Ali Akarsu, a retired civil servant who started growing artichokes as a hobby in Sarıcakaya district of Eskişehir, cannot keep up with the demand from customers in his sales.
Ali Akarsu, a retired civil servant living in Sarıcakaya district of Eskişehir, started growing artichokes as a hobby after retiring from his job. About three years ago, he planted artichoke seedlings on a 1-acre field he owns, and began harvesting when the yield became promising, deciding to sell them. Despite skepticism from people around him that "artichokes don't grow here," Akarsu persisted and expressed happiness with the high yield he achieved. He mentioned that each artichoke plant yields produce for approximately 7 years and compared the taste of his artichokes to those from the Aegean region, emphasizing their quality.
Akarsu and his wife have been selling their produce from the past three years, but he admits they cannot keep up with the demand due to its popularity. He noted that people are surprised to see artichokes being grown in their area and sometimes express their disbelief. Akarsu clarified that he does this as a hobby, mentioning his agricultural background and the diverse range of fruits grown on his inherited land. He initially got the idea to grow artichokes after seeing them in Mudanya in 1995, and received seedlings from a friend. Despite the initial skepticism, his venture has proven successful, with artichokes fetching prices of 30-35 Turkish Lira per piece at markets in Eskişehir.
In conclusion, Akarsu expressed gratitude for the success of his venture and highlighted the support from Tepebaşı Municipality in helping local women producers sell their goods at markets, contributing positively to their income.