Facebook: مزرعة الأخوة
Hoping to improve their incomes and desire to develop, the owners of the Al Okhwah Farm (Brothers Farm), Raja’i Fayyad and his brothers, began to introduce new agricultural varieties on their farm, benefiting from some projects supporting strawberry farming. They started with cultivating strawberries in limited open spaces, and then expanded to grow them in greenhouses. The brothers were able to achieve significant successes and became famous for producing "strawberries with a Palestinian Flavour"
The farm was established in 2009 on one dunum (1,000 m2) and has now expanded to 3 dunums. The brothers gradually expanded their production of varieties that are not available in the Palestinian market. This included pineapples, a product that was greatly welcomed in the market as a delicious tropical fruit that can be used in many dishes and have numerous nutritional benefits. The farm also produces leafy greens, such as parsley, thyme, watercress and celery.
Overall, the farm seeks to provide an integrated model in food production. For example, they have an aquaponic system, which uses the organic-rich water of fish ponds as a natural fertilizer for agricultural crops. Besides fish, the farm also raises local ‘baladi’ chickens.
The farm owners are proud of their gradual transition from safe farming - in which limited quantities of chemicals are used sometimes - to organic farming that depends on natural solutions for pest management. They are also now producing strawberry and pineapple seedlings to help sustain their production.
About 70% of the produce is sold at the farm, while the rest is marketed through Adel Fairtrade. The farm owners believe that the growing interest and consumer demand on the farm’s clean products is generally due to people’s increased awareness of the diseases and health problems associated with unhealthy diets and the benefits of local chemical-free products on their health. This is in addition to the acceptable fair pricing resulting from the reliance on local agricultural inputs and also having solar systems for energy production which considerably reduce the production costs.
The brothers plan in the near future to open a small restaurant on the farm and provide delicious food from its products. Follow their Facebook page for more information about the opening.
According to the brothers, the farm mantra is "Success attracts success; there is no escape from this great universal law, so, if you want to attract success, make sure to start with small successful steps, whether you are a labourer or a prince."
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Volunteering Opportunities: Please contact the farm.
Product Selling Points: Onsite and through Adel Fairtrade.
Other Services: Agricultural and tours in Zababdeh archaeological sites.