Atatürk University takes an active role in organizing and hosting events that bring together local farmers, food producers, researchers, and extension agents to facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity building, networking, and the co-creation of sustainable agriculture practices. These events serve as platforms for agricultural innovation diffusion, cooperative learning, and technology transfer.
Regionally Focused Farmer Training Events
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In 2024, within the framework of its collaboration with the DAP Regional Development Administration, Atatürk University’s Ziraat Fakültesi organized a “Bölge Çiftçilerine Yönelik Eğitim Programı” (Regional Farmer Training Program). This event brought together 25 farmers from Aşkale district villages to campus, where they participated in multi-day immersive workshops on topics such as livestock management, horticulture, beekeeping, feed processing, pasture management, and crop breeding. The training was held in the Ziraat Fakültesi / Ziraat Eğitim Merkezi infrastructure. (source)
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The opening ceremony included high-level participants: Deputy Rector Prof. Dr. Sezai Ercişli, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, and provincial agricultural officials. This underscores the institutional commitment to bridging university–community outreach. Atatürk Üniversitesi
Specialized Thematic Workshops & Demonstrations
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The Bitkisel Üretim Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi frequently serves as a host for demonstration plots and open house days where farmers and community members can visit, observe experimental fields, and interact with scholars about sustainable agronomic techniques. According to news, this center “educates local farmers, children and especially women in personal care, hygiene, vegetable cultivation, compost use and its applications.” Anadolu Ajansı
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One event series specifically targeted women farmers, offering workshops on organic fertilizer making, hygiene practices, vegetable cultivation techniques, and knowledge of sustainable inputs. These events combined social literacy with agricultural training. Palandöken Gazetesi
Networking & Knowledge Exchange Platforms
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Atatürk University also facilitates field visits and extension tours by researchers and students to local farms, enabling knowledge co-creation and direct interaction. Under its University–Industry / University–Producer models (e.g. ATAÜNİ-SAN initiatives), the university engages in site visits, project demos, and joint evaluation sessions with producers. atateknokent.com.tr
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In the agricultural sector, the university collaborates in aromatic / medicinal plant cultivation projects as demonstration platforms. Faculty and local producers jointly plant and monitor these trials, allowing farmers to see alternative crop models in situ. Tarım Bakanlığı Web TV
Institutional Reports & Performance Metrics
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The 2024 Activity Report of Atatürk University indicates that “Eğitilen Çiftçi Sayısı” (Number of Trained Farmers) one of the monitored targets under institutional performance metrics, and that the university has executed event planning that is aligned with regional development plans. Atatürk Üniversitesi
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The institutional report also notes that the university’s event planning contributed positively to regional goals and that agriculture-related performance indicators (such as number of farmers trained) have been met or exceeded. Atatürk Üniversitesi
