Hobbies become small businesses in Turkey

Nuray Karagol and Necati Unal have converted their hobbies to small-family businesses in Turkey's Black Sea province of Samsun.

Karagol, 45, makes water buffalo cream and Unal, 60, raises geese and ducks in his village farm.

Karagol with her husband raised 60 water buffalos in the Kizilirmak Delta, located at the borders of Bafra and Alacam districts of Samsun.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, she explained how she gets cream from milk.

"We boil milk in large pots over low heat. Then we cover it with a cloth and leave it for some time. Then we place it in the fridge for a day, and when it cools and solidifies, we cut it in slices.

"We take 40 liters of milk every day during the winter months and 60 liters in the summer. We get a kilogram of cream from 10 liters of milk," she said.

The cream, a Turkish specialty called Kaymak, fetches her customers from all over Europe.

"We receive special orders from those who appreciate the water buffalo cream. We send our orders out of the province and into Europe. Especially Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey, Germany, France and Belgium in Europe," she said.

"I am happy that I created a small business out of my hobby," she added.

Unal, started his farm in Vezirkopru district as a hobby. But in two years he managed to raise 600 geese and 800 ducks.

"It is hard to do agriculture in the Black Sea region in the winter, so I started to explore my hobby -- livestock -- as an alternative to agriculture," he told Anadolu Agency.

He says taking care of the birds is easy.

"I am making good money now. I want to be an example to other farmers looking for alternative to agriculture."

He is eager to help others who are interested in livestock farming.

"Some people ask me questions about how I do it. So I invite them to my farm and show them how I do it. I aim to provide additional income by directing our villagers and farmers to alternative to agriculture," he said.