With this project, which we launched in the year our association was founded, we aimed to create a new field for rural development, particularly for women, by preserving the region's rich plant diversity. To this end, we organized practical training sessions. In these sessions, we taught participants how to identify, collect, and dry medicinal and edible plants, and how to make products such as tea, oil, and cream from them. We also supported families in establishing “subsistence gardens” for their own needs. By the end of the project, 37 “life gardens” were established in Boğatepe, exceeding the target of 10 gardens. The project's success inspired neighboring villages, leading to the creation of 20 new gardens in 4 different villages. Women's self-confidence increased, the culture of collective work was revived, and their active participation in decision-making processes in the village was ensured. An abandoned village house was restored through collective effort and converted into a guest house that is still in use today. Thanks to the gardens created, household market expenses decreased, the use of chemical pesticides for minor ailments was replaced by herbal remedies, and contributions were made to the family budget. Furthermore, by proving that it is possible to grow vegetables at an altitude of 2,400 meters, we became a role model for the region, and this became the first step towards developing rural tourism activities in the future. 

The Boğatepe Plant Drying Workshop is one of the most important tangible outcomes of the project. It has popularized the use of plant products in daily life in Boğatepe, served as a source of inspiration for many villages in Kars and its surroundings, and led to the launch of a similar initiative in the district of Susuz. The workshop consists of a section for shade drying and a second section with a special drying machine. The additional resources needed for the machine and other infrastructure requirements were provided by İlhan Koçulu, the founding president of ÇEVDER. ÇEVDER's future goal is to complete the workshop's legal and technical infrastructure and create a sustainable local economy, particularly for women, with the products produced (plants, vegetable oils, creams, and soaps).