Home: NEWS: FEMALE FARMER WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Top Western Cape women in agriculture awarded - 8 August 2007
(click on the names to read more about each farmer/project)
Nontembeko Snell (Vuk'unzenzele Community Nursery), Cobus Dowry (MEC Agriculture Western Cape, Gloria Bebeza (Khumbulani Farming) and Marinda du Plessis, winners of the 2008 Female Farmer of the year.
Top Producer: Household Markets: Khumbulani Project
The Khumbulani project was started in 2007 when an HIV support group realised te need for nutritious food and support for HIV positive people and Aids sufferers. The community surrounding the garden is poverty stricken with unemployment being a big problem. The groups consist of 30 members. Most of the vegetables produced are used for the support group, soup kitchen, day care facilities and for sick people in the community. The surplus is sold to the community. The project is community based, and provides food security to the most vulnerable members of the community in which it operates. Currently meals are provided to 195 children daily, while 12 orphaned children live at the centre.
“We provide protection for those in crisis and at risk by mobilizing community support to families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS,” says Gloria.
Top Producer: Informal Markets: Vuk'unzenzele Community Nursery
In 2005 a group of young people in Kleinmond decided to start the Vuk’uzenzele Community Nursery as an attempt to promote self employment, food security and the sustainable use of natural resources in their community. The group was helped by the municipality, who assisted with half a hectare of municipal land, which the group rents at R100 annually, as well as SANBI (South African National Botanical Institute), who assisted with the nursery structure, trees, herbs and training in horticulture. In 2007 the group completed a landscaping course through the Department of Labour.
At present the nursery produces vegetable seedlings, indigenous trees and herbal plants, to the tune of 3000 vegetable seedlings, 2423 indigenous trees and 500 herbal plants. The nursery has also diversified into other gardening paraphernalia, included mosaic tiles, compost tyres and other decorative items. A contract with SANBI provides a regular turnover of indigenous plants, while members of the public regularly purchase not only plants, but also decorative items for the garden from Vuk’unzele Community Nursery. The group have also extended their business by providing a gardening service to the community.
Top Producer: National Markets: Marinda du Plessis
Marinda du Plessis is an up-and-coming social worker-turned-farmer from the Caledon district. She has been farming since April 2006 on 800ha of farmland in the Caledon district. Having grown up on a farm, Marinda is passionate about farming and passionate about nature, and wanted to make a living by farming. The 800ha farm, Môreson, consists of 450ha productive land and 350ha bush veld. 75% of the farm’s income is from the dairy, and the rest from sheep production for local markets.
Since she started her farming operation in 2006, she has grown her herd to 140 dairy cows, and takes pride in her calf feeding system as well as her strong record keeping and budgeting systems, which enables her to produce more profitably.
“I would like to motivate especially women to use our specific aptitudes and skills in agriculture. Even if we can’t all own a farm or be farmers, there are many challenges within the agricultural sector where the female touch can be especially valuable,” she says.
Runners up:
Top Producer National Markets: Wanda Stoffberg
This successful female farmer farms with sheep and pigs. She does her own value-adding and slaughters, packs and markets her meat herself, enabling her to produce meat more cheaply. A astute business woman, Wanda also runs a butchery and a property agency. The selection of a winner in this category was exceptionally difficult, with such outstanding candidates.
Zenzele Organic Farm Project Runner-up: Top producer for informal markets
Zenzele organic farm project farms on 1.5 ha with a variety of vegetables. They produce a variety of seasonal vegetables that are sold at, amongst others, an organic restaurant where the vegetables gets tested and certified organic before purchase.
In the category for top producer for household markets, it was so difficult for the judges to choose a runner up, that we eventually settled on a tie. These two groups both impressed with their dedication and commitment to their projects, as well as the ambitious plans that they have for their future.
Masikhule - Runner-up: Top producer household markets
What impressed the judges about this project is how far the women in this group came in the past four years. The members of the group used to have no income, and had to collect food at the dump in Botriver. A couple of enterprising women decided to start the project in an attempt to alleviate the extreme poverty of their lives. Vegetables are produced in tunnels; and today the group can look back with pride on the fact that they had doubled their productive tunnels from 90 to 180, in the 4 years that they have been in operation, and we hope that the prize money they won tonight will assist in expanding even further.
Esam Esakho Isitiyo - Runner-up: Top producer household markets
At this stage Esam Esakho isitiyo produces mainly for household markets, but they are planning on growing the enterprise! They are already selling some of their produce at the Phillippi market as well as to Woolworths. The group supports HIV and Aids sufferers and their families with fresh food.
Special Youth Award: Natasja van der Riel
As a competitor in youth shows since her 11th year, this entrant had an enthusiasm for agriculture that was inspirational. She did not, however, qualify as a farmer, as she only has one cow, which she does not manage. Due to her enthusiasm for agriculture in general and dairy cows in particular, the judges for the Female Farmer competition decided to award her a bursary as a special Youth Prize.
