Istanbul's Şile Earth Market will promote organic agriculture and nutrition with a "seed exchange" festival scheduled to take place on Nov. 13. Organized by Şile Municipality and NGOs like Slow Food Şile Valonia Oak Foundation, Şile Tourism and Promotion Foundation and the Ovacık Women's Seed Association, the fourth season of the festival will highlight 57 villages actively engaging in organic agriculture."Ata" (heirloom) seeds will be exchanged at the festival, which is run to help preserve the cultivation of natural seeds. The Seed Exchange Festival aims to protect domestic seeds and maintain and improve natural production in agriculture. It raises awareness of the importance of organic agriculture by educating participants about protecting seeds and passing them down to future generations.

New generations will hear about the terms "ata seed," "domestic seed," "ecologic network" and "natural diet" while supporting and protecting domestic and heirloom seeds, and learning to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Last year's festival highlight was an exchange between participants of a century-old tomato seed.

The festival will include concerts and various workshops presenting topics such as puzzles for children, seed planting, sourdough bread-making for adults, infusing medicinal plants, pomegranate bread and drink making. Exhibition stalls for organic and natural products will also feature along with the free seed exchange, and festival goers' tastes will be catered to by local food and traditional dishes.

"Slow Food" is a global, grassroots organization founded to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast life and combat people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how food choices affect the world. Aside from the Earth Market in Şile, there are others around Turkey, including those in İzmir's Foça district and Gökçeada in Çanakkale, and temporary ones in Izmir's Urla and Seferihisar.