Happy Farmer First! Apples, Anyone?

Pictured: the director of Sady Zhetyou Trade giving our Summit attendees a tour of the apple farm.

For this month’s Farmer First, where we tell you a partner farmer’s story on the first of the month, we’re happy to introduce Sady Zhetyou Trade, a partner team of apple farmers operating in Almaty.

The name ‘Almaty’ literally means “place of apples” or, as it’s called by some locals, “father of apples.”

The Silk Road city of Almaty, Kazakhstan was once a jewel of commerce before trade routes moved to the seas, yet the region is still known for its agricultural industry, including some seriously tasty apples.

During last year’s Joseph Summit in Central Asia, the director of Sady Zhetyou guides our group on an orchard tour, where we got lessons in grafting apple trees, toured the fields of their operation, and all enjoyed lunch together — and the director even showed us his personal gym the team uses to stay active together!

Pictured: a local farmer demonstrating apple grafting technique for our Summit attendees.

It’s these behind-the-scenes days of friendship that remind us why your giving to this work is so critical. These farms aren’t just making regions more food secure and economically prosperous, though they do that. These ag businesses are building up people, strengthening Kingdom opportunities and relational networks that make us all better as we work to impact lives through agriculture.

Thank you for supporting businesses like Sady Zhetyou and the Joseph Summit.

This year’s Joseph Summit starts in just a few days, so stay tuned for updates from this special week coming soon!