Erasmus+ Project: Young Farmers in Action

Our project supported the participation of young people in agricultural activities and activities related to nature and environmental protection. All activities were carried out by young people, and it is hoped that they will make these experiences a habit in the future. Participants, who increased their knowledge and awareness of the importance of sustainable agriculture, implemented sustainable agricultural practices in their homes and gardens, became more sensitive individuals, and implemented permaculture practices such as sustainable farming based on their own resources. In this context, the young people contributed to reducing threats to ecological balance through sustainable agricultural practices, disseminating smart and sustainable farming practices, and increasing sustainable agricultural production.

One of the most important impacts of our project was job creation. Young people became more motivated to dedicate themselves to sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture has the potential to generate social well-being by increasing productivity. Young people who wish to work in this field will be able to generate long-term income. Hearing from experts about sustainable agricultural practices, which are inexpensive but extremely important for the environment and a livable world, increased their long-term motivation and made them more constructive.

On the other hand, the young people who learned by living in sustainable and organic agricultural environments with technical trips began to observe their surroundings with greater awareness and distinguish between good and bad. Group work improved their team spirit and allowed them to be more efficient. They gained experience in intercultural dialogue, which allowed them to continue in the subsequent period. Thanks to the cultural evenings, they broke down their prejudices and became curious about the languages of different nations, which increased their desire to learn. This situation contributed to strengthening the relationship between "a language and a person" and increasing their self-confidence in learning a language. The fact that the project language was English and that the participants spoke English throughout the week contributed to increasing their language proficiency. In this sense, they attracted the attention of other young people by creating an environment for conversation in their own language outside the project, thus fostering linguistic diversity.

Disadvantaged young people, who had not been involved in the project environment and had not benefited from these opportunities for various reasons, found the opportunity to partially overcome their disadvantages and broaden their horizons through our project. This situation significantly contributed to their becoming more productive and self-confident individuals. The informal methods applied throughout the project contributed to their personal development. Methods such as group work, presentations, debate, interpretation, and individual analysis allowed the young people to express themselves while also encouraging their reflection.