Turkey: Introducing Novavera (Novavera Farm)

The oil is produced using pesticide-free cultivation methods
at Novavera Farm in the Ayvalık region of Turkey.

 

The owner of this farm is a woman named Bahar.
With her wonderful smile, Bahar is the owner who leads more than 20 employees.
No matter which staff member you meet, everyone praises Bahar.

“I am happy to work under her.”
“This is the first time I have met an owner who cares so much about her employees.”

Bahar, who is also a producer, was a wonderful woman who truly valued people.
When I first met her, I felt she was a person with a beautiful heart and was immediately drawn to her.

When a woman makes it, even the oil label becomes this elegant.

The label features the artwork of an artist she had long admired.
She really wanted that artist's design to be the face of the product, so she reportedly asked them several times to design it.

“My passion got through!”

She told me this happily.

Before she encountered olive cultivation, Bahar reportedly worked as an engineer in the city.

The dizzying, busy days took a toll on her health, and she lost her balance between mind and body.
During the time she spent reflecting on herself, she reportedly thought, “What is life?”
In the one-way flow of time, how did she want to live her life...?

It was the first time she had ever taken the time to think deeply about her “life” and how to live it, which would continue for many years to come.
Various thoughts would arise and fade, and she spent days wondering what she wanted to do.
What she wanted to become, how she wanted to be...

What is happiness for me?

She spent days agonizing over it, unable to find the answer even after thinking about it.
It was when she suddenly let go that she encountered olive cultivation.

Turkey is one of the world's major olive producers.
Surrounded by olive trees in an environment where olives are everywhere, her heart naturally calmed down,
and thinking, “I want to live in this kind of environment,”
Bahar chose olive cultivation to live among olives.

Originally an engineer, Bahar had no concept of compromise, noticing even the smallest details.

She not only studied olive cultivation in Turkey but also traveled abroad to learn, seeking methods she could do herself.
The olive oil she aimed to produce was pesticide-free olive oil that anyone could eat with peace of mind.
And it was to be an olive grove where all the producing staff could work in an environment that enriched their hearts.

She believed that if it were work that enriched life rather than the soul-crushing work she had once experienced, it would make a sufficient contribution to society, and that people who ate olive oil grown in an environment free from stress would also be able to live healthily in both mind and body.

Bahar purchased a vast olive grove and began pesticide-free cultivation.
Pesticide-free cultivation is by no means an easy method.
However, once she decided to do it, she was the type of person who would not compromise,
inviting experts from both Turkey and abroad to receive guidance on the farm, learning about tasting, and setting up the factory with a professional mindset.

When I visited,
there were facilities not found in typical olive cultivation farms, and I was amazed by many things.

They were all facilities designed to enhance the quality of the olive oil.

After the meticulous process of manually removing damaged olive fruit after harvest, the olives brought into the factory were truly only healthy fruit.

Olive oil pressed from pain-free olives is high in quality, rich in flavor, and long-lasting.

Furthermore, they constantly check the quality both inside and outside the farm, allowing them to monitor the condition themselves.
It is stored in low-temperature, deoxygenated tanks in a cool, dark place.

To enter the storage facility, you must pass through two gates, and the warehouse, where the temperature is strictly controlled, is cool and dark even in the height of summer, with no vibrations from the outside, making it the best storage environment.

To prevent anyone involved in production from bringing viruses into the factory, they installed gates that are not easily accessible, and there were also warning signs posted to prevent the introduction of bacteria.

I was amazed by Novavera Farm's highly conscious attitude toward food production.
I have visited many producers,
but in other words... there are very few producers with such a thoroughly thorough and high level of awareness.

I have great respect for their conviction as business owners, their passionate commitment to product creation, and not only that, but also their high awareness as producers to protect the health of those who eat the oil, and as a fellow business owner.

I hope to carry on their passion and deliver it to many people without compromising quality.

The reason I decided to do business with this farm was not just because of the character of the producers.
It was because I felt that Novavera Farm's olive oil was perfect for the everyday cooking made by Japanese people.

It has a subtle green apple aroma, or a scent like green tomato leaves,
and is a fresh oil reminiscent of parsley and young fruit.

It is a refreshing oil with the aroma of freshly cut grass, walnuts, lettuce, almonds, and green bananas.

I decided to do business with them because I felt that every oil pairs very well with vegetables and is perfect for Japanese cuisine, which values dashi.

With a sufficient polyphenol content to be used as a cooking oil, and blending seamlessly with a wide variety of ingredients, Novavera Farm's oil is very straightforward.

 

 

 

Organic

An oil that excels at bringing out the natural flavors of ingredients and pairs well with everyday Japanese cooking, it is a straightforward olive oil that blends seamlessly with a wide variety of ingredients.

 

 

 

Chef's Blend

 

With a pleasant aroma of young grass, it is an oil that brings out herbs, tomatoes, and dairy products. Recommended for those who want a greener aroma than “Organic” or “Memecik.”

 

 

 

 

Memecik

 

An oil with a slightly stronger aroma than “Organic,” perfect for spicy dishes