Rural insight

Reduce the risk of falling victim to crime this festive season, and every other season. Secure SA owner Mark Pitout, co-ordinator of the Midlands e-Block Watch in Ladysmith, offers his rural safety tips to farmers.

The adventure continues...

When I measured the distance from the centre of Johannesburg to the stain my excitement mounted – it was almost exactly 100km. The message was clear: drive around Johannesburg hugging this diameter as closely as possible.

The recently published Voices from the Forest by Tony Dold and Michelle Cocks explains how plants have helped define the cultural identity of the Xhosa people of the Eastern Cape. Mike Burgess spoke to the couple about the link between plants and Xhosa cultural and spiritual practices, the informal trade in more than 200 medicinal plants in the Eastern Cape, and ways in which this unique bio-cultural heritage can be preserved.

In A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson begins with a refreshing confession of ignorance.

The Mansomini sugar cane co-operative in Glendale Valley is a role model for other small-scale farmers, and has resulted in the revitalisation of the region. Robyn Joubert reports.

“Why do we speak of ‘meteoric rise to power’ when, in actual fact, meteors crash down to the earth, wiping out all life in the vicinity?” my mother asked from the back of the car, with a hand on each of the front seats.

At 6am, heading south from Joburg on very little sleep, I began to ponder my relationship with water.

After the 19 days of violent strike action, which hobbled several major agribusinesses, it’s unlikely the average South African farmer harbours many tender feelings towards the average South African truck driver.

One of my favourite places to visit is Berg-en-Dal Farm on the outskirts of Ladismith in the Klein Karoo, home to the Klein Karoo Sustainable Drylands Permaculture Project.

The South African countryside is a major feature in both colonial and post-colonial literature.

Attracting youth to the agricultural sector and offering communal farmers specialised support are primary roles for the Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (Tardi).