The Earth Mother Day and Local Products Week, organized in collaboration with our university and Slow Food Cappadocia, was celebrated with various events.
At our Ürgüp Fabrika Campus, the Earth Mother Day and Local Products Week events were organized with the central theme of the grape varieties unique to our region to support agricultural production made with healthy and sustainable methods. During the event, guests were served köftür (a traditional dish), grape compote, and porridge boiled over a wood fire. Local products were introduced at the event, and women’s cooperatives from the Cappadocia region participated. Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Şükran Ünser, the Director of the Cappadocia Research Center, explained the history and significance of Earth Mother Day and Local Products Week, highlighting two key topics to raise awareness in this field. Ünser stated, “This week aims to emphasize the importance of being economical, making investments, and using local products, as well as encouraging people to protect and use their money, goods, time, and health carefully. This year, we are organizing our events in collaboration with Slow Food Cappadocia, which promotes traditional and local eating habits and the protection of local ecosystems. December 10 is also the anniversary of the founding of Slow Food, and in Italy, it is celebrated as ‘Terra Madre’ or Earth Mother. We wanted to celebrate these two days together. As you know, climate change threatens our future and affects and alters our entire nutrition system, so learning and teaching sustainable food practices is becoming more crucial. We believe that acting for better food systems creates positive changes both for the ecosystem and our health. By holding our event at the Ürgüp Fabrika Campus, we wanted to reflect our factory’s identity and
Simultaneously, at our university’s Montessori Kindergarten, Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Ezgi Demirözer demonstrated the traditional yogurt-making technique to the children, and local delicacies were offered to our students and faculty members at the KÜN administrative building cafeteria. During the meal, Aynur Anne from Mustafapaşa village shared the stories behind the dishes with our students and faculty members, engaging in conversation.
The events concluded with a folklore performance by the Mustafapaşa folk dance team.
