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www.thevillagenews.co.za
26 August 2020
Let’s get home food gardens growing T he Western Cape Department of Agriculture has contributed to the establishment of many household food gardens in the Covid-19 hotspot areas in the province through their One Home One Garden campaign, which includes the distribution of starter packs consisting of vegetable seedlings, fertiliser and advice on production practices such as planting, tending and harvesting of vegetables.
According to the WC Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, every household needs to have the opportunity to grow food for their families as it will contribute towards the family’s food security. Even a small garden can provide cabbages, onions, beetroot and beans during autumn and broccoli, spinach, carrots, turnips, and peas during spring. The Minister travelled to the Overstrand last week and visited several new and existing vegetable gardens in Hermanus and Kleinmond in the company of Mayor Dudley Coetzee, Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and Constituency Head for the Overstrand, Masizole Mnqasela, as well as the Deputy Mayor of the Overberg District Municipality, Archie Klaas, and a host of other dignitaries and councillors. During his visit to Zwelihle, Minister Meyer said: “As part of our Covid-19 response, the One Home One Garden Campaign encourages
households to start their own food production units.” He added that by boosting households to establish vegetable gardens, “we are shifting the focus from food relief to food security – we cannot encourage a hand-out culture all the time, we must encourage sustainability”.
Minister Meyer and fellow councillors had time to meet accomplished gardener, Trevor Nkoyi, who started the vegetable garden at the Zwelihle Youth Café. This community centre serves as an after-care centre and a space where entrepreneurs can host workshops and sell their goods. The founders of the Zwelihle Youth Café, William Ntebe and Fikiswa Gxamesi also run a daily soup kitchen and a portion of the vegetables from Trevor’s garden go towards this nutritional programme. Before handing out vegetable seedlings and fertiliser, the Minister encouraged all present to become ‘food soldiers’ like Trevor and get a home food garden growing. He concluded by saying: “During my visits to similar vegetable gardens, I have witnessed team work, joy and fun in the families. Through these food gardens we are seeing #ForTheLoveOfAgriculture in action on the ground in various communities.”
LEFT: Gerald Nomala, founder of the Kasi Angels Foundation, who made it his mission to give school shoes to thousands of learners from poor families, kindly donated sturdy water-resistant garden shoes to Trevor Nkoyi (left). With Trevor are the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer and Constituency Head for the Overstrand, Masizole Mnqasela. BELOW LEFT: This home vegetable garden in Zwelihle is one of several that have been established with assistance from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s One Home One Garden campaign. BELOW RIGHT: Seedlings and fertiliser being delivered in Kleinmond.
