PICS, VIDEO: Going organic with small-scale farming

While pregnant with her son Naledi, Manti Maifadi spent her time scribbling words that were a recollection of her life as a child at a family farm based in the small town of QwaQwa, located in the central-eastern part of South Africa.

These words were later published in Sesotho as a book Tshimong ya Meroho Le Naledi (In the vegetable garden with Naledi).

A book that was not only a way for Manti to share with her son a story that “affirms the African child” but also a vision of a life she wanted for her children.

In 2015, the Maifadi family opened Naledi Farm, situated in Laezonia, Centurion. Naledi Farm is an Agri tourism destination. The space is a farm-to-plate family-run farm that has grown from being a dream to a restaurant and the desired location for corporate events, retreats and children’s camps.

“My husband and I are dreamers, so we now wanted to create a physical space, give this book 3D form for people to walk and experience this vegetable garden that we’re talking about in this children’s book,” says Manti Maifadi, who is also the owner and chief.

The best for organic? 

Over time; chemicals, preservatives and mass farming have become less desirable for consumers. People are becoming more cautious of what they put on and in their bodies, and rightfully so.

Mass farming has been established as the best way to feed the masses. Yet recent research shows that small-scale farms produce about a third of the world’s food. While small-scale farms may not be the answer to global food security, they very well contribute to household food security.

The demand for organic produce has been on the rise. Yet the question remains, how do we know if it is organic? In retail, what even constitutes organic? These lines are often blurred in more instances than we can imagine.

Yet organic living is usually associated with being accessible to people earning in the higher LSMs (Living Standards Measurements). Most people want access to it without needing to break the bank for it.

Sidumisile Madlala, a regular at Naledi Farm says, “Local farms are not only amazing for shopping fresh produce, but there is a lot you learn and get back from your local farmer that you won’t get at a conventional farm”.

Manti says, “When you grow your food, you know exactly what is in it. These days a lot of food is labelled as being organic. But how do we know that it is organic? Do we know if the food we buy in shops is good for our bodies?”

“But if you grow the food yourself, you know that the meal you’re placing in front of your children every lunchtime and every dinnertime is good and will nourish you. Being able to grow your food is the most liberating feeling,” says Manti.

While most mass farmers do not have the time and money to compete with pests and revert to using fast chemicals – local farms have the luxury of allowing nature to play its course, which is a money saver. Plants like Nasturtiums naturally help with pest control – wild garlic helps eliminate snakes.

Are small farms sustainable and profitable? 

This trend has opened a market for small farmers to make a profit and provide food that is healthier, cheaper, organic and better for the environment.

Although there are many positives to living and opening a small-scale farm, there are also many disadvantages and downsides.

Manti says, “On a farm, every day, something breaks”. This can barely be sustainable for some families because having a farm forces you to focus a large amount of time on it.

“Not everyone can have the privilege of owning a farm, so we encourage people to have just 2 or 3 lines of their basic vegetables or herbs.

“This is a time for us as Africans to celebrate. This space is an inheritance we can touch,” says co-owner Samuel Maifadi.

“With a packet of seeds that cost less than maybe R10 or R15, you can grow food that you eat now and have seeds that you can keep for generations to come,” says Manti Maifadi.

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