Yunus Emre Kalaycı's Bolu Fruit Garden Draws Visitors Nationwide

Twenty‑seven‑year‑old Yunus Emre Kalaycı, a former political‑science student, turned a 6‑dunam raspberry plot on his father's land in Bolu into a 45‑dunam agritourism site called Bonus Meyve Bahçeleri. The garden now produces raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, gooseberries, blueberries and aronia, and is the first publicly accessible organic‑certified raspberry garden in the province.

Kalaycı’s "pick‑your‑own, pay‑by‑weight" concept lets visitors collect fruit in baskets, taste it on site and pay only for the amount they harvest. The model has attracted weekend tourists from Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Yalova and even Şanlıurfa, as well as school groups and fitness clubs. Harvest runs from early July through November, with contract production planned through 2026.

The venture showcases a shift from a career in public administration to hands‑on agricultural entrepreneurship, aiming to reconnect people with the land while generating a new source of local income.