With winter weather keeping many growers indoors, John gave feedback on the work that can be done, growing crops indoors or under shelter, even supplementing winter feed for animals with some fresh greens.

Mushroom growing and Micro-greens workshop.
During winter many crops are slow to grow and supplies of green leafy veg are often in short supply.
Micro-greens are a quick and profitable business venture, especially in Winter, with grow times between 7 to 14 days, which with proper planning can.
Mushrooms can be tricky, especially in non-sterile environments. Training took place on the cold pasteurisation method and straw as a grow medium.
Perfect for Oyster mushroom varieties and even Lions Mane have been grown at the CT facility.

The Seedling Challange, initiated by Anthony, is leading from the front. Anthony shared photo’s of his seedlings emerging earlier this week. No updates from his fellow seedling growers, Mr Mbatha, or the Jabavu group as yet, but hopefully Anthony’s results will encourage and motivate them to send through their updates..

Anthony will be back in Gauteng next week, and set-up meetings to discuss the Jabavu groups progress.

Jack also reported on the outbreak of foot and mouth disease, with farmers in the Heidelberg region to be aware of livestock movement restrictions, while poultry producers, especially those free-ranging their birds need to be especially concerned given the avian-flu breakout in certain areas.

Contrary to some thoughts, anyone eating contaminated meat from birds with avian flu, can suffer serious health issues, even death in some cases.
A recent case in Piet Retief, just off the R33, saw diseased birds, destined to be slaughtered, only to be redirected to a local township for selling and eating, potentially having terrible consequence’s.

In areas were the Dept of Water had historically repatriated people from land, in order to build dams, this included areas to this flood line exists.
In recent times, especially below the Bloemhof Dam, when sluice gates are opened, the excess water needs this buffer zone to accommodate the flooding, which means those homes are completely underwater.

Clearly some education needs to take place, and these flood zones are not available, but are needed to protect the dams, through controlled releases.

Adding to the mystery, whoever it is must have some sophisticated sensors to operate in the dark, either infra-red, night vision or thermal imagery and GPS capabilities.

One suggestion, was illegal prospecting was taking place, which takes the level of sophistication up several notches, with Magnetometers, Hyper spectral or Multi spectral Cameras, or even LIDAR imagery technology, taking the cost of these drones into the millions, before even getting into the software and tech’s needed to analyse the data. Very sophisticated.

Nancy also shared some funding advice she gave a student recently, that funding for travel is rarely provided, especially since the World Bank Anti-Corruption Unit flagged it as being linked to corruption & bribery.
However, one great bit of advice she shared if raising cash for travel is to approach companies within the travel industry. Its far easier to recieve complimentary services, instead of cash, therefore more likely to be approved.
Airline tickets, hotel rooms, meals, especially during off-peak times, can go a long way to ease a persons funding needs.

Following on recent discussions in earlier meetings, Thoko from the South African Council of Churches has been trying to work with Correctional Services, exploring ways how they can engage and help bring Agriculture and Entrepreneurship into their facilities.
Nancy recently shared a press release, highlighting potential opportunities to work with the department. - https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/media-statement-correctional-services-committee-wants-more-inmates-participate-production-workshops

This week Thoko reported on the articles and news briefings she is preparing to publish in the newsletter and perhaps in their own booklets and magazine.
This week, she’s been busy working on a Child-headed households project, which hopefully she’ll share more about with the group as time goes, a topic we don’t hear too much on.

Scott, from the US, who is more used to winter in New York, was curious if this winters weather had been different or more extreme, but Emma confirmed nothing unusual was really occurring, though autumn did last a bit longer than usual and the deep penetrating cold fronts we’ve had, made it feel worse, especially in Cape Town where a wet cold front, feels very different from a Gauteng dry cold front.

Emma also commented on Jacks’ report regarding the drones, as one of her colleagues Philemon Taylor, works quite a lot with drones, especially for high -resolution imaging of land cover and land degradation, but will ask him about the night flying and for his thoughts on it.

Unfortunately Bonginkosi doesnt have a dedicated workforce to carry out the work, which means the work takes time to complete.

Thankfully, the heavy rains they’ve experienced recently, makes the risk of fire at the moment pretty low, but given that 60% of their land has been affected in the past by veld fires, they are not being too complacent.

Jack from Free state Agriculture offered to share the details on the work they are doing on their fire-break training.

Reported that, the meeting which was supposed to take place last week on Friday, couldn’t go ahead because one of the Amakhosi who was the most prominent figure to attend that meeting was not going to be available for the meeting because it was taken by another commitment.
They are still waiting for another date and then the team will be there.

They are turning to agriculture, with some working together, with one group of 58 on one land.
It’s not easy for them to work on it because there's always uh conflicts among themselves, which results in people needing spaces of their own to do their own work.

They are eager to go on especially our young women in the townships but they need some assistance or trainings on how to be self-reliant.

Manana closed her report off with some great news, they had been given 3ha of land to use for their work, so will be reaching out to the members of the group and others for ideas and suggestions to make the most of it.

Thoko commended Manana, on the great job, she was doing, relaying her own personal story about how they were exposed to agriculture at school from a young age, using the school land for gardening with many men in the area, choosing gardening at their homes more than anything else.

She lamented that perhaps this agricultural aspect from the schools especially primary schools is now no longer being done. If the youth could be able to to do their gardening from their homes, identify little spaces from there, and grow and develop further.
Thoko senitiments spoke for many regarding the work Manana was doing.

- Durban: Green Youth Indaba Follow-Up Workshop, July 10, Durban (agri-entrepreneurship focus) https://www.greenyouthindaba.co.za/

- Midrand: The "Plant Powered Show" focuses on themes such as plant-based nutrition, sustainability, and a healthy lifestyle. Fri, 01 - Sun, 03 Aug 2025

- Johannesburg: Seedling Tunnel Build - Volunteers can speak with Jonathan Mguni from the Jabavu Agri group, to join them on their tunnel build. No date has been confirmed, but if intereted, reach out to him and he’ll keep you updated. [email protected]

- Cape Town: NAMPO Cape 2025 10th Sept 2025 - 13th Sept 2025

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