars of land are you using?
– how much was the cost of the land? Or if it is rental how much is the cost of lease.
– meanwhile how are you paying for the cost of living since the trees will bear fruits only in 3 years.
– how much do you anticipate as per year income once the trees starts giving the olives.
Some more financial details as you see fit.
All of this to encourage other people to follow your footsteps and we’ll see more people to come HOME instead of leaving the country.
Keep on the good work,
Movses Keoshkerian
Don’t have much interest in Syria or its produce, but what is most important is the introduction of Western Armenian influence to the region. The East has been cut off from the mainstream for much too long. The Soviet and now Russian yoke is too overbearing.
Avery: they might be growing kiwi out in the open and dwarf olive trees in the greenhouses. This would give them the opportunity to create an organic specialty product that is in high demand. If they are growing lemons and limes, they have it figured out for other tender tree varieties. I live in Canada and I have 6 fig trees. I had a delicious ripe fig at breakfast today. I know of another Armenian in my city who also has 6 fig trees. She harvested 250 fresh figs last year. We grow them in large pots outdoors for 3 seasons of the year. They have to be brought into a garage or greenhouse or shed in the winter. Armenian produce is underestimated by tourists who shop at brand name American stores, and buy the same junk they can buy at any mall. When you go to the Shuga and buy handmade woolen articles, you are getting an exceptional product you will find hard to duplicate anywhere else. Not only are they carefully made by expert craftsmen, who take pride in their work, but the wool they use is from hardy mountain sheep, and it often still has the lanolin in it, making it waterproof.
When you buy Armenian jams, they are made with fruit that has not been sprayed—they can’t afford the chemicals. They use a minimum of sugar and rely on the sweetness of additional fruit because sugar is expensive. The jams are made in small batches. You can see that this makes an exceptionally superior product. It would sell in high end stores at premium price here.
Bravo to these entrepreneur farmers.
This may as well have been called “Cilician olives in Artsakh”. There is no difference between “Syrian produce” and “Armenian produce”, because the produce in question was Armenian before Syrian, or anything else for that matter. “Syrian Food” is in fact largely of Armenian origin, by way of the Armenian Genocide survivors who settled in Aleppo.
Avery, east and south of Artsakh are actually very warm, palm trees grow in Marduni! It is because these region’s elevation are only a few hundred meters. If i recall well, these farmer’s land are mainly in southern Artsakh, close to the iranian border, you can grow anything you want over there.
Dear Raffi,
You are right.This I know because i also thought of starting a similar one -A Tree that has a special kind of X that is grown only in 2 regions of spain.Where i have lived for near 24 yres and ea year i visit kin there. However,the farmer(s) 2 of them I contacted here told me you have to do the planting quickly after taking the small bush like tree stump whatever to where you wish to plant it.I still cherish the idae, becasue the dry fruit from those trees could be marketed in Europe and US or any country and be a good source of income for Artsakh.But then ..I also was there for 2nd time for supplying special machinary, to be exact a small measn of conveyance -small motocycle type diesel on it that could transfer their fare(grapes all kind of fruits to AT THE VERY LEAST (MARZ) centres or important centre, instead of buyer coming over and buying their fruits whatevert at very low cost. I have heard complaints of these farmeers in RA also on TV many times over..that they do not have means of conveyance..and the one i had(have9in mind is with a clock on it that the village chief could hire it to many , one at a time…but then our brethren in RA/Artsakh are busy handling BENEVOLENT PEOPLE´S WISHES ONLY
This is why Russian and Persian translation of Artsakh is Black Garden. Farmers can plant almost anything in this fertile, God-given, Armenian land!
There is no Russian translation of Artsakh (Gharabakh) as Black Garden. Only Persian.
I was visiting Stepanakerd in 2008 noticed in the market tomatoes beans eggplant all kinds of fresh vegetables I was afraid to ask my host the origin of them,it was too early for the local produce , the next day we visited a friend of his as we cross the river went around the bendthere were rows of green houses with all the vegetables winter and suumer,I was tald it doesnt get too cold,soon as snow touches the ground melts.
was so happy and pleased.
Shayen, greenhouses are quite common in Armenia as well. Farmers grow vegetables in winter time in Armenia. We always had tomatoes and cucumbers around New Year.
This story makes me so happy. Locally grown produce in Armenia is 1000% better than anything that is imported. That Armenians are growing Syrian olive trees (that originate in Cilicia), well that takes me over the moon. I want to be using extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil asap.
for example in iran you can see olive tree in mountain condition, olive tree has many variety although origin variety from mediterranean artsakh has best condition for growing lemon and olive better than meghri