Wendell Berry said: “A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one’s accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which the food comes.” I wonder how often we think about the journey which our food has taken to get to our plates.
Look at this journey of how a farm manager in the Tsitsikamma improved his soil health and what benefit it had on the environment.
Charles Darwin, the father of earthworm science, once said: “Without the work of this humble creature, who knows nothing of the benefits he confers upon mankind, agriculture, as we know it, would be very difficult, if not wholly impossible”
The rainfall in South Africa has been so sporadic that we can’t continue putting all our eggs in this basket. Is the desalination of seawater a possible solution?
Alien invasive plants are a huge threat to water security, and therefore sustainable agriculture. By clearing alien invasive plants, not only are we making more water available, but the opportunity to explore other industries exist.
I think many people have been sceptical of the idea that dairy farms could possibly be carbon neutral, but this data shows that this is actually possible. This is a massive positive impact! The theory is being put into action.
Representetives from Boointjieskraal, Pennisands and Rheebokrant Farms
The truth is, we have been caught in a vicious circle and no one wants to concede. In isiZulu, there is a saying “Omunye ukhomba omunywe esweni, omunye uvikela iso lakhe” loosely translated it means, one points fingers at everybody else but themselves.
This is part of the reason why Trace & Save initiated the carbon farming project. It is a central place where information on sustainable farm management can be transferred, a place where the commonality is caring for our soils and their health. Caring for our soils is caring for the future.
Plants are made-up of many components which each play an important role in the plants’ functioning. The part with the most important role of all is the leaf. This is where the core of the plants defensive and growth systems are initiated.