The 40ha of cauliflower and broccoli crops stretches out over the picturesque hillside in Curry’s Post, KwaZulu-Natal. You would be forgiven for thinking the vista has been staged, for it’s not only the setting that’s picture-perfect but the crops themselves. Uniform to the point of perfection, the plants all stand at an equal height, leaves thick and lush, with hardly a blemish in sight.
Yet Southern Block farm carries out only a tenth of the pest-control applications that their neighbouring farm does. “If all the nutrients are in balance and the plant sap is optimal, pests find it difficult to bite into the thick leaves,” explains Rory Milbank, the farm’s agronomist.
Taking a natural approach is at the heart of the farm’s success, and getting the soil in top shape is an ongoing process, albeit one that requires less and less human intervention as time goes on.
When James Kelly took ownership of the farm in 2019, he faced the task of converting the existing dairy pastures into vegetable lands. Since there was a good market demand for Brassica crops, he made this his focus.
Bu hikaye Farmer's Weekly dergisinin June 10, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Farmer's Weekly dergisinin June 10, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
ARC names best dairy producers of the year
The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) recently announced the winners of the 2024 National Master Dairyman Awards at an event hosted by AgriExpo in Stellenbosch, Western Cape.
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The Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment issued an official notice in mid-November in which it called on lion breeders to voluntarily hand over their lion bone stockpiles to the state as soon as possible.
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Thousands of UK farmers gathered in London, England, on 19 November to demand the government repeal a proposed inheritance tax on agricultural land, which they argued threatened the future of family-run farms (see page 4), Al Jazeera reported.
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Feed, hay, and other costs are up, so it's time to get creative
Breeders and riding schools need to explore innovative ways to generate income in order to ensure their survival, says Dr Mac.
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Living the 'culture' in agriculture
Creation Wines has won numerous awards, was ranked fourth in the World’s Best Vineyards in 2023, and more recently won the V d’Or award for the Best Brand Experience. The owners, Carolyn and Jean-Claude Martin, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how their winery became a top tourism destination.
Time to take a deep breath on the slopes of the Magaliesberg
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African penguins could be extinct by 2035 how to save them
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An urgent need to confront Nassella in SA
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