MIXED FARMING WORKS FOR FREE STATE FARMERS

In 2020, when the country went into hard lockdown after the outbreak of Covid-19, Piet and Maria’s businesses took a serious knock. “We were in construction, beef cattle ranching and livestock speculation,” says Piet, who has been self-employed for many years. Previously, he owned three supermarkets in Sasolburg that he closed in the early 2000s because he was outcompeted by other shopkeepers. Piet says the lockdown restrictions dealt a hard blow to the construction business. In addition, the banning of gatherings like weddings, funerals and parties sunk the sheep-peculating business. Then, when the couple thought things couldn’t get any worse, a fire that had started on a neighbouring property destroyed half their farm. They were forced to reduce stock numbers to relieve pressure on the grazing and help them stay afloat. “We learnt a lot during that period about what could go wrong in business and the importance of being able to think out the box,” Piet says.

EARLY INFLUENCES

Piet has a kind of love-hate relationship with agriculture. It all began on the farm Doornkloof outside Kroonstad in the Free State, where he was born and raised, and where his family worked.

“I hated farming, partly because of the things I saw happening to my family – the exploitation and abuse