Sustainable development – a family matter:

Although Mr. Amit Abiri now runs Ecohar, his father created the farm in 1992 and wanted to make a positive change in Israel, having looked all over the country for the perfect land to build on. Amit’s father and the family built Ecohar from scratch, to inspire people and show them a different way of living. When his father passed away, Amit chose to keep his idea and beliefs alive and took over the family business.

Ecohar’s main mission is to show visitors how to escape from daily life routines and learn to live in harmony with the environment, benefiting from the nature’s best-kept secrets. Amit passes down his knowledge and values to volunteers, tourists and locals, the same way his father passed it down to him. Ecohar is currently organizing various workshops for adults and children, such as learning to identify and use medicinal herbs, guided nature tours, relaxation, yoga, and laughter workshops.

Taking the environment into account every step of the way:

Mount Carmel supports a very rich biodiversity, and many species of herbs and medicinal plants grow there. In order to leave this environment intact, the farm was built using only natural and recycled materials. They also have a petting farm, an organic garden, an aromatic garden, a fruit orchard and a mud oven used for cooking and baking, all of which enable them to be self-sufficient.

Ecohar has some of the best practices thanks to the use of natural swimming pools and greywater treatment system. In the evening, the farm switches to solar lighting systems and oil lamps.

Ecohar is involved in its community:

Ecohar is a source of employment for residents in the region. Thanks to the ongoing operations in the farm as well as the need for teachers for the workshops, they hire 4 to 5 employees from the local area. They also receive and train young volunteers, enabling them to acquire new skills and adapt to new conditions.

In a near future, Ecohar will teach and give the local community tools about why and how they should protect their environment. They strongly believe that this is how real change will be achieved.