A resident of the village, Farmer Avtan Baymatov, from an area where the climate is colder than in other regions due to its proximity to the mountains, the village of Kopuro-Bazar in Talas region (Kyrgyzstan) is located at an altitude of 1,975 meters above sea level. Therefore, residents can not please themselves with berries from their own garden – everything that is planted from berries freezes. Avtan grew up in a farming family, where they always used to plant potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
Of course, this greatly affects the family income, you need to go to the city to buy fruits and vegetables for jam and winter preparations.
Autan has a wonderful wife Zhiydegul and six children, they help grow vegetables and earn money, so their family can be called a family of farmers.
In 2014, the village began to launch the project “Organic Aimag ” under the leadership of the Federation of Organic Movement BIO-KG. Their work concept is to enhance biodiversity and organic farming.
Autan liked the idea and in a few years he made a lot of progress and got a great experience. First, he was taught to use natural fertilizers, to make compost, biohumus, the whole aimag was given a tractor, they began to supply seeds. Avtan, like other organic farmers of the village, was able to grow peas, beets and other crops. So, in the village there was a biodiversity.In addition, they increased the potato varieties: “Lovella”, “Jelly”, “Eva”.
In 2020, BIO-KG invited local organics to sow the field with seeds of medicinal herbs-mint, calendula, valerian root. And the year was successful. Sales of herbs were profitable and now all the villagers want to grow mint and calendula.
From one hundred acres of land, Avtan receives 500 kg of potatoes, in general, he has 15 acres of his own land, and more land belonging to the village, where all the peasants work.
But the planting of medicinal herbs, says the farmer, turned out to be much more profitable than planting vegetables. Last year, he planted NRA herbs on three acres of land, now this year, the Autan family is going to expand the territory for them. The experience was successful!
In his spare time, the hero of our story is engaged in creativity – Autan’s father taught his son to make a Kyrgyz musical instrument “komuz”, also being a jeweler by profession, Autan makes silver products: earrings, bracelets. He takes the ideas for the design from the people, the patterns of the earrings are obtained with a local flavor. His wife and daughters are proud to wear the jewelry that Dad made. Every year in the winter, after the harvest, Avtan starts his hobby, and the family supports him.