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.
Goat milk products
Anne Turner and Wessel Etzebeth’s small goat milk enterprise, De Böcke Goat Dairy, is less than a year old, but they are already finding a welcome place for their products in this niche market. Denene Erasmus reports.
From a driver to successful small-scale pig farmer
Marius Herman from Kraaifontein started farming with pigs six years ago and in a short time has managed to establish a viable small business. Denene Erasmus visited him.
Western Cape braces for AHS
The Western Cape faces a challenge as further outbreaks of African horse sickness threaten to spread. Lourens Schoeman and Denene Erasmus report.
Ceres fruit farmer’s journey to success
From humble beginnings, Walter Williams has grown a business that today has three farms as well as a fruit packing business in the Ceres Valley. He spoke to Denene Erasmus about his early days as a farmer and his tried-and-tested production techniques.
Farming needs sympathetic consumers, supportive govt
Consumers need a better understanding of agriculture and the work done by farmers and workers, it was said at the launch of this year’s Bien Donné Agri Cape Week. Denene Erasmus reports.
How Western Cape grain buyers saved the day
Up to 90% of barley plantings in the Western Cape were affected by late rains, but buyers have stepped up to avert financial catastrophe. Denene Erasmus spoke to the different parties involved.
‘Know something about everything’
Petrus Bosman (31), the Santam-Agri Western Cape Young Farmer of the Year 2012, is the managing director of his family’s wine and vine farming business in Wellington. He spoke to Denene Erasmus about having a positive attitude in the wine industry and the satisfaction of looking after employees.
‘The government is delaying – and I can’t plan ahead’
André Cloete, an apple, pear and sheep farmer from the Overberg, is this year’s recipient of the fruit industry’s Novice Award. Thanks to hard work and attention to detail, André supplies apples and pears for export through Tru-Cape and Two-a-Day and achieves high yields. But he’s reluctant to invest too much in the farm because government has been slow to grant him a long-term lease, as Denene Erasmus found out.
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