Tabby Robertshaw and her partner, Alex Chouler, are experienced homesteaders who have long sought complete self-sufficiency. Today, they
live and work on rented land near Stanford in the Western Cape, where they produce a variety of organic vegetables, fruit, salad greens and meat, and sell it under their Goodluck Homestead brand at local markets and restaurants and via WhatsApp groups. They also produce all the food they require for themselves, except for breakfast cereals.
The couple moved to the current farm, Vaalvlei, a year and a half ago after spending 10 years on their previous property, where they used to make enough money to live on. The move, however, has required major investments in infrastructure and soil improvement.
To boost their income, they built guest accommodation in December last year, and Robertshaw believes this will make the farm financially viable. She also presents self-sufficiency workshops such as food gardening and food processing. Her most recent workshop focused on the production of fermented butter and kimchi.
“We’re setting up the farm to have more space for workshops,” she says.
FARMING PHILOSOPHY
Vaalvlei covers 50ha, with 0,5ha under vegetables and salad greens, and 3ha under Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc vineyards. The rest of the land is used as pasture, or is destined for that purpose.
Their wine grapes are delivered to a local winemaker who repays the value in bottles of wine. “The wine is great, but we have to rethink the agreement, because we’re still in the process of applying for a liquor licence and can’t sell the wine just yet,” says Robertshaw.
She adds that the vineyard is the most expensive of their enterprises to maintain, with costs driven up by the need for special farming equipment such as a tractor and spray tank.
Denne historien er fra Farmer's weekly 3 March 2023-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra Farmer's weekly 3 March 2023-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.
