LOCAL GOODNESS

story stephen smith pictures supplied

Foodies of Upper Highway, prepare to be excited! Dale Grobler, well-known local organic farmer from Farm to Forks in Monteseel, and Stoneford Country Estate have a big new collaborative project on the go, and it’s going to be a cracker.

For a few years now, Dale has been growing world-class organic veg for some of the country’s best restaurants, just up the road from Hillcrest. He is passionate about what he does, which is no doubt why he achieves the results he does, and he conveys that passion in everything he says and does.

With KZN’s riots in July, food security was brought into sharp focus, as were the advantages of eating locally produced food. And, to be honest, the ridiculousness of how much food is trucked around the country. For Dale, these revelations were nothing new – he has been a fierce proponent of locally grown organic produce for years – but it has increased demand for produce such as his.

Enter Stoneford Country Estate. The property developer has long dreamt of establishing a working organic farm at Stoneford Country Estate. In reconsidering what Phase 2 of the estate should be, he started thinking about what would make a real positive difference to the way we live, and how could the Stoneford homeowner enjoy a better quality life – living in a country environment, with all that should come with that, on the urban edge. The result: The Farm Stoneford, with Dale at the helm.

The project is already underway, with over 14 000m² of land cleared and levelled for the farm. Dale has got plant stock growing on his farm, ready to make the move to Stoneford, so things are happening fast.

Local GOODNESS

BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR DALE GROBLER AND UPPER HIGHWAY FOODIES …

“We should have produce ready for harvesting by December,” Dale says. “But that’s only the beginning. We are putting in such exciting plants: there will be 4 000m² of fruit, from berries to coffee, citrus and cacao, and even indigenous edibles like Kei apples and monkey oranges. The fruit will obviously take longer to get established. And there will be spices, herbs, medicinal plants – just about anything that can be grown and used.

“And everything is being done as responsibly as we can – the water will be from the farm and will be pumped using solar power, we will chip as much organic matter from the farm as we can to make compost, and we will be 100% organic and

LEFT: A ladybird investigates freshly harvested Swiss chard. ABOVE: Dale Grobler. OPPOSITE: Heirloom tomatoes – bursting with flavour. BELOW: A misty day at Dale’s organic farm in Monteseel. real. You can’t fake it with a garden like this!” Dale is so excited about this project, and it’s contagious.

Down the line, a deli, restaurant and function venue will be established in and amongst The Farm. “The deli will sell fresh produce from The Farm, and also from the immediate area – we have such great produce in the area that we would love to showcase. We’ll also make things like sauces and pickles from our produce.”

The goal is a world-class garden farm producing exceptional food, and the plan is for there to be a chef as fine as the produce to create meals of distinction on the property. Dale is also planning on luring celebrity chefs along for “pop-up” menus, for want of a better term. Think of some of the best wine farms down in the Cape and all they have to offer, and you’ll be close to the mark. You will be able to go along and pick produce, buy food from the deli and have a picnic (don’t feed the ducks!) or a meal at the restaurant. And this is all happening 10 minutes from Hillcrest, in our own back yard. *

FOR MORE INFO @farm_to_forks; WFarmtoforksdurban; @stonefordestate; W/stonefordestate

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