 Welcome to the private property podcast. My name is Marlene Walker, and this is the farming podcast And I'm your host this evening just like every other week on to the show Thank you so much for joining us on the show and supporting us continuously week after week We're reaching close to the 70th episode and it's just been a fantastic journey to have you on board To you at home and all the guests that have joined us this evening I'm excited about our conversation today because we have a lovely guest I was privileged enough to share the stage with her at a recent woman's seminar and Just sitting in the audience. She inspired me and pretty much it's all about her philosophy and Her vision for starting her vegetable gardening farm But most importantly she's a gross to self in a community that not only spans from adults But right down to youth and young individuals. I have the pleasure of introducing to you Mandy my father who's the managing director of Naledi farm they based in Centurion and tonight we're going to hear all about her story and most importantly Naledi farm. So if you have any questions for our guests this evening, please comment below We're happy to take any questions any comments and Inquiries that you might have based on my conversation with Mandy this evening and continue to like share and share and share this video You'll catch us on YouTube post this interview if you missed any parts But please would love to engage with you in our live conversation Let's welcome our guests this evening. Mindy. How are you doing? And thank you so much for joining the private property farming podcast? Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I am All night all night to be here today. Thank you so much Great, I think it's great to have you on today most importantly because a lot of people aspire to start farms and you know The first point of reference where they start is actually in their backyard and I like the That you've created around Naledi farm vegetable gardening Firstly, tell us about who is mindy my father before Naledi farm and what inspired the dream or vision behind Naledi farm Sure, okay. I'm thinking where do I start I Mother of three The eldest is now 15 the youngest is how school is Naledi. He's he's he's 11 now I am my father's daughter. I Followed my father everywhere. I grew up in Kwakwa Kwakwa, which is in the Eastern Free State, but you won't believe up to this date that people who think Kwakwa is in Lesotho Kwakwa is not in Lesotho is in the Eastern Free State. So that's where That's where I was born That's where I was raised those beautiful mountains usually now in in winter. We have snow No shape shape to me and running around following my father especially in the garden And those are the earliest memories I have of myself I mean, I think I was about eight years when I learned about nastatians No, those are edible flowers that you you'll find now, you know people growing But I was only eight years when I learned that these are nastatians and if this is From my upbringing following my father around everywhere in those beautiful mountains of Kwakwa That's that's me. Um, then I went on to study botany and Zoology and up to master's level. I worked in the public health sector for 10 I think 14 14 years and Yeah But I've always loved working with my hands. I've always loved working with the soil and being out in nature That is that is just me Wow, so what inspired the dream and vision behind Naledi form when you started in 2017? Sure. Okay. So the dream Naledi form is it was inspired by our children's book. There's a book that I wrote in 2010 when I was expecting Naledi, I say he's our youngest our last but my husband always corrects me and says he's our our youngest so Naledi I was expecting him in 2010 And I started to put together a book for him, right? It's a book written in sasoto with beautiful colorful illustrations To inspire the African child because my thinking was if I don't write for my child And who will because you go to any man at that time you would go to bookstores If you're not find anything written so to or any easy Zulu any of our African languages then I decided to and would Ended up publishing this book in in I think it was in 2012 when we then self Then from that book we self-published the dream grew bigger when So to give this book like sort of like a 3d form, you know, if you think he maybe walks Disney So we've had we've always had these crazy ideas my husband and I so he wanted now children and their parents And Then we started searching for land That's how that's how a lady farm came into being started looking for land and in 2015. We found ourselves a beautiful Tate and that's where When we arrived to say yes, this is the home of Naledi. This is Naledi farm. So that's what inspired Yeah, lovely. So what sort of land is Naledi farm operating on and what? What is what services does Naledi farm provide place? At first when we moved in I mean it it felt very very big I remember we are used to living in small spaces. We felt like it was really so so overwhelming and One of the first things that we did though when we got to the farm a Listen that but we're not eating cement and bricks. So let's start our vegetable page Which is why I believe we have some connectivity issues with Monday on her side We'll just try Contact her on the side and just see if she could reconnect okay, now We are ready to open our house. It's really our home for guests And I remember that yeah, hi Monday. Can you hear me properly? Hi Monday? Can you hear me properly? I think we can just go to a short ad break Let's just try to reconnect with Monday because I think she's got a wealth of information and very valuable for Everybody at home this evening. So if you just could give us a few seconds And we'll just try and reconnect with Monday and have a back on to the show Apologies for that. We have Monday back on to the show if it's not internet connectivity It is load sharing but nothing could stop the farm and podcast from continuing Monday I just have to repeat that question again because you obviously got disconnected there But what I was asking is that how big of land is an LED from operating on and what service? Are you currently providing on your form? We are on a three-hectare It's a three-hectare piece of land but as I was saying one of the first thing that we did when we got there was to To to set up a vegetable garden all activities believe me in Bali are centered around that vegetable garden So we moved in in 2015. We started with you know renovations But the garden had to begin had to we have to have a garden immediately and And Two years later in 2017 we decided that now we were ready not to open up our home for guests And and we have a garden. I mean had lots and lots of food that we could share With guests and we thought okay Why not use the food that we have in the garden and no sit on long tables with our guests But also invite somebody who can come and share their life's journey. That's how they harvest table. That is our flagship What you call it? One of the first thing that we did Yes, the harvest table from the have harvesting the sense that we went to the garden to harvest Seasonal veggies, whatever it is that we had at the time a celebration, you know of the hard work And but also harvest in the sense of the knowledge that the speaker would come and bring and that's how the harvest table was born And that's how we started we started it was in our living room You know, we hired chairs plastic chairs and those you know those tables must Serve it some when you peel Good high goes and cover them with tablecloths, but it would just be a beautiful and you know day with family and just sharing and breaking bread and all the other seven And Servings that we have now, you know, we're born from the harvest table, you know from them people wanted Can I come and host a baby shower? Can we come and host a birthday party? And that's and that's how we grew We we then Went on to introduce the children's corner, which is one of my favorites because we're thinking let us start them young So we have children's camps pity now it's covered we can't have those But when we have camps children come we spend a whole entire weekend with them And the main aim is to encourage children to work with their hands, right to to be independent and To be able to grow their own food, you know So we teach them all sorts of things we also have day activities For them where they could just come for a couple of hours and and we had one I think about a month ago Where we were talking about leaps and photosynthesis, right? so making those abstract things that they let in school practical practical and Very easy for them to understand giving them practical hands on examples and the fun So we have quite a varied number of services, but the children's one Yes, and recently now we've started with with the what can I call it the Revolution of the home garden Let's call it the revolution of the home garden. That's what we are really really working on currently So maybe let's deep dive into that revolution of the home garden. What does involve? What does it involve? Yeah, you know You know, I mean you'll know that all of us, you know, we grew up with a vegetable garden at home You know, but I guess because of you know, I'll move to the cities are busy lives and you know We have sort of we some of us don't have the time to do you know to have vegetable gardens Some of us don't have the space. So we are going into that gap to help You know as remember how to grow our own food because it's what we know. I mean Parents have been growing food, you know since since forever So we're saying here to help families and people to remember how to the to grow their own food We started this thing in I think it was last year when covid started Yeah, I think that's when we started where our motor is no space is too small Even if you have a corner somewhere where the sun shines You are able to grow something Yes, yeah, I was actually gonna ask I'm saying if it's safe. I understand correctly Are you revolutionizing people's home gardens so that they could grow their own vegetable gardens themselves? Absolutely grow your own food because I mean the food system, you'll know when I'm by it's about trust, right? We have to trust the farmer That that grows the food for you have to trust the the the van that that transports it from the farm To the grocery to the market you have to trust the grocery store that sells that perhaps saves it in the fridges That they have your best interest at heart, right? But you know, we know because we have to make profits So we sometimes you're not really really sure but if you grow your own food You know exactly what has gone into the If you put a plate of food in front of your child, you know exactly what has gone into the soil Because I mean you you you do it yourself. So that's that's that's what we say. So we go into your home And we'll help you with whatever space you have whatever Time, you know, you have To say to help you set up a vegetable garden Yeah, so going into Naleri farm and how you started your vegetable garden, how did you come about to this to say Firstly, I'm going to start growing vegetables And what type of vegetables did you start to uh to plant or grow? Well with me, I guess it was easy because I've I mean I I come from a family of my of of growers Of my my grandmother named after you know, grew food A home was just a paradise of fruit and veggies and you know, I mean we would never like anything But I would say for somebody who's beginning who wants to start Right, you can never go wrong with green beans Right in in the summer now when the when the winter When when spring starts think august september green beans They're very very quick to germinate within five days. You already feel like you're a farmer You feel like you're a gardener because those little heads who already have popped out of the ground, right? So your green beans your spinach your tomatoes Those you can't go wrong with Then you grow into it right you you you learn your soil You learn the sun patterns you learn about your climate But you grow into it and your confidence grows and you can start beginning to introduce other things like your chili and your um, what other things Potatoes and sweet potatoes, but we say start with those basics start with you know Things that you use on a daily basis. Tomato can go wrong spinach beans And if you have space pumpkin is also a very easy Something to something very easy to grow If you have space for it, but start small learn your soil um Have interest, you know, look at what sort of birds what sort of animals are visiting my space And with time you grow into it and and you become confident in it And and I remember when we were at that woman's seminar you shared a very very important philosophy That that in a lady farm is centered around which is A farm or a vegetable garden that is pesticide free And for people that want to start their own vegetable gardens and sometimes are sharing pictures to say, you know The birds ate my spinach or i mean i'm seeing a funny worm eating my spinach. How can people manage? their own production Considering the fact that they didn't study botany just like you they didn't study any Like other people how can they just manage and ensure that they can successfully grow their own food having managed pesticide free their crops um to exceed expectations I'll I'll I'll go again to say start small, right? Yeah start small start with what what you can manage and and and And just learn your environment, right? What we do is that we we we plant the whole we we don't just plant like one big batch of cabbages or batch of spinaches We plant a whole variety of things You know, we try and mimic nature. You know that there is diversity in nature I mean if you go to a forest right now you'll find that there are tall trees There is grass there are vines You know, there is interest and diversity and our gardens are exactly like that. So We plant herbs with spinach. We plant flowers And onions everything together. Like I said in the seminar. We confuse the enemy, right? So that you know those little jojakis when they smell that smell of garlic like uh, I'm not going next next to that garlic and but that garlic is growing Next to a spinner. So plants help each other in that way um So that is what we call companion planting Where plants help each other, you know, um some give shade, you know, like if you're planting You know the three sisters, you know, you have your milis Right, which are tall you have your beans And then they use the milis to go up Okay Takes right and then you have your pumpkin at the floor and then the milis are providing shade for For your for your Pumpkins, so that is what we call companion planting using plants to help each other Yeah To grow and to thrive But it takes it takes practice, right? It's not something that you can learn overnight. It takes practice And if you're unsure you ask questions I mean you have a lot of elders who know these things you go to your grandparents and you ask them How do I do this without getting um putting in pesticides in my food? How do I get I mean, I always go to my grandfather He tells me Um, there's a very good concoction of garlic Um merry gold. I've never knew merry gold. It's a flower Chili It's like a very potent spray that you can just spray on your spinach. It's just to deter Detail insects, you know, that yeah, yeah Wow, so can I just repeat that it's merry, merry gold For merry gold. Yeah, you remember merry gold those those yellow flowers. They don't have a nice smell Five potents and smell. Yeah Yes, and then some chili just think of anything potent that you can put in the chili And then you put garlic, right? And then you let them sit for at least 24 hours and it just spray Um, but of course, there'll be a bite here and there But I always say that that I show you that these things are safe if they can if if if they're safe for the whole Hockey's in this they're safe for me And at least if you're growing it directly, you know, what has gone into that you don't see the progress from seed to Flowering to now getting a full leaf or a full pumpkin And you know, it's pretty much safe for you to consume because you were involved in every step of the way of the production but Monday, you know, one thing that I always emphasize on the the farming podcast is that as much as we might have Individuals like yourselves Who are running vegetable gardens and if you know developed a passion into a business At the end of the day whether it's a vegetable garden or a farm that we're running It is a business at the end of the day. And so You know at the start of our conversation you mentioned these are tough times and I just want you to share How the business now Lady Farm has been disrupted by you know, covert 19 restrictions lockdown measures. I mean this this concept of the The harvest table it sounds phenomenal, you know to be outdoors In a different environment and just talk with maybe strangers or group of friends about life Problems opportunities great things that have happened in our life Again eating food that is grown by you for example That is a wonderful concept. And I think during now covert people wish to be outdoors because yeah In our small spaces for far too long So how has you know, the the the pandemic maybe just disrupted your business Yo, it has you know disrupted us in a very big way. Remember we're an agri tourism destination. So our our business is really really reliant on On guests coming to visit us So if guests are not able to come to visit it means we don't have business, right? I mean the last year was really really tough. You may remember last day. We had a very hard lockdown. So We had absolutely absolutely no income And that's when we started the vegetable garden drive revolution at least In that way we were able to go to people's home without interacting with them We were just outside reminding our old business We set up your garden and we leave You know Just to stay afloat and to be able to keep the stuff, you know that that that that we have on the farm But it has really really been tough to even now. I mean people are not when we are not, you know fully confident, you know to to go out and And and socialize. So it's it's really really really really really tough But we are grateful because we have the large open space You know when you come to visit us, you know, most of activities are held outside and We're fortunate that we have we have that But we push on Absolutely we do we have to push on you mentioned that you've got three children How involved are they in the vegetable garden? I mean in the vegetable garden and it is youth month just by the way So As a mother Maybe just as partners yourself and your husband pulled the children Into this vegetable garden because it's so important that the youth know and understand where they uh where their food comes from Well, they're not only involved in the vegetable garden involved in in the business as a whole We we we we try and integrate Everything, you know then into everything that we do Beginning of the year we sit as a family, you know, the five of us and we have um A boss berat a strapped plan and you'll be amazed at the You know great ideas. They come up with for the business, you know, they're they're really really hands-on My daughter le sigo is a great cook. She she's she does hospitality at school The desserts that we serve on the farm Are made by her Le Sadie is very good with children. He he just has this warm warm personality So that's where he fits in naledi He's the one who welcome guests. So they're really really involved, you know on an honest like we have sunday lunches Um every sunday on if you come on that day You'll see how everybody just goes to their corner to make you know the day a success and After all it's done and the guests have left we sit together as a family again Just to debrief and you You you you just get you know Who's bombs listening to the things that they're able to see? As as as as small as they are, you know to say mama, but here let's not do this But let's do that so they're really really really involved and we think it's it's important because we want them to own A naledi farm right so that they can sustain it and and and move and move with it and grow and grow with it That is phenomenal Just to run down or some sum up naledi's farm service offerings and please feel free to add more So you've spoken about the harvest table. You've spoken about the children twers that you guys have and also the Revolutionizing other people's home gardens Is are those three main services that you have within naledi farm or are there more? There are more. Yeah, so we also have sunday lunches Which every sunday we cook and guests come the book and sit outside and have Lovely meal from the garden. In fact, this very sunday. We're having a father father Father's day event for fathers and their children We also have cooking demos where we'd invite a chef who shares As a same venues right and those are meant to be educational where we go into the garden and Pick whatever it is that we pick and we go to cook together in the kitchen, you know, bringing those beautiful plants of ours bowling anam sony any Or bringing them back onto onto the table We yeah, yeah, yeah Wow, we have a question here manti from one of our viewers. Uh, jacob mulekua He asked what are the requirements to register a company for mixed vegetable farming? true I I don't know how to answer that one I think he's answered his own question because this is one of the Hard to register a company. Yes, it's vegetable farming So I believe that even if you want to do mixed vegetable farming You want to run it into a business you have to register it as a company whether it's a piece of my ltd or For non-profit, uh, but I think that information he could find out from the cipc Pretty much to be correct. Um, yeah, and so if I understand so it's you now lady form is run by yourself Your husband and the three children and what is there? What is the future vision for for now lady form? Sure, we in the short term Um, I think in the next five years we we pray that we we we we get accommodation because of a lot of our guests You know saying, you know, we don't want to leave this place. Do you have room for us to sleep? Yeah, currently, um, you know currently we we offer Tenting a type of accommodation where people can set up tents But we hope to be able to to have accommodation. I think that's that's in the in the in the short term Yes That is lovely. So literally now lady farm has grown from you moving into a plot You know in a peri urban area Farming your vegetables and then teaching the community and most importantly making it interactive and an agritourism space so, um Yeah, I think this has just been such a phenomenal growth in just class minus Yeah, you know, I sometimes want to pinch myself like like from that book that 10 page a book And this is how we have grown. It's it's it's phenomenal. It's it's really it just shows you what Is possible if you if you work hard, I mean that's number one work hard. Yes, you must work hard and and We are really blessed. We have support of You know The universe is just coming and supporting us and we have strangers coming to support us But making that first step that's the key thing make that first step And you just open a whole world of of amazing amazing things. Yeah, it's it's unbelievable Yeah, well mandi. I'm so proud of your success and just as a woman just doing it Um, and most importantly just impacting the lives of others You know, because it seems like as much as nality farm has become a preferred agritourist agritourist space You've also touched a lot of lives and impacted a lot of lives just on the work that you do And the conversations I presume that that I had at that uh harvest table I can almost just feel that energy within you, you know People are just able to sit here and be in a safe space and it's evident if they don't want to go home They love the space that that that they're in and it's just therapeutic in some sense You know, I guess most of I guess I find themselves in this predicament. They'll say, you know, mandi We know that we are guests here at nality farm, but you also feel like we are family, you know So it's it's like home away from home. It's like, you know, sitting on your grandmother's stoop and drinking tea That is just the kind of of space that that do have been been blessed with and have been able to to to create. Yeah Well, thank you so much for having this conversation with us. I think I need to take a turn at nality farm vice versa And you come through and visit the farm and vice versa, but I think yeah your space sounds so much more Relaxing And very very like insightful in just terms of how we can feed ourselves at home But just to make sure people can catch on social media on instagram What other social media pages are they on so they can come the website as well So we are on instagram and facebook as nality farm Right and then also on our website www.nalityfarm But that's that's where they can they can get hold of us Fantastic. So are you fully booked for father's day? You want we have I'm actually very nervous about it. We are really people are excited. We We are booked. We are booked. We are booked It's going to be fun fun. Lots of fun will be cooking outside in the open fire Fathers chopping wood and children chopping veggies. It's just going to be a beautiful beautiful afternoon Wow, well, I wish you the best of success for that afternoon And I hope it goes well And that fathers and children can connect with their with themselves with each other But thank you my d4 for your time this evening. I truly truly appreciate it Thank you so much. Mali. Thank you for having me and I'll definitely come and make a turn and see the work that you do Awesome. Thank you. It was Monday my Friday the managing director of nality farm they based out in centurion and she's pretty much told us her life story on How nality farm was birthed the vision the concept behind it and most importantly She just started as a normal vegetable farm to feed her family but then found that she had excess produce and she needed to share it with a lot of people and that's how Nality farm pretty much converted into an agritourist spot where she's holding harvest tables tours or excursions for young children to know Where their food comes from and how to grow their food and most importantly just as adults in terms of how and where to grow Your food in your own garden No space is too small and that's why she's also developed a service offering Which he can transform your garden at home so that you could feed your own family if you missed our conversation tonight should find it on youtube on our Farming playlist under the private property channel. Most importantly, please catch money from nality farm on their instagram facebook social media pages as Nality farm as well as on their website, which is nality farm. That's it for me this evening Stay home stay safe and I will catch you next week tuesday at eight o'clock. Thank you. Good night