Some community members in the locations have mini gardens where they plant vegetables in small quantities for their own personal use.
Some of the vegetables end up going to waste because they do not have the right channels to sell their food. A duo Simangele Siko and Mpho Old-John have started a local farmers market for the community members.
The farmers market focuses mainly on urban farmers that farm in different schools, churches or in their yards. When this market was started they noticed that there’re many farmers who needed a platform to sell their products and to educate people about farming.
Old-John said the market will help solve both economic and social problems. This platform will help expose and promote organic food, agro-processing and recycling. She said most of the things the farmers produce do not have pesticides or fertilisers.
Old-John said the farmers often put pressure on them to host the market more often, as they host it once a month so that people can get used to it.
She encouraged community members to have their own food garden so that they can elevate poverty and hunger as there are limited jobs in the county. Mini food gardens will help people to have a clean and healthy life.
Her main concern was the youth because only a limited number of them find interest in farming and Agricultural Sciences.
“Healthy bodies need healthy food. We also include other local business people to ensure that their business is also noticed,” she said.
Thabo Mokoena who farms vegetables and Herbs said this is the only way they can present freshly produced food to the people.
He said at first they used to market themselves were informal markets such as street vendors, Bakkie Sellers, and many others.
Mokoena believes that this is a much better market because it allows people to visit different stalls and be able to see what they have and taste their products such as his tasty jam made out of watermelon.
His hope is to have the market every week. He said its winter they don’t have enough stock but the six months old really helps them make money.
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