Ever wondered what a day on the farm with our Agricultural Training Programme is like? Imagine a warm, sunny morning filled with the buzz of bees and the joyful hum of our future farmers hard at work. Under the shade nets and food tunnels, rows are hoed, ripe vegetables are picked and packed, and our students are learning and growing right alongside their crops. Our mission quickly materializes before your eyes: “Empowering future farmers with hands-on experience and practical training.” In January 2025, we will proudly launch 11 more graduates into the world, ready to make their mark in agriculture!
We are grateful that so many of our local buyers understand and support our mission. They choose our fresh, delicious vegetables not just for their taste, but for the impact their purchase makes. From friends and neighbours to informal vendors in Masiphumelele and larger grocers, each supports our farm employment ministry. Additionally, our vegetables support two feeding programmes, providing nutritious meals for our Living Hope hospital patients and the sick, elderly, and vulnerable in our Home-Based Care programme.
Why Support Local Agriculture?
Economy Boost: Supporting local farming means your money stays within our community, creating a cycle of local investment. Farms like ours that sell directly to consumers retain up to 80% more than they would selling to corporations that require marketing, additional packaging, and transport.
Sustainability: The furthest our produce travels from picking to the grocery shelf is just 2.4 km (or 1.6 miles). This makes for crisper, tastier, and more nutrient-dense vegetables picked just hours before sale. This means lowering our carbon footprint and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Seasonal Eating: Enjoying in-season, locally grown produce enhances our customers’ meals with peak flavour and nutrition. It’s a win-win for taste buds and health!
Community Connection: Buying locally fosters a sense of community. Our customers get to know our students, learn about their practices, and appreciate the hard work that goes into growing food.
Generational Knowledge Transfer: Supporting small-scale farms helps preserve the knowledge of farming methods, ensuring these invaluable practices are passed down through generations.
Food Security: Local farmers enhance food security by providing a steady supply of fresh produce, even when global supply chains are disrupted.
How You Can Help?
No matter if you live locally or further away, we need your help to continue this vital work!
By giving to a monthly donation to our Agricultural Training Programme, you ensure that we can keep educating and empowering future farmers. At our farm, we strike a balance between earning maximum profits to support the program and allowing students to learn through their mistakes, which could negatively impact our final profit margin. This is why supportive partnerships are the key to our success! Join our community of supporters today by clicking the blue button to donate.
If you do live locally, sign up for our WhatsApp group to stay updated on available produce and become one of the 500 local neighbors who buy from us. Just send us a Whats App on 076 857 6143 indicating you would like to join or click this link to join https://chat.whatsapp.com/Lk3k6Fs4HqgCJgXV29dul0
Together, we can cultivate a brighter, more sustainable future. Thank you for your support!
Victor Thomas
Executive Director