about
What is our story?
The Gur Farm was established about 40 years ago by my father, Rami Gur, here at Givat Yoav, on the southern Golan Heights. From a mulard (duck) breeding farm to growing lily, orchards, bananas, and a vineyard. The years went by and in the year 2000 Rami decided on a trial of a crop from a distant country – the pitaya. This special fruit was brought from Mexico by Prof. Yossi Mizrahi of Ben-Gurion University in the Negev. We of course fell in love with this exotic fruit, and from several dunams in the beginning Rami ultimately planted about 50 dunams (12 acres) of pitaya, and another 10 dunams (2.5 acres) of kubo, the pitaya’s cactus brother from the Mexican desert. Together with the kumkuat, they comprise the exotic fruit farm that additional exotic fruit will soon be joining.
I, Alon, Rami’s son, would take part in the work during school breaks and while on leave from the army, mainly to help pollinate the pitaya on the summer nights, and dream of introducing Israel’s hikers to our unusual agriculture. In my childhood, the orchard at the observation post was the secret place. We would go there for a coffee break, brew Turkish coffee, and chill out before this amazing scenery, or at dusk for a first date over a glass of wine. As a child it always sounded legitimate, certainly every child has a hideaway. The years went by, and I came to realize that this really was a rare and unique place, so why should I be the only one to enjoy it? With this breathtaking scenery and unique agriculture – the Gurs’ pitaya farm was born.
We love the farming and the work. We love Israel and its people, and since hosting is second nature to us – we are pleased and proud to invite you to visit us.
We offer not only campout lodging but also an agricultural experience. Guests are invited early in the night to watch the pitaya bloom and artificial pollination of the plant, hear an explanation on desert and tropical plants, and their significance for the world of agriculture. We are also preparing a special plot for guests to pick the fruit on their own, so there is more to look forward to!
