FAST FACTS
A strong network has helped open up great opportunities in agriculture for Einstein Sibanda.
He augments his chickens’ diets with vegetables and microgreens produced on the farm.
In 2020, after careful experimentation, he expanded production to include free- range pigs.
Einstein Sibanda typifies the spirit of the entrepreneur: combining luck, energy and grit, he has built a booming free-range farming operation on the edge of Simon’s Town in the Western Cape.
Sibanda, who is originally from Zimbabwe, came to South Africa in 2006 in search of greener pastures. “I joined a friend and fellow Zimbabwean in Fish Hoek to work in the restaurant industry, but that didn’t work out, so I decided to go into farming instead,” he recalls.
He crossed paths with UK-born Sam Adams who at the time ran a programme called Start Living Green, which focused on equipping smallholder farmers and urban migrants with the skills to farm more sustainably.
“Adams rekindled my love of farming. He also had a strong network with other non-profit organisations, which created an opportunity for me to do an agriculture and business training course at Living Hope in Kommetjie in 2011,” says Sibanda.
While on the course, which lasted for four years, he farmed earthworms and made worm tea (vermicompost), which he used to establish and maintain organic vegetable patches of up to 4m² in the gardens of a growing number of clients.
Denne historien er fra November 19, 2021-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra November 19, 2021-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
