Denene Erasmus
Denene hails from a sugar cane farm in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal, but after school she relocated to the Cape Winelands to study, for many years, at the University of Stellenbosch. She worked as a journalist for Farmer’s Weekly since 2009 and in 2015 moved to Johannesburg as Deputy editor for the magazine. In 2016 she was appointed editor, and at the end of 2021, she stepped down from her position to pursue her journalism career.
Droughtmasters prove their worth in stud and commercial herds
Johan Kemp, Chris van Niekerk and Riaan Venter started the Elandsberg Droughtmaster stud seven years ago. Impressed by the breed’s ability to excel under their extensive farming conditions in a mountainous region in northern KwaZulu-Natal, they are now also in the process of converting their commercial beef cattle herd into a pure Droughtmaster herd.
The top reasons for tractor breakdowns
A new report has identified the five most likely reasons for tractor breakdowns, and also suggests ways to keep farming machinery in prime condition.
How farming makes us better than we are
It has been almost 13 years since I wrote my first stories for Farmer’s Weekly as a freelance journalist, and now, as we start a new year, the time has come for me to start something new.
On the fast track to top genetics with no-fuss Droughtmasters
Carol and Charlie Gould started breeding Droughtmasters three years ago and have only been farming full time for one year, but they have ambitious plans and say that even though they are new to farming, the Droughtmaster has made their job easy!
Droughtmaster: A popular breed for all the right reasons
Don McHardy says his interest in Droughtmasters was a natural progression in his quest to breed more efficient beef cattle that are able to realise optimal financial returns.
The drivers of dismal service delivery
South Africa’s local government elections will take place on 1 November. One of the core functions of municipalities is to provide services such as refuse removal, the upkeep of certain roads, and the provision of water and electricity.
A new answer to SA’s high demand for red cattle
The demand for red cattle has always been high in South Africa. To enter this market and offer breeders an alternative to the traditional options, the Du Plessis family, who owns the Brandwater farming business, managed to establish one of the country’s most successful Droughtmaster studs. Chris du Plessis spoke to Denene Erasmus.
Droughtmaster: the ticket to breeding more uniform calves
Now semi-retired from farming, Adriaan Odendaal of Villiers in the Free State is able to devote most of his time to the improvement of his almost 10-year old Rocky Droughtmaster stud. With the use of a new breeding method, he is confident that he will achieve his goal of breeding a uniform herd that is true to type within a few short years.
Droughtmaster is making its mark in South Africa
The Durow family from Clocolan in the eastern Free State has been breeding Droughtmasters for only five years, but has been impressed by the breed’s performance from the outset and believes that there is a good future for these hardy, medium-framed cattle in South Africa.
How will history judge us?
I know ignorance is a poor and cowardly excuse. However, as someone born in the early 1980s, I was oblivious when growing up of the terrible and unfair reality that most South Africans were subjected to at the time.
Agriculture’s language problem
One of the enviable things about South Africans is that just about every one of us speaks at least two languages, while many speak and understand three, four or even more.
What do we mean when we talk about land?
Property rights or, more specifically, the power of the state to deprive a person of these rights, have been high on Parliament’s agenda these past few weeks as committees heard oral submissions from the public on the Expropriation Bill and also on the Draft Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill, which concerns amendments to Section 25 of the Constitution in term of expropriation.
We know how to fix land reform, so why don’t we?
You might have read, in media reports that have been circulating on social media these past few weeks, about the case of Western Cape farmer Ivan Cloete, a land reform beneficiary who was facing eviction from a farm he was previously granted access to by the state.
Nigella’s chicken and peas traybake
This surprisingly delicious and simple one-pan dish by English food celebrity Nigella Lawson has become my go-to recipe for easy and tasty dinners, says Denene Erasmus. She adds that it’s very important to cook the baby peas from frozen, otherwise they go mushy.
Agriculture’s 110-year-old troubles
Some of the main challenges facing farmers that are reported on in the issue of Farmer’s Weekly I read this morning is the poor-quality of roads, especially in the rural areas, the affordability of farm labour, and the scourge of stock theft. These are all well-known challenges to farmers. However, what might surprise you is that the issue of Farmer’s Weekly in which these problems are discussed was published in March 1917.
The drivers of change in agriculture
Food and farming are increasingly gaining prominence on national and international economic, political and research agendas.
Agri department wants to recruit 10 000 extension officers
The budget allocated to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (agriculture department), which was tabled as part of the National Budget by Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni in Parliament today (24 February) will require spending cuts on several cost lines and programmes.
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John Deere’s small, but strong utility vehicles
Some jobs on the farm are too small to be done using regular farm machinery, but too large to be done by hand. John Deere’s range of turf and utility vehicles are just the right size to perform these smaller tasks.
Middle class wants meat, but the rich want alternatives
The 10-year agricultural outlook by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicts that income growth in middle-income countries will see consumers transform their diets from staples to higher-value products, such as fats and animal-based protein. Meanwhile, environmental and health concerns in high-income countries are expected to support a transition from animal-based protein towards alternative sources.
Use 2021 to prepare for tougher years to come
It is a theme I remember well from the children’s tales and Bible stories my mother used to read to my sisters and me when we were girls. Aesop’s loafing grasshopper procrastinated until it was too late to gather food for the long, dry winter months and then ended up having to beg for something to eat from the hard-working ant who spent his whole summer diligently gathering food.
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