In the village of Silat al-Harithiya near Jenin, farmer Naser Jaradat (63) works among the mushroom houses he built with his sons and daughters. His journey didn’t begin in the fields but in the classroom.
After earning a degree in plant tissue science from the University of Damascus, he continued his studies at Al-Quds Open University.
There, in 2005, he chose to focus his graduation project on producing a Palestinian alternative to Israeli mushrooms.
What started as a small academic project has since grown into two farms—one in his hometown and another in the village of Ti’innik, right alongside the separation wall.
Naser explains:
"Mushrooms need very low light, cooling at two degrees Celsius, and strict cleanliness. Power cuts cause heavy losses… but losses don’t matter. What matters is that Palestinian produce reaches our markets."
But he didn’t stop with mushrooms. He experimented with growing pineapples and strawberries out of season and introduced crops rarely seen in Palestine—like moringa, pepino, dragon fruit, blueberries, and stevia, a natural sweetener.
He also turned to beekeeping and went on to represent Palestine in the Arab Beekeepers Union. For him, every new venture has been proof that the land can yield abundantly when cared for with knowledge and persistence.
Today, Naser distributes fresh mushrooms to major markets across the West Bank, always searching for new crops to grow—combining academic expertise with the soul of a farmer who has spent his life in the fields.
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