With nothing more than a shed and 6ha of neglected apple orchards, the couple began reclaiming the land for pastures while at the same time establishing another 10ha of trees.
“This whole farming venture has been based on one step of faith after the other. We didn’t start with much capital,” says Margie, who today farms full-time on their 16ha of apple orchards.
That faith has paid off. The Jankielsohns’ fruit ripens about three weeks before that of the Western Cape, the country’s traditional fruit-growing area, and so attracts a premium.
READ: Making a name for South African apples and pears
The Jankielsohns realised from the outset that the farm would benefit from land reclamation, and researched the subject. They have applied that knowledge and to date have reclaimed about 50ha of otherwise useless land.
The reclamation includes filling in large tracts of eroded land and eradicating alien plant species such as slangbos, poplar and cotoneaster.
Upon arrival on the farm, Mark planted speckled sugar beans, despite it being the dry season. They harvested a bumper crop that realised high prices, and used the proceeds to build the shed and establish two hectares of apples.
Mark established all the arable land under pastures and the remaining area is used for grazing for his and his daughter Tyla’s registered Limousin herd, Willowdale Limousins.
Read more about ‘Growing apples in the Malutis’ in the 26 September issue.
