Baas vannie plaas: Kraaifontein man used R350 grant to grow his flourishing veggie patch
|Published
This Kraaifontein man used government’s R350 social relief of distress grant during the pandemic to grow his fortune.
Nicky Jafta, 60, used his grant to buy seeds to plant a veggie garden to feed his family, but to his surprise discovered he has groen vingers and a knack with gardening.
Now his garden has grown so much that he can sell his vegetables to put bread on the table.
Nicky, from Denova, says: “When Covid struck we were lucky enough to receive our grants. I had to learn to stretch that money and today I feel like that grant made me a farmer.”
Nicky says using the money, he attended a week-long course in agriculture in Elsenburg [Agricultural Training Institute].
“I received my certificate and my thumb is so green that we can almost not stay ahead of our customers.”
He has learnt how to work out a budget to pay for essentials such as water sprayers, seeds and seedlings, fertilisers and more to start his garden and expand on it.
Nicky adds: “I also have to thank Marius Mans who allows me to use his tractor free of charge for when I have to till the land to plant new veggies.
“I grow potatoes, tomatoes, onions, pumpkins and chillies among others, and I also have a few fruit trees.
“On the days when our money runs low, I tell my wife to pick out of the garden to make a lekker potjie for us and our two children.”
Nicky works in his garden from 6am in the morning, as well as late in the afternoon when the sun’s heat is less intense.
He says: “My garden is very fertile; recently we harvested 300 pumpkins from our pumpkin patch which is a record for us.”
His wife, Lynnette, 60, says Nicky saved them.
Lynnette explains: “I am very proud of what he has accomplished here. He really has magic in his fingers, he watches his garden closely.
“A lot of people are coming here to learn from him about how to start a garden.”
Unfortunately, the family had a setback when their bakkie was stolen in November, and they are struggling with transport.
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