Friends build a future on farm
As the national conversation about land ownership unfolds, reporter Nomazima Nkosi will tell the story this month of women in agriculture, their work and contribution to the Eastern Cape farming landscapeSeven years ago, the only knowledge of farming they had between the two of them was from herding goats as children.
Regardless, they decided to give up their livelihoods from selling vegetables, clothes and vetkoek, to pursue a career in angora goat and cattle farming.
With only a few workshops and a training course in farming under their belts, Sarah Louw, 59, and Salomina Myburgh, 54, took ownership of a 5,600ha farm, Uitkomst Coorp, and have been striving ever since to make their business a success.
After being given the farm by the Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform, and 300 ewes by the department of trade and industry, Louw and Myburgh have grown their stock to 953 goats and 85 cattle.
When the women moved onto Uitkomst farm, between Jansenville and Graaff-Reinet, in 2011, it was in tatters.
Water pipes had been removed, tractors they thought came with the farm were gone, and the electric fence that had once protected the property was cut.
The farmhouse’s windows and roof needed to be fixed.
It then dawned on them that the road ahead would be a hard one – they would have to start from scratch.
“When we got here, the windmills weren’t working, crucial water pumps had been plucked from the earth and the fencing around the farm was collapsing,” Louw said.
“We had to install everything from scratch, and even buy a tractor.
“The previous owners planted olive trees for us which we know nothing about.
“I thought the department checked on these things – because without them, farms are bound to fail,” she said.
The long-term friends employ five staff members, three of whom are permanent.Louw and Myburgh went on a three-year training programme funded by Mohair SA before taking over their farm.
Louw said even though the training had been invaluable, nothing had prepared them for the actual job at hand.
“We learnt how to take care of our goats and so forth but the day-to-day of running a farm is something we still need to learn but we get a lot of assistance from the older gentleman who works for us.
“He spent his whole life on a farm so some of the things we still need to learn come naturally to him,” Louw said.
While undergoing the training they received monthly stipends and used some of that to buy a bakkie.
They have come a long way – to the point where they now regard themselves as commercial farmers.
“This is no longer a project. “We’re saying it’s a commercial farm because we have 900 goats and we also have cows and we’re making a profit, even if it’s not where we’d like it to be,” Louw said.
“The farm makes little profit but we have a lot of challenges such as our camps are too big and we need to divide them so we can boer quickly.
“We also have jackals eating our livestock, and lynx too.”
Entering Uitkomst Co-orp, it is hard to believe there are people living in the farmhouse as the windows are broken and the roof is leaking.Myburgh said they thought they would have fixed the house by now, but it had to be put on the back burner as other priorities were more important to the business.
On the ground are hundreds of metres of fencing, waiting to be erected to divide the different animal camps.
Louw said the fencing was sponsored by the government.
The two receive their income every six months from the sale of mohair while they auction off cattle annually.
“This farm has helped me tremendously because now I can stand on my own two feet,” Myburgh said.
“I don’t depend on anyone for money and the little bit I get here assists me in everything. I can even share what I get here with family.”
Louw said: “I love farming because it has opened a lot of doors for me and I’m able to take care of my deceased friend’s daughter who is doing Grade 12 and is planning on going to university to study agriculture.”
The women spoke about the tough competition in the industry, particularly as their goats are smaller and thus produce less mohair.
Myburgh said if they had more profit coming in, they would buy more livestock and hopefully employ more people.
Before going to Uitkomst Co-orp, the two met in Klipplaat where they sold vegetables, vetkoek and clothes to make a living. Louw was also herding her own six goats, given to her by her father.
Myburgh said their friendship had grown over the years.
“Both of us weren’t working and we always found ways of making money, either by selling vegetables or travelling to Joburg to buy clothes and sell them back home.
“And when [Louw] catered [for] events, she would fetch me and we’d work together,” Myburgh said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
FREE TO READ | Just register if you’re new, or sign in.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@heraldlive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.