Farmstay in rural Egypt

The farm is worked according to principles of organic gardening with the fertiliser for the gardens coming from the composted horse, poultry and rabbit manure. No pesticides are used as they would cause serious problems for the animals if ingested. The poultry and rabbits are kept in large open enclosures that also house our parrot population, with the poultry and rabbits doing clean-up duty for the parrots who are notoriously messy eaters. While much of the food consumed at the farm is grown on site, the remainder is bought from local markets rather than the urban grocery stores.

We use well water and recycle our waste, most of which ends up consumed by the farm animals or composted. We are not connected to most city services, so are reliant on our own resources. For example, we use septic tanks so guests are informed about using reasonable amounts of water and placing paper in a separate container so as not to overwhelm the system. We also try to limit the amount of plastic that is brought out here and we collect what does come for the local recycling plant.

Our tours of the villages are conducted on horseback or by donkeycart which allow us to use the dirt tracks along canals and between farms rather than the asphalt roads, and to have more intimate contact with the villagers as we pass by.

All of our staff come from the local villages and we are part of a local group working at educating the villagers about environmental issues such as the pressing need for better recycling of waste materials. In addition to offering accommodation to visitors to the area, the farm is a centre for educating urban Cairenes about their rural roots, their rural history and the importance of the farming communities of the Nile Valley. We host families and small group gatherings to introduce visitors to village cooking, herbal remedies, flora and fauna, and such.