{
  "id": 8268346,
  "title": "Meet the second-generation Israeli farmer and reservist who grows tomatoes on the Egyptian border",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/meet-the-second-generation-israeli-farmer-and-reservist-who-grows",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T16:34:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/food-recipes/article-908892"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ramat HaNegev, Israel's largest regional council, is home to about 10,500 residents across communities, kibbutzim, and farms covering 22% of the country's landmass. Located near the Egyptian border, the council includes five small, remote agricultural communities in the Nitzana region, such as Kadesh Barnea (officially Nitzanei Sinai), only 300 meters away from the border.\n\nNoam Efrat, a 33-year-old farmer and reservist, chose to return to his roots and raise his family in Kadesh Barnea. Efrat, along with his wife Noa and young son Negev, enjoys the quiet desert landscape. The family moved from Metula in 2022. While Efrat initially dreamed of living far from the Egyptian border community as a teenager, he later realized he preferred the quiet life in the desert.\n\nEfrat studied computers and environmental sciences before moving to Kadesh Barnea. He later earned a master's degree in agroinformatics from Ben-Gurion University's Sde Boker campus. As a farmer, Efrat works on his father's cherry tomato farm, waking up at 5:30 a.m. and returning home by 8 p.m. to pick up his son for daycare and work again until noon. After sunset, Efrat works in the greenhouses due to the limited daylight hours.\n\nIn addition to farming, Kadesh Barnea residents engage in tourism, education, and work an hour away in Beersheba. The region is also known for its ancient archaeological and historical sites, with farmers experimenting with growing various vegetables over time. Efrat's parents learned to grow cherry tomatoes in the Negev desert, which thrives in greenhouses due to the warm temperatures and cool nights. The region relies on brackish geothermal desert groundwater and desalinated water for agriculture, resulting in sweeter cherry tomatoes.",
  "summary": "Four years ago, Noam Efrat, 33, chose to return to his roots and raise his own family in Kadesh Barnea. He handles the bright red, deliciously sweet cherry tomatoes from his family’s farm.",
  "key_points": [
    "Noam Efrat, 33, is an Israeli farmer and reservist in Kadesh Barnea.",
    "Family moved from Metula in 2022 to the remote agricultural community.",
    "Efrat grows cherry tomatoes on his father's farm in the Negev desert."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}