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My name is Noam Yaakova, a married father of three and a resident of the moshav Nir Banim in southern Israel. In 1958, when I was three months old, my family moved to the moshav and I have been here ever since. I feel a deep commitment to this place, both because my parents were among the founders and also because we love the community and see our future here. My greatest joy is having one of my sons work with me on the farm.
What do I grow?
I grow artichokes, grapes, and olives. We used to grow many other crops, like peaches and flowers. We stopped growing flowers in order to focus on fruit and vegetables and we stopped growing peaches because it was not acceptable to only grow one type of peach on a peach tree.
Daily routine
I wake up every morning at 5:30 a.m. have a hearty breakfast and then go out into the fields. Since COVID-19 hit, there has been a change in my routine. Now, I eat breakfast with my parents, who live next door. They are 89 years old and having breakfast with them makes us all happy. It brings them joy to know that I am continuing their legacy by working on the farm.
Sometimes in the summer, I take a break at noon. In the winter, there is no time to rest because it gets dark at 4:30 p.m. and resting would mean losing more precious time. Every night, I go to sleep around 9:30 p.m.
If I wasn't a farmer…
I hope I never stop being a farmer but if for some reason that ever happens, I would like to be a carpenter, as I really enjoy working with wood.
My favorite season
I really love the winter. Even though there's mud and rain, it's much more enjoyable to be outside in the winter, and the tractor and boots help with the mud.
Additionally, winter is artichoke season and it's the highlight of the year. Rain is very essential for agriculture. Many people do not understand how important rain is for farmers. Many people believe that summer fruit are not as good if the winter is not cold enough. Any fluctuation in the temperature impacts the crops and the prices.
COVID-19
This past year has been very difficult for us. There was a drop in sales because people did not leave their homes. There were a lot of artichokes left in the field since we did not have anyone to sell to. In addition to the growing, we also have a visitor's center which we had to close.
Workers
We have six employees from Thailand and I am happy to say that we have an excellent relationship with them. It is true that culturally they are from a completely different world but beyond the language barrier, we have a wonderful professional relationship. The Thai workers are very hard workers, I don't know a single Israeli who wants to work in agriculture and that shows a lot.
My favorite thing about being a farmer
I really love seeing the life cycle in the field. Every year there is a new growth that starts from a seed and grows into a healthy miracle. It's amazing to see how wonderful nature is. Even though a lot depends on outside factors, nature is an incredible system.
What I like least about being a farmer
I don't like that as a farmer my whole livelihood is controlled by the supermarket chains who mistreat me. You have to do whatever they want because they are the ones who determine the future of your product. They don't work with you, they control you.
Leket Israel
Leket Israel is one of the most important social organizations in the country. It is such a worthy cause although I am sad that such an organization is needed at all. If there was a better economic situation in Israel, if there was more compassion on the part of the government authorities we would not need Leket Israel. But since that is not the case, Leket Israel provides an important service to farmers who are stuck with surplus. Obviously, we don't want to be left with excess produce but it happens. Leket Israel comes and collects all the extra produce and gives it to people in need who will appreciate my hard work.
Farmers, your surplus produce could go to people in need. Join Leket Israel today.
