Residents urged to drop off unwanted grass
FOURWAYS – With parts of South Africa in the grip of a drought, more and more people have come together to do what they can to assist areas severely hit by the lack of rain.
Annelize Geldenhuys, founder of Project Hope Grass, has called on urban residents to supply grass by dropping it off at various drop-off zones in the country.
Speaking to radio station 702’s Azania Mosaka in an interview, Geldenhuys said the response from South Africans had been overwhelming, “I’ve had people as far as Cape Town call me saying they want to help,” she said.
According to Geldenhuys, the grass will be used as feed for farm animals in areas hit by the drought.
Geldenhuys added that the relief project was also currently negotiating with a company to compact the grass into pellets. “In that way we can make animal feed that we can easily store, transport and distribute,” she said.
Community members in Fourways are urged to drop off their grass at the Southern Mapping Company on 39 Kingfisher Drive between 9am and 4pm from Monday to Friday. Grass will be collected once a week from the drop-off site.
Christelle Ferreira, marketing manager of Southern Mapping Company, provided the following tips for handling grass for drop off:
- Attempt to dry the grass as far as possible by spreading it out in the sun or making thin layers
- Once the grass is dry or partially dry, place your grass in a bag or a plastic bag and drop it off the same day it is bagged – especially if it is not thoroughly dried
- Ensure that domestic pet faeces are removed from the area before cutting the grass, as pet faeces contaminates animal feed and increases the risk of parasite transmission
- Do cut little holes into your bag to constantly aerate the grass
- Do try and drop your grass off no more than 48 hours after it has been cut
- Do not immediately put the cut grass in plastic bags unless it will be dropped off the same day
- Do not leave closed plastic bags with freshly cut grass in the sun or heat as this may lead to fermentation
- Do not let big piles of grass heat up as this promotes fermentation and bacterial activity.
Details: 084 629 9674; 011 467 2609; hopegrassproject@gmail.com
Do you have other innovative ways to assist farmers battling with the drought? Tweet @Fourways_Review your ideas
