 So if one is just hearing all of this and is feeling overwhelmed, why do you think people should then go into the agri-sector? It's important food security is important. We have to we South Africa is not a food-secured country Africa on its own. It's not a food-secured country. I'm in the continent So we have to there's no way that we will stop producing food We have to we just have to and it's not easy Just like any other industry a musician will tell you it's not easy to be in the music industry and an engineer everybody Farming podcast brought to you by private property. My name is Bali Nwaka once again I'm always excited to be doing this podcast because I learned something new time and time again And today we're joined by a farmer based in Daoung a small town a small village. I believe it's in the Northwest I know Daoung to be synonymous for Bali farming and He kind of took a different route, you know, he's farming on owned land He's farming on lease land Maybe let's get to explore his journey and how he became the farmer that it is today farming with livestock and a whole range of other commodities And yeah, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask our guest If there's something that you felt quite interesting and you want us to repeat in the next episode in the next show Please feel free to do that but yet again subscribe to our YouTube channel and also like every single conversation that you found inspiring thoughtful Educational and please feel free to send out suggestions of what other topics you'd like to ask to explore on the farming podcast So today, I'm joined by Ulerile Leggetto a farmer in the Northwest and let's get to explore his journey his farming operations and Just learn how he goes about doing his business Ulerile, thank you so much for joining us man. How are you doing? I'm good on you Mali. Thank you for having me and and thank you to your viewers on private property farming Fantastic, so You're in your car. It sounds like you're going somewhere or come from somewhere You know and typically people want to see farmers on their farms basically Tell us about what you farm and what is a typical day in your life look like? Okay, I farm with cattle. Mostly it's Bonsmara and mixed breed cattle. I also farm with sheep Your white white white head doppers and your doppers I also do chickens your broilers and your and your and your layers also, I do vegetables and Recently, I've just started planting Lucene. I'm also doing Lucene. That's that's the part of the crops that I'm doing So, yeah, I mean typically how my day looks like, you know every day when you wake up on the farm first thing It's it's do your boundaries you check on the farm. What is happening? Count the cattle Check the water levels and so on. It's an everyday thing So that's that's typically how my day my day normally starts the first thing that I do as part of my security Go around the farm check if nothing happened overnight count everything count the cattle count the sheep That's just how my day starts. Wow, it sounds quite busy. I mean I heard cattle Bonsmara and another breed I heard poultry, which is day old and layers and I heard vegetables as well as grain which is Lucene Why such a diversified portfolio? What did you start off with and why did you decide? Did you decide to maybe? Explore the different commodities and how has that benefited you till today? You don't believe as much as we are cattle farmers Most people don't understand or they tend to forget that for you to make money from a cattle It takes you about 15 to six months I mean they are 15 to 15 to 16 months remember a kettle gets pregnant for nine months and then you have still have to grow the calf for about For about six seven months. So you you don't make money now in that period of 15 to 16 months You have to you have to you've got cost you've got expenses that are happening every month You've got stuff to pay you've got medication you've got feed So now you have to do other commodities in farming so that they can supplement for in for in the time being or during that Gap where you are not making money from that kettle So it's important that you have mixed farming so that they complement each other they cover for each other those components So that's that's why I've got so many mixed up things even Lucene the one that I just said I'm planting You must remember you you also you can't just rely on it you you there's four months Four months period in the year where you're not gonna be making money from that we send because during winter you can't cut Lucene So they just complement each other. That's why it's important for you to have mixed farming You cannot just rely on kettle or else your business is gonna suffer You cannot set for 16 months without making money on the farm But yes, is it true then one could say that yes, I hear you I'm a livestock farmer I need to explore other other avenues to you know cover the months where I'm not receiving cash flow But to farm Lucene to deal with day-olds and poultry and to also farm with vegetables also requires money So where am I getting this money from if a person wants to start diversifying? Money is always a problem, but you know another another advantage I'm sorry just to add on to what I was saying previous another advantage that the same Lucene You it feeds my kettle Yeah, I obviously I sell some of it and then some I keep for myself for the winter months also with that with that with that With a poultry I use for my bedding. I use sunflower sunflower seeds I also use the sunflower. I mean not seeds sunflower seeds and then and then peanut shells So as bedding now the waste off of the chicken I use it and I feed it to my kettle so they go hand-in-hand So so now yes, it's very much capital intense very very very much. So that's why it's I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm not just doing farming hundred percent I could say maybe I'm doing farming 90 percent Then I've got small businesses that I do that that that that that that I take money and put into my farming So it's very capital intense and so far. I've never received any farming from government, but I'm not gonna wait I'm just gonna wait the little that I have. I'm just gonna keep on pushing and trying and trying Yeah, I like that you obviously bringing the reality into it because You know, I'm a farmer. Yes full-time But as I've been in the industry for the past six years There are other things that I am doing within the agri sector to obviously bring income and then obviously you take that Income and you really redirected or reinvested within your business in the agricultural business so that it can grow so How did you come about with all these various initiatives? You know, like you're saying one part of the business can support me another and another and another, you know Do you have to go seek expert advice that will tell you? You know the betting on the chickens can work as animal feed and vice versa Sunflower that you growing in your fields can work for your poultry. How did you come about to learn all of that? I think the most important thing in Bali that we do as we the most mistake that we make We tend to forget that farming is a business So now as a business you want to make money So you must be driven by business as much as there's passion and love that we put into farming But the forefront of it must be the mind of business because if you're not gonna have it like that You can't farm for the love. I'm sorry to say that. Yes Our old grandfathers like I keep funny for my grandfather. My grandfather was farming for the love But I can't times have changed. We have to farm for business. So it's driven by that and a lot of research. I Research a lot. I've got mentors I learned a lot. I'm always learning every day. I learned something So so it just that knowledge just comes from that or that mindset just comes from that from what I'm learning every day Research going to school even now. I've gone back to school Most people will get surprised when I tell them by a professional and auditor. I've never went to farming school It's only now that I've gone to farming school And what is it that you study? Why did you feel the need to go to school to study agriculture? Currently I'm doing Through the CERNIC Bonsmara group. There's there's there's there's there's an initiative that they're doing with APSA as for animal production It's an 8 it's an 10 months course that they teaching us about everything about feed animal production everything farm management Everything so that's that's what I'm doing and it's very important that you always have to increase your knowledge So that's that's that's that's my passion. That is what is driving me. Yeah. Yeah Wow, I can you know, you said farming is not for passionate people or the passion just can't drive you But I can definitely see the passion exuding from you Oh, I just want to find out, you know managing all these various operations within your whole business, right? poultry grain Vegetables as well as livestock. How important is it to have the right people on the farm? How are you getting it right? Obviously you you can't do this alone another another advantage that I've had I've got There's this problem that the Department of Land of Agriculture and Rural Development have been doing it's a problem about they give graduates Recently the people that have just graduated they give them they bring them to your farm So you then they work with you for two years and then then and so I've got I've got some of those people on my farm that I've Recently been given so I'm working with them also. I've got my my two uncles that I'm working with so it's not just a one-man show I could never survive. I could never also Also, I I I I've got the help of my cooperative. We've got a corporate chef called Bopirima farming Corp It's a group of about 13 young farmers where we we we we teach each other we farming we farming unity we farm in Synchronization we we farm together every month we get together we do trainings we invite people we invite experts Are there artificial insemination other animal production other anything so it's a it's a learning activity that we do every month So that's those are my support structures. I like I said I could never do it alone I've got I've got this different type of support structures Yeah, and we just recently not so long ago in one of the podcast episodes spoke to a livestock farmer and she expressed How she has to keep her farm tight meaning close knit Just to give you an example. She doesn't accept visitors just willy-nilly because she's had Experiences where she's bought visitors on her farm who wanted to learn they may have been there may have been people from the Community like you have expressed, but she found that you know From those initiatives from the good of all her own heart trying to teach other people And extend knowledge and information. She was then heavily affected by theft So as a livestock farmer as well, and I mean one smaller sounds like a very expensive breed to maintain How are you maintaining and managing security in and around your farm over and above all these various people that you're working with And how are you? How are you keeping your farm and your livestock safe at the end of the day? Mali unfortunately theft it's it's a reality that we live with and you can put all mechanisms You can put cameras you can put tracking devices you can do you we just rely on God's mercy to tell you the truth You can put all mechanisms in place even your crops. They will still even your cattle everything they will still so it's it's I Can't say to you. There's a mechanism besides that sometimes we do night patrols Sometimes we every day we count the kettle on every camp we count them So those are my only mechanisms that that that I'm do other than that. I'm just relying on God and the ancestors Geez, thank you for that Brutal honesty, and I mean if somebody's hearing this is they're gonna probably think you're farming just sounds like too much I'm hearing Olesa if you're a livestock farmer, you must manage your cattle safety and security You know, yes work with communities to get some more information upskill yourself furthermore Don't rely on one commodity. Maybe niche diverse. I'm sorry diversify And not focusing on niching because of the time frames that it takes in farming So if one is just hearing all of this and is feeling overwhelmed. Why do you think people should then go into the agriculture? It's important food security is important. We have to we South Africa is not a food-secured country Africa on its own. It's not a food-secured country. I'm in a continent. So we have to there's no way that we will stop producing food We have to we just have to and it's not easy Just like any other industry a musician will tell you it's not easy to be in the music industry and an engineer everybody Nothing is easy so we can never never never stop or be scared because it's not easy And I think another thing that we need to be to be honest We need to be honest and and and tell people the reality that Farming is not just a quick cash scheme. It takes patience. It takes time. It's risky. It's Yes, the benefits are there. Yes, there is money in farming. There is a lot of money in front But it's a lot of effort. So let's just be honest I think we need as farmers we need to tell people the truth that this is this is this is our day every day challenges You how do you farm for like I've been farming with no funding? How how do you how do you do you go on? How do you go to bed knowing that you've put over 200 cattle in in in the fields and Somebody might come and steal them. So it's it's it's the reality that we need to tell people And what do you say to those people who believe that they need to be funded to start angry, you know Because I get a lot of those Mali. I'm passionate about farming, but where can I find funding? I've got land at home, but where can I find funding and you try and educate people to say start with what you have You know, but people don't hear you well. Do you also get those type of comments and feedback from people? I mean, maybe let's learn from you You said you're an auditor by profession. You have another business where you've reinvested, but for somebody that doesn't have that And if funding is not the solution, how can they start? Barley, I think first and foremost Nobody must believe that they deserve funding because first of all government does not owe us anything as much as government it's our text. It's our text taxpayers money and everything But we need to remove that entitlement mentality Nobody's entitled to any funding and government does not owe us anything. I know it sounds Bad or brutal or what but government does not owe us anything So I started off with one kettle that I was given to by my grandfather and I started farming on communion land That's that's that's how we started some people started on on with their gardens So we need to tell ourselves and remove that mentality that and and that nobody owes us anything We need to do it ourselves. That's that's how most people are successful. For an example, you are a woman You you you you you you you you you not even have that big physique, but there you are you go on your farm every day You farm so so you you you see that's what we need That's what we need people just needs to take off that entitlement mentality Not everybody when you start farming do not say I want funding. I want to start farming It's always good that government must find you in front It's better for you to come to them and say guys. I've got my my my my one hector garden Please can you help me? It's better to say I've got seed. Can you please give me fertilizer? But now don't just go with nothing and say I've got an idea. I want to farm. Please help me Fund me. That's that's wrong. That's a real wrong mentality. Yeah Well, just hearing your story It sounds like you are in a much privileged position position because you know We've had many other farmers in this podcast who say I'm alone in my community. Yes I work with my father, but everybody else in and around my farming community are as old as my father for example So they would say I'm the only young person. I'm the only female. I am the only maybe black farmer in this community With your journey, it's slightly different So how are you guys able to have a great successful community that is helping each other sharing trade secrets? Like you mentioned earlier on I don't know if that community is just in and around our wall Or is it because you are in a small town? Maybe that's the advantage But how are you guys getting it right where we can maybe learn and just start collaborating with one another? Okay, about about my farming our farming cooperative It's not just the guys from town. It's it's we are we come from a different We come from a different area we come from different areas We've got guys from Hanyasa, which is in the Freiburg areas We've got one guy who's in Kuruman, which Kuruman falls under Northern Cape got one guy who's in zero How we started it's just a group of we didn't even know each other Now we you must not farm in silo. That's what is killing us as black farmers of Yes, and let me let me put it bluntly and say as black farmers if you can see our count our white counterparts They are forming in unity. They are farming in unity now one of our our our main goals About this cooperative also is that next year? We are having our very first ever We knock off auction we want to showcase that black farmers can produce good quality calves now That's that's that's just how we do it. We always invite guests every month that Guys come in and be with us take what we what we we are we are trying to do Also, go and start your own cooperative there. We will help you. We will mentor you we can help you with it especially ladies I'm very passionate about women in farming. Honestly, that's that's that's one of my passion also So we always invite to say guys come together. Let's come together Come learn maybe we spend spend the weekend with us as we meet on a monthly basis So that's that's how we do it. It's possible. This can be done and and and we started it from nothing We started it from nothing honestly speaking Wow Just to sum it off and maybe to close off our conversation How many how many woman farmers have you mentored or have you lost count or you're not counting anyway? It's just do you just give time and make time to just help women farmers in and around your community? And maybe that those are all maybe see this interview and say I'm gonna reach out to Oleh And then they ask you do you assist young woman farmers or just woman farmers in general? Yes, not just women farmers any any farmers some can be older than me some some some some can be younger than me So now I assist a lot with assistant. I've assisted a lot of women farmers That's why I say do not always say Oleh hi. I'm a farmer I want to be I want to do farming. Please help me. Please help me to get funding. I always my first response I've never had any fun in the funding in my life So so we do I do help even even even those that will see this podcast somebody can approach me and say Oleh, please. Can you can you can you assist me? I will assist I'll give information where I can That's why we used to do farm spaces with the likes of a boy peeling about boo boo And we used to share a lot of knowledge We still do that and that's that's why we should always be willing to share knowledge and you know another another thing that I Would I would advise our our black farmers written by Lee That you you will be surprised that a lot of white farmers are always willing to share knowledge To my surprise and a lot of white farmers. They're always willing. They're always sharing knowledge So you should not be afraid to approach and say, you know what mr. Fander Merway, I would like to learn about one two three. Can I please come and learn they always willing to share? I won't take too much of your time. I think you've given us a mouthful I think what I enjoyed about this conversation is just you gave us the basics as real as they are You know to say yes, you form a small town you started without funding. Yes Farming is your passion. It is your business. You started with an your uncle or great-grandfather Giving you a cattle or a cow and now you've converted that into a herd. It takes time There will be challenges. There will be setbacks Financial and non-financial you have to diversify so that you could get income and cash flow from various various other Business Operations and also don't feel too bad by having a second job, you know or a second business that can Maintain your your personal expenses your livelihood But also if you have a surplus redirect and reinvest that type of money into your farming operations because as much as Farming is difficult. There are opportunities to make it a successful and viable business that is profitable profitable at the end of the day and that's just summing up what you've just said and I think The way you've just given to us It's just great because you really put it in such a way that we could understand really what farmers get up to and What farmers get face with face with on a daily basis, so thank you so much for your insights And I wish all the success of all your operations more so with the Lucerne because you did say it's something that's new that you just started Yes, no, thank you very much in ballet for the opportunity and It's it's it's always good to connect with with with with other farmers and with the likes of you guys and Be given this such platforms. I it's such a privilege. Honestly, it's such a privilege and much appreciated Yeah, thank you. It's actually a privilege to also have you because farmers are very busy We are business people entrepreneurs, but it's also a privilege to have you so thank you so much If you just missed this conversation that was all there. He's a farmer all the way in the Northwest Mainly a livestock farmer as I gather but it's also ventured into other commodities doing Lucerne poultry as well as vegetables all Trying to maintain the the the business Especially afloat when you know the cattle's Are even going through mating periods, etc. Where there's downturn in terms of a cash flow And I think what you should get from this conversation is that you cannot farm in a silo You have to work with the community whether it's security whether it's training whether it's upskilling yourself as a person individual as a farmer you have to work as a collective because there's many gems and Trade secrets that you can get from other farmers Experiences that they've had and maybe you can apply that into your business So I hope this conversation was insightful as it was to me please keep supporting the farming podcast brought to you by private property and Feel free to put in any suggestions of topics that you feel that we should cover right here on the podcast Take care