A Small Start Can Pay Big Dividends

Lloyd James – a man who is very familiar with the saying “by the sweat of your face you will eat your bread” – has been farming large and small stock near Somerset East for the past nine years.

- Carin Venter

This determined producer is married to Martie, a clinic sister, and the couple has two children – a daughter studying towards her LLB degree and a son who is still in school and who will hopefully one day follow in his father’s footsteps.

A modest start

Lloyd’s modest entry into farming started with roadworks tenders and erecting fences for producers in order to save enough money to fulfil his farming dream. One of the producers for whom Lloyd put up some boundary fences gave him a few sheep, which he kept on leased municipal land at Pearston.

“In 2008 I learned that Driefontein was up for sale, so I negotiated with the owner and we agreed that I would try to obtain the farm through the government.” It was a tedious and drawn out process that demanded a lot of patience, but in 2011 the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform finally gave the go-ahead for him to start farming.

“I recently signed a 30-year lease with the option to buy the land. I also got a loan from the Land Bank. I firmly believe that you have to pay your way because if you don’t, it can make you lazy. I am very optimistic and I know that for me to be successful, I need to repay the loan myself. And hopefully my son will join me on the farm after he has completed his studies.”

Staying on course