Global workshop closes with commitment to enabling environment for new research on fish for nourishment

(December 15, 2017) Participants at the Global Workshop on Nutrition-sensitive Fish Agri-food Systems which closed 8 December in Siem Reap, Cambodia agreed that while evidence is mounting that fish is a solid investment choice, in particular for reducing global undernutrition, more needs to be done to build the case.

The workshop also saw an announcement that WorldFish has become an official member of the Scaling UP Nutrition (SUN) movement. SUN is a global push for action to improve nutrition of all —especially women and children.

Incoming WorldFish Director General, Gareth Johnstone: “It’s clear that a more compelling case to better understand how fish production and consumption can impact the lives of the poor needs to be made. At WorldFish, I commit to creating an enabling environment for better research and better research collaborations that will make a clearer link between fish agri-food systems and development outcomes including livelihoods and food and nutrition security.”

Shakuntala Thilsted, Research Program Leader, Value Chains and Nutrition: “Global reports on agriculture are produced that too often make marginal reference to fish and its contribution to livelihoods and food and nutrition security. Membership of SUN will allow us to gain more visibility for fish as a critical means to address nutrition and health. At this workshop, I was particularly pleased to see strong statements of support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, IFAD, JICA, USAID and the World Bank among others, in particular recognizing the importance of fish and the need to make nutrition-sensitive investments.”

The Global Workshop on Nutrition-sensitive Fish Agri-food Systems, was convened by WorldFish with support from IFAD, the European Union and the Royal Government of Cambodia and was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 5-8 December 2017. The event was opened by H.E. Dr. Yim Chhay Ly, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), Royal Government of Cambodia

Robert Bertram, Chief Scientist for USAID's Bureau for Food Security, emphasized the importance of fish for poorer households during the closing session: "People recognize that fish is an especially nutritious food -- this is widely understood. What is less well known is how critical fish is to the diets of the poor in many countries where we work. Using fish more comprehensively can help achieve food security that is sustainable and highly effective in advancing our nutrition goals."

The event saw 150 participants from 20 countries discussing a need to shift from fish production approaches to fish agri-food systems that are more geared to nutrition-sensitive outcomes.

Participants at the workshop, including representatives of governments, UN organizations, NGOs and research institutes reflected that fish agri-food systems were not as well researched as other areas of agriculture making informed decisions on how to invest difficult.

Through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world has committed to ending all forms of malnutrition. Reorienting food systems across all actors and levels, towards improving nutrition outcomes (nutrition-sensitive food systems) is central to achieving this goal, as was recognized in the second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) Framework for Action and further strengthened by the declaration of the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025. The CGIAR has also committed to improvements in food and nutrition security with specific targets for increasing dietary diversity of women and reducing micronutrient deficiencies up to 2030. Fish is uniquely placed to contribute to this goal, yet has received inadequate attention in debates on nutrition-sensitive food systems. 

Owl-inspired wisdom solves mystery

A conservation superhero has turned crime fighter, as the special owls he saves have led the way to a nest of stolen vehicles.

Early on Tuesday morning, 5 December, the manager of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) Birds of Prey Programme, Dr Gareth Tate saw that, as usual, his Ford Ranger stood safely in the driveway. Moments later, when he looked again, there was only empty space where his Ranger once stood. A trusted companion in the field for many years, the vehicle had been sponsored by the Ford Wildlife Foundation, and Gareth’s work would be crippled without it. He immediately called the police and the vehicle tracking company, Netstar, and notified the security company that guards the street.

CCTV footage showed a car pulling up next to the EWT vehicle, and less than ten minutes later the Ranger was driven off. To follow the strong signal from the two tracking devices in the vehicle, a team was sent to intercept the stolen car, but the devices were soon found discarded from the vehicle. It was now officially off the grid.

Or was it? As it happened, there was a solar powered GPS/GSM tracking device in the vehicle, which was intended to be attached to a threatened African Grass-owl as part of an EWT research project on the movement ecology of the species on the highveld coal belt. The team had planned to head out the evening before to deploy it on one of these mysterious birds, but this trip had been cancelled due to heavy rain.

The owl tracking device uses cellular networks to download and send GPS locations or fixes at set intervals. Gareth immediately uploaded new settings to the device that was due to come online at 14:00 that afternoon. The new settings would make the device come online and send a location every 10 minutes, as opposed to only every 20 hours.

At 14:00, Gareth logged in to see if the device had powered up, but to his disappointment, it had not come back online and it was feared that this tracking device too had been destroyed.

After checking on the device on an hourly basis for the next few days with no success, it seemed as if all hope was lost. However, a final attempt to check up on the logger on Sunday 10 December proved successful, as it was not only online but was giving strong GPS fixes. The police were contacted, as was Netstar, and both mobilised their teams. Gareth also contacted Mark Notelvitz, the director of CORTAC tactical security services in Johannesburg, whom he also informed about the owl tracking unit coming online and Mark immediately got his teams into the area, despite the EWT not being their client.

With the help of SAPS, CORTAC and Netstar searched a number of premises in close proximity to the last GPS location, but were unable to locate either the vehicle or tracker. On Monday morning (11 December 2017), Gareth again logged in and noticed the tracker had come online again. Due to poor cellular reception and waning battery life, there was some error in the accuracy of each GPS fix, which usually varies from 0-100m, making the exact location of the device difficult to distinguish. But after conducting in-depth analysis on the data, based on similar work done when trying to locate vulture nests from GPS-tagged individuals, Gareth was able to determine a more accurate location of the stolen device. He again contacted the SAPS, Netstar, and CORTAC with the updated address and coordinates for the device. This led to the discovery of the stolen EWT Ford Ranger along with two other stolen vehicles. A number of individuals were also apprehended and a large amount of criminal activity was uncovered in the premises. The EWT’s little owl tracker not only saves owls’ lives but was instrumental in bringing down a criminal syndicate and recovering stolen vehicles.

This remarkable story demonstrates how teamwork, relentless perseverance and conservation in action not only saves wildlife but saves the day!

Special thanks must go to all those involved, including SAPS, CORTAC, Netstar, and Ford Wildlife Foundation, for helping to return this vehicle to the EWT, keeping our birds of prey in the sky and our Ranger on the road! - Endangered Wildlife Fund press release.

Read about the EWT and owls in the "Birds and farming" chapter. 

Good news to South Africa from Agriculture

For the second quarter in a row, agriculture posts growth that does wonders for the South African economy, contributing significantly to a 2% growth.

Find the Farmer's Weekly article "Second consecutive quarter of agricultural growth for SA" here.

View our website which gives overviews of every link that contributes to this success at www.agribook.co.za. 

Famous Brands Cheese company and Coega Dairy empower communities with cash for cows

Famous Brands Cheese Company (FBCC) and Coega Dairy will collectively contribute R3 million to five black-owned community dairy farms in the Eastern Cape to finance the purchase of more than 300 dairy cows. The funds will be disbursed over a three year period, with FBCC and Coega Dairy each contributing R1.5 million.

L Collet (Coega Dairy), Mr. L Kente Ncora (Dairy Trust), Ms. L Maso (Seven Stars Dairy Trust), Mr. C Jantjies (Middeldrift Dairy Trust), L Mavhungu (Fort Hare Dairy Trust), Ms. F Ngqakayi (Shilo Dairy Trust), Mr. J Every (Amadlelo Agri), Ms. L Nthla (Famous Brands)

In 2016, Amadlelo Agri, a black empowerment agricultural business which manages the five community owned farms, approached Coega Dairy and FBCC to assist local community farmers to attain ownership of their own dairy herds.

Andrew Mundell, Famous Brands’ COO Enterprise Development, says, “At present, a large number of the cows on the community farms are leased from commercial dairy farmers. By investing in this project we will assist the community farmers to gain increased access, participation and ownership in the value chain.”

He adds, “Ensuring security of supply of raw milk is critical to FBCC and Coega Dairy, and this investment will achieve that. The farms currently deliver approximately 25% of FBCC’s total milk intake. It is projected that the cows and their future offspring will produce in excess of 10 million litres of milk over a five year period.”

The five community farms which will benefit from the R3 million investment are: Fort Hare Dairy Trust, Middledrift Dairy Trust, Keiskammahoek Dairy, Shiloh Dairy Trust and Ncora Dairy Trust.

Coega Dairy was founded in 2011, and is a processor of dairy products and one of the largest long life milk producers in the country. This unique business was established through the partnership of existing commercial farmers with previously disadvantaged communities. The Dairy procures milk from producers in the Eastern Cape and processes UHT milk and butter at its modern facility in the Coega Industrial Development Zone in Port Elizabeth. The Dairy’s products are sold nationally through retailers and wholesalers.

FBCC was established in 2012 when Famous Brands entered into a ground-breaking joint-venture partnership with Coega Dairy, which is co-owned by local farmers, and factory and farm employees, to supply cheese products to the Group. FBCC is co-owned by Famous Brands (51%) and Coega Dairy (49%). The shareholders in Coega Dairy are milk producers (62%) and the Coega Empowerment Trust (38%). The beneficiaries of the Empowerment Trust are the five black-owned community farms (40%), factory workers (40%) and farm workers (20%).

 FBCC comprises a state-of-the-art cheese manufacturing plant, situated adjacent to Coega Dairy’s facility. FBCC procures its milk requirements from Coega Dairy which it then processes to produce Mozzarella, cheese slices, cheese spread and cream cheese for the Group’s franchise network. The plant processes nine million kilograms of cheese products per year. Together the businesses employ 275 people.

Mundell comments, “We established FBCC to further our strategy to build the Group’s manufacturing capability and leverage opportunities in the supply chain. The business has been a tremendous success. Over the past five years the intake of raw milk at Coega Dairy has increased by 14% per annum while milk intake for cheese at FBCC has increased by more than 20% over the past four years.”

Victor Korsten, Chief Executive of Coega Dairy, says, “Coega Dairy and FBCC are committed to the development of this primary production of milk from community farms and this locally focused empowerment investment will make an important difference in a particularly needy province.”

He adds, “All the necessary operational, technical and statutory support will be provided to ensure the sustainability and good governance of the project.”

Mundell concludes, “We are excited about the opportunities this investment will create for local community suppliers, while ensuring we continue to meet our franchise network’s growing demand for this strategic menu item.”

Written by Instinctif Partners Africa.

Find the Dairy (cattle) and Dairy processing chapters in the Agri Handbook. 

Going, going ...

We came across an infographic by TuskPhoto recently: a list of 10 endangered African species.

Some of these species are covered in the “Wildlife on farms” and “Birds and farming” chapters, and are central to programmes run by groups like the Endangered Wildlife Trust. Included here are the riverine rabbit (less than 250 adults left), the cheetah and the African white-backed vulture.

White and black rhino are on the list. Since the 70’s they have been intensively poached. Northern white rhinos were declared “extinct in the wild” in 2011, and only three individuals are left on the planet. Rhino horns are used in Chinese medicine to treat a variety of health issues. Other countries that buy rhino horns are South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. While the governments of these countries do not take action the poaching will continue.

Other animals on the list are the Ethiopian wolf (only wolf species found in Africa), the African elephant, the Mountain Gorilla, the African Penguin and the African Wild Dog.

The infographic contains pictures of these ten species along with short notes on the reasons for their dwindling numbers in the wild.

TuskPhoto run wildlife photography tours and safaris.

The importance of feeding on rotting meat

It is with great sadness that we read about 45 vultures being poisoned this week, ironically the week after International Vulture Awareness Day. That it happened in neighbouring Mozambique is immaterial. The sun shines, rivers run and vultures fly as they have for centuries. Nature does not recognise the compromise of the geo-political boundaries that we have drawn.

Of course, borders and the right protocol around them are important in as far as biosecurity goes. It is vital to keep in check the pests and diseases that rise like shadows from the way we live and farm. Biosecurity guarantees economic sectors, livelihoods and interlocking economies, and is necessary, it goes without saying. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations lists issues like transboundary pests and diseases, exacerbated by our changing weather patterns, as trends that the planet will have to face while its farmers produce food for its 7 billion plus humans (find its The future of food and agriculture: trends and challenges, released this month here).

Vultures are listed as one of the beneficial birds in our "Birds and farming" chapter. Their digestive systems mean that they can absorb cholera, rabies and prevent disease from spreading, and play a critical role in maintaining the ecological health of the planet.Unfortunately they are one of the fastest declining groups of animals in the world. 

In the end, the poisoning of these vultures this week is part of a wider problem. Would that there had been other ways for the human beings who laid out the poisoned meat to have been earning their keep! While we stumble forward and look for solutions, allow me to remember the 45 vultures for whom any enlightenment will have arrived too late.

Those agricultural metaphors

We have spoken before about how agriculture not only provides the food we eat but also supplies some choice, apt metaphors, usable by people of every persuasion.

It was my seeing the headlines in the morning newspaper email which diverted me from the usual Sunday morning routine. Man charged with murder after driving his car into anti-right wing protesters. No, not in Europe, nor someone of Middle Eastern or North African origin: an incident in the USA, and a car driven by a full-blooded American.

Of course it is our view (admittedly an outsider's one) that the decision to remove a respected confederate general's statue was an unnecessary one. By all means stomp on individual aberrations of misplaced patriotism when these appear, but the wisdom of trying to excise a part of your own history ...? Americans should be able to speak of "our General Robert E. Lee" (and "our Frederick Douglass") in addition to "our Ulysses S. Grant".

The Virginia governor, we  hear, "told white supremacists to go home". The USA is home, or is Virginia not part of the USA?  There is a danger when we don't integrate what is part of us and make it an over there. It is the fault line of how a large portion of adherents interpret their religion ... and the religion of others. And so only members of another faith drive motor cars into people.

Trump has responded by telling Americans to “love each other, respect each other and cherish our history and our future together. So important. We have to respect each other. Ideally, we have to love each other.” The words are true, of course, but does this man have the right to say them?  A man who pushed every fault line to come up as president?

There are no short cuts to integrity. This is a bank account you must build (and lose) yourself: it cannot be inherited from another. The irony of the richest ever president and his cabinet of billionaires not possessing the moral capital to make a difference! In a world where fear creates every division, every us-them, leadership calls for individuals comfortable with the divides in their own selves to stand as figures of unity in their countries, especially when these countries have diverse populations. When a leader like that is not forthcoming, that country has a harvest to reap.

On BFAP Agricultural Outlook 2017 - 2026: applause, opportunities and warnings

The latest annual Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) Baseline Agricultural Outlook has been released.

The annual Outlook is a project among several role players, primarily driven by the University of Pretoria, University of Stellenbosch and the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape. It is at pains to stress that the Outlook is not a prediction, merely a look at what is possible should various factors remain constant.

It notes some good news:

• The intensive livestock production enterprises will benefit from the surplus of grain following the ending of the drought in most areas of the country (the negative, of course, is low producer prices for grain farmers). 
• The country has for the past five years been a net exporter of beef. This is a positive even if a lack of weaners following the drought means that weaner prices are higher.
• Lamb and wool prospects look good.
• Growth in horticultural products such as berries, macadamias and pecan nuts continues to be “phenomenal”.

A round of applause, please, for the country which has, since 2005, reduced the percentage of the population living in the low income brackets (LSM 1-3) from 32 percent to 8 percent. It follows that this has led to a greater demand for food, and particularly to what is eaten.

The above growth is projected to slow down “considerably” over the next ten years, however, and be concentrated in urban areas. The BFAP Outlook suggests that this fact, along with the disparity between urban and rural prices, creates “significant opportunities” for informal chains to expand. Any entrepreneurs with ideas on how to close the gap between urban and rural food prices?

Higher income earners look for healthier alternatives (as well as value for money options). This is to be seen as an opportunity.

“Well-structured trade agreements, market access, and well structured and well managed sanitary and phytosanitary regulations” are what government must bring to the table.

Investment in the maintenance and expansion of water infrastructure, producer support programmes and education and training are top priorities for public sector funds.

All eyes are on the Western Cape, a major producer of horticultural products and wine. The spectre of drought has not been lifted here. And innovation among grain producers is a necessity: they should look at ways to add value to their product and/or to dilute margins in order to survive.

Access to support services like finance, information and technology, and economies of scale and the ability to manage risk “will count more than ever”, be it for commercial farmers or developing ones. Role players in the value chain who are not competitive or highly efficient, or not “positioned correctly in terms of their value add to the chain” will probably not be around next year.

Warnings

The Outlook reminds us that producers in South Africa are among the lowest five countries in the world when it comes to receiving subsidies from government [OECD’s Producer Support Estimate (PSE)]. Taking this into account, along with current economic condition, the targets of the National Development Plan are “simply not achievable”.

There has to be a belief that there will be growth before the necessary investment in agriculture happens. Improving food security, creating jobs, creating wealth (and reducing poverty) all depend on this. The mixed messages from government and resulting “increasing political uncertainty” keeps the brakes on this necessary belief in the future.

The implications for land reform and developing producers are significant. The industry as a whole needs to put realistic targets and plans in place, and then jointly execute these plans. A fragmented, ideologically driven, and uncoordinated approach will fail. The success of developing producers and land reform will hinge on the ability to allow producers to express their entrepreneurial potential. Simply supporting people without allowing them to thrive and grow through innovation, will not lead to success. This implies access to cutting edge knowledge and expertise; access to land but with ownership vesting with the producer to allow them to leverage the value of the asset to access finance and to allow them to increase the size of their operations to gain economies of scale; access to cutting edge technology and genetics to allow them to produce proper yields and good quality products that can be sold to both formal and informal markets; and lastly a nimble and supportive government that creates a playing field whereby developing producers and land reform beneficiaries can truly unlock the economic potential vested in themselves and the resources they gain access to. Dreams of success that do not take into account these realities will remain just dreams. Source: BFAP BASELINE | Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026

Download the full document at www.bfap.co.za.

Rustler's Valley (conclusion): Conversations 2

The steps taken by EarthRise Trust in purchasing Rustler’s Valley and setting in motion what has happened since is a conversation on its own. Co-operatives have long been punted by governments worldwide as the vehicle to get the wheels of development turning. Our chapter on co-operatives begins: "Co-operatives are not only for the poor, but of all the different types of business organisations, co-operatives reach down most to the low income groups". And "The main feature of co-operatives is that they help people to help themselves".

Naledi Village Farmers’ Co-operative will face the challenges of all co-operatives because it is a collection of human beings: how to motivate and keep all members motivated and giving their best? How to ensure quality control (in preparing rooms at the lodge, for example)? That they are doing it for themselves will be a reason for many, but not all. Naledi Village Farmers’ Co-operative carries the hopes of the whole village. It holds the potential too of being an example to communities everywhere.

Prayer flags

Another conversation introduced by Rustler's Valley is around security of tenure.

• How do you strengthen the rights of people working and living on a farm without threatening the farmer’s sense of being control of the land to which he holds the title deeds and to which his life is tied? 
• How do you balance this with the security of tenure for farm dwellers themselves? It is not only livelihoods that hang in the balance. Some farm dwellers go back some time of farms. Graves of their fathers and mothers are on the property, for example.

The "heart" of social activities at Naledi Village. Below this is a soccer field.

The unintended results of lawmakers in the past two decades have seen numerous farmers moving their staff off-farm. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) report "Farm Workers’ Living and Working Conditions in South Africa: key trends, emergent issues, and underlying and structural problems"  listed in our Labour and agriculture chapter provides an excellent analysis of the situation between farmers and labour, and we won't go into it in details here.

View from a mountain top facing Lesotho. Rustler's Valley is behind the photographer.

When EarthRise Trust purchased the Rustler’s Valley farm, it gave the community who lived on the farm ownership of the land on which their houses stood so that they would never again have to worry about being evicted. It also fenced off 42 hectares for the villagers' own use.

It might be true that this is easier to do something like this if you have property and interests elsewhere, in addition to your farm. Be that as it may, the developments at Rustler’s Valley are an event, a benchmark. The Trust has done its best in terms of the community living on the farm, and this challenges others to do their best too.

"Conversation" points to an engagement of role players, defining a problem with a view to seeking a resolution. Conversation sheds light on existing perspectives, hopes for a consensus/ compromise, and arrives at measures to take a case forward. If no forward movement is possible, at least there is more light on the matter. The resulting understanding of the reality on the ground prepares role players for a potential gap when it does open.

Rustler's Valley is a conversation in itself and one which will lead to many more.

FOOTNOTES

1. Issues of tenure have featured in AgriBEE which includes a provision for farmers to set off a portion of land for the farm workers’ own use. The Strengthening of Relative Rights for People Working the Land (50/50) Programme, launched in 2015, sees farmers and workers sharing ownership of the farm. The best model we ever came across was the Grasslands Development Trust in the Eastern Cape which ensured 100% black land ownership [find the paragraph on it here].
2. This month (July 2017) has seen the publishing of two documents on the issue: the Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA)'s Pathways out of Poverty: Improving Farm Dwellers’ Tenure Security and Access to Housing and Services and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI)'s Protection Against Eviction under the Extension of Security of Tenure Act. Both are hailed as guides for people interested in farm tenure rights. 
3. Last week saw the Biznews Weekender newsletter pointed to the many farmers who live off-farm, a response to farm attacks, but this is a point for another post.

Rustler's Valley: Conversations 1

The facilities at EarthRise Mountain Lodge are comfortable, and conducive to conversation. Indeed, several happened during our stay.

Every time we arrived at the reception, we were impressed by the warmth of those present, a warmth matched by the fireplace, a welcome attraction on cold days and cold evenings. And when people gather near a fire, conversation starts.

We gave an introduction to using the Agri Handbook. There is a proverb, Dikgomo ke banka ya Mosotho (cattle are the bank of a Mosotho), and we smiled widely at the response of Anton Chaka, chairperson of Naledi Village, to being shown the marketing and livestock auctions chapters, watched him nod as he went through the details. The introduction led to a discussion, not only on marketing but on recognising and developing existing skills in the community.

An evening conversation at the EarthRise Trust house. 

Another conversation (which we wish had been recorded) was primarily between Gino and Mike. That Gino champions local government and local development is an understatement. Because South Africa is "only a boundary", a "compromise of 287 municipalities", local government is where the action and potential lies, being the closest to the people. The civic groupings were drawn into government structures in 1994 and ceased to exist. We need to start again. Democracy is not just about voting every five years!

To the discussion Mike brought the value of Blockchain and cryptocurrencies, and the enormous potential they hold for people at grassroots level. [There are several videos on YouTube about this. Watch "19 industries the Blockchainwill disrupt" for example, or the TED talks]. It was a fascinating conversation. 

It had been an hour plus and some of us slipped out: we wanted to snap some last photographs and to catch the sunset.

Rustler's Valley: view from a neighbour

It was Gino’s idea that we meet a neighbouring commercial farmer or two; see what they had to say about developments at Rustler’s Valley. We had met Ray Strydom briefly the day before and so I jumped at the second name offered – Christian Findlay. 

The road leading past EarthRise Mountain Lodge to Franshoek, Christian Findlay's farm.

Findlay agreed on the phone to meet us. It was short notice and so we were grateful. Jackie dropped us off at Franshoek, and we were shown to the house. We had just sat down on the veranda when he was called away, but not before he invited us to make ourselves tea or coffee in the kitchen, something we found a remarkable show of trust.

Once he had returned, Findlay filled us in on his farming operation. He had phased out cattle and gone for sheep, but was now bringing some weaners back in again. 

Livestock belong on pastures. He is sold on Sericea Lespedeza (see the “Fodder crops” chapter and earlier post) and bales of it can be seen on his lands.

We find that his sense of fair play extends to jackal. People wanted to come hunt jackal in his mountains and he told them to "leave my jackal alone", he recounts. Like neighbour Ray Strydom, Findlay is sold on Allan Savory’s philosophy. Implementing the wagon-wheel system means no predator problems. He also has two Anatolian dogs which, if they grow up with the sheep, look after them. He speaks of finding a dead mongoose near where he keeps some poultry, and credits the Anatolians for this. 

The Anatolians double up as guard dogs, the only obvious security measure around the house. Findlay believes in treating the farm community fairly. Without their goodwill he is “a sitting duck”, he says. His polo association has for years put money towards the staff children’s education which has included daily transport for them to attend school in town, and we later find a write up about this. Horse polo has featured prominently as a sport that includes and develops farm workers in the Ficksburg district (see www.poloafrica.com and http://poloschool.co.za).
 

What does he think of developments at Rustler’s? His response is immediate. At a time when the planet is taking a beating, Jay Naidoo and his team are doing “a fantastic job”.

Christian Findlay on his veranda

He is puzzled that they did not consult neighbouring farmers about local conditions or see if there was something to learn from the people who were already farming in the area. What pointers would he have given, I ask. 

Soil is critical, and the soils on the farm will require attention sooner rather than later. Implementing Savory-linked measures will do wonders for the farm, he says. He speaks more broadly, nationally: government should apply these measures to failed farms; this would put farmers back on the (workable) land. The slangbos will need attention. He would locate vegetable operations closer to the village, to include any lesser abled people.

Evidence from other farmers in the area show that one can make it on smaller operations, and he names some of these. When what you’re paying for inputs is relatively low it is easier to keep a track on things and to measure your success. You don’t have to be “a big farmer” to make it.

Christian praises the harvest festival, the generosity of giving everyone some of the produce, including the neighbouring farmers. This scored points, he says, and will be remembered when the farm needs help. “What was the tonnage? I don’t know and that is not the point”. There are risks and challenges specific to the eastern Free State and the Naledi co-op has made its mark. 

We thank him for his time. The sun has not set yet and rather than call Jackie for the offered lift we decide to use the opportunity to take in the scenery once more and walk back to EarthRise Lodge.

Rustler's Valley: nurseries and a healing centre

Generally Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) has a low profile in the country, which makes the “Indigenous medicinal plants” chapter quite a task every time we update the Agri Handbook! Imagine our delight to find out that Byron and Soozi are medicinal plants experts!

Idealism without practical considerations is wearying, but these two individuals impress very quickly, and establish a sense that they know what they are talking about. They have big plans for the area, their contribution to the co-operative, but also supply the little strokes to build the case for what they are doing.

A medicinal plants centre is planned here. Why not? Many of the most useful indigenous plants, they tell us, grow within a thirty km radius of Rustler’s. Indigenous knowledge will be championed, says Byron, and a conversation built around it. Not only African but knowledge from around the world that fits this category.

In addition to a nursery for these indigenous plants, a commercial one is planned. This is intended to be a money-making enterprise. The conditions at Rustler’s are optimal for growing: at least twelve hours of sunlight every day. Much of the infrastructure has already gone up: a tunnel and shade cloth for covered growing. Racks, pipes are ready. The farm is just awaiting more funding.

Establishing a seed bank is seen as important. This will include indigenous food crops. Soozi speaks of the need to expand horizons, of not consuming only commercial plants. Indigenous crops use less water and are more hardy. Supplying the farm from this seed bank will mean the farm remains organic. They intend to expand from here, to propagate seed and become the preferred supplier to municipalities and such bodies. Established plants (as opposed to seedlings) will also be on offer.

A medicinal plant conservatory project will include the Traditional Healers Association, homeopaths and relevant parties. It will have educational and conservation purposes, tying in with what Rustler’s is all about. Travel and tourism is involved, planting days, harvesting days which employ people in the district, and tapping into the herbal market.

Plans for the nursery include fruit trees (trees can reverse climate change). Soozi points to where old cherry trees stand. She speaks of planting new trees between the older ones, giving the older ones a parent function. As we walk, van der Linde points to the swales on the farm, ridges constructed to retain water after rain. She speaks of other potentials on the farm: rainwater harvesting, the use of grey water for use in toilets. There are plans to have a borehole (indeed, Gino had excused himself from events this day to meet to borehole-related visitor).
 

Approaching the Healing Centre

Soozi and Byron have fifteen different courses and retreats planned. We are now standing at what will be the Healing Centre. Included among the medicinal plants and IKS courses are ones that are not horticultural at all, ones like yoga and meditating. They fit under the umbrella of the place though, and the objective of wellness and health. Ablution blocks are being constructed using the bricks made on the farm.

Building rondavels at the Healing Centre

... and ablution blocks

Soozi picks up on the permaculture credentials, potentials, of the place. Permaculture founder, Bill Morrison, gave his first training in this country here at Rustler’s Valley. Under the old owner, gardening was done for individual homesteads though; it was not a common (what today’s is).

She points to the rows of bluegums and speaks of the protection they provide for crops from the wind. Fire and water are the two major threats on the farm. To safeguard the farm, use is made of winter (to clear waterways) and summer (to ensure measures to deal with fire).

She points to the aloes, planted to keep soil in place. They have a flat root system and are ideal for this function. Aloes grow on the steep side of mountains; humans can copy the principle in using them. In addition to being a permaculturist and medicinal plant expert, Soozi champions biomimicry too.

Soozie is also qualified and registered as a carbon-footprints analyst, and ponders the implications of vehicles arriving/leaving Rustler’s, the mechanisation, livestock, the lifestyle. It is important to plant trees to offset carbon. Carbon is a waste product and I am not surprised to find that waste management is among her skills.

We are headed back for to the reception and our vehicles.

Rustler's Valley: Naledi Village Farmers' Co-operative

 

Jackie Zondo is clear on one point: “Everything you see is an initiative of the community”.

The point is discussed in several places – how a community must be included in whatever has to do with them. In our Boreholes & windmills chapter, for example, a role player discussing water supply systems for communities calls this the “most important … and most neglected part of the installation process”. Participation is meant to be the bedrock of democracy (see discussion in a later blog in this series). It is certainly central to any understanding of a co-operative, and EarthRise’s venture with the Naledi Village Farmers’ Co-op has shown a keen appreciation of this:  the community has been involved in every step.

Morning breaks over the conference centre where a baker from Ficksburg is presenting training in baking technology

Stones are used to keep roofs down. In the event of having to relocate, the roofs can be used again and will not have been pierced by nails. Transferring ownership of some ground to the community itself has ensured security of tenure.

Jackie speaks much of community buy-in. She refers to the first ever Harvest Festival which had been held the previous weekend, a vindication of all the efforts so far, and of the intention to drive their own destiny.

 We arrive at the Naledi Village Farmer’s Co-op office. In the distance, cattle belonging to the co-operative are grazing the left overs from the harvested sugar beans [also called “dry beans”]. At the Harvest Festival, beans were handed out to all co-operative members as well as attendees, including neighbouring commercial farmers.

 The co-op grows vegetables including beetroot, spinach, tomatoes and butternut. The vegetables were the crops that made the initial slash (covered in Jay Naidoo’s book Change) and gave the community its first glimpse of what could lie ahead. Inside the office we would later see evidence of some adding-value activities like jam.

The skeletons of buildings razed by the fire years ago are in evidence. We walk through them and come to a place where experimentation has been done with different construction methods. We will be meeting the brick making enterprise later – all part of creating a local economy.

Sifting sand for brick making. The other two ingredients, river sand and cement, are sourced from outside the farm.

Bricks made on the farm. They have an interlocking design, lessening the need for cement.

Rustler’s is seen as a “safe space where ideas are tested”, a “learning space”. Behind the lodge, we are told, there is a home built from cut aways of wood. The ideal is to have a local community team, competent to attend to the building of new structures and taking care of the old. There is other farm infrastructure like roads which will require attention. The possibility of creating a local maintenance company is posited.

In the courtyard outside the co-op's offices we are introduced to Jim, who builds and repairs furniture. He was loading a table on a bakkie for delivery. Also to be seen in the courtyard were two diesel tanks. The price of fuel was to drop the following week, and there were plans to top-up the tanks then.

We walked around to the front where we met Byron Maclean and Soozie van der Linde.