Gauteng Smallholder October 2016 | Page 3

GAUTENG

MAGAZINE

HOW TO MAKE YOUR PLOT PROFITABLE

Vol 17 No 10 October 2016 PUBLISHED BY Bowford Publications ( Pty ) Ltd Established 1985

( Reg No 2004 / 019727 / 07 ) PO Box 14648 , Bredell 1623 Tel : [phone] or 076 176-7392 Fax : [phone] website : www . sasmallholder . co . za

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR Pete Bower email : editor @ gautengsmallholder . com

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FRONT COVER

Preparing a patch of ground for planting . It doesn ’ t matter what one uses to get the job done , so long as it gets done in time for the rains .

COMMENT , by Pete Bower

A multifarious skill-set

There ' s an ancient Chinese curse that goes “ may you live in interesting times . For us who live on smallholdings there are times when it could just as well be “ May you live on a plot .” For there are times in every maplotter ' s life when everything seems to go wrong at once , and one finds oneself wondering why the hell one embarked on life on a smallholding in the first place : the borehole dries up , the water tank is leaking , the tractor won ' t start , there are aphids on the cabbages , a sheep is sick , and the child ' s pony has gone lame the day before an important horse show . Oh , and then the neighbour decides to choose that day to burn a firebreak , which burns out of control and into your only remaining grazing . Sound familiar ? Seriously , this smallholder life does mean that , in time , one acquires an incredibly broad skill-set , and an equally broad knowledge base of often quite obscure stuff . And , actually , as one takes stock of one ' s life this Spring , I think we can pat ourselves on the back at what we ' ve learnt as smallholders . For , if you keep livestock , you will have learnt about feeding , nutrition , procreation and basic first aid . You will , hopefully , have learnt to recognise the symptoms of the most common ailments your animals suffer , and how to treat them . And all of this for each different species you keep , such as poultry , ponies for the kids , sheep or cattle . To keep them from straying you will have learnt how to build a fence , hang a gate and repair the wire when it breaks . Hanging gates and erecting fences will have taught you about concrete and you will have learnt the hard way that the equivalent of a wheelbarrow of cement is two pockets of cement , not one . Your forays into the wonderful world of concrete may have emboldened you to attempt other building projects such as construction of tractor sheds , stables and cement reservoirs and possibly laying of concrete driveways . Thus you will have learnt why a good spirit level is a necessary tool in your kit , unless you don ' t mind your plot constructions resembling the Zimbabwe Ruins . Because your animals require water in the paddocks you will have learnt about boreholes , tanks and tank stands , windmills and booster pumps , not to mention the difference between thick and thin water pipe ( and why it is necessary to bury it at a depth that cannot be reached by a garden fork , pick-axe or spade ), and how to join an irrigation system up so that it delivers an adequate amount of water to the required spot , without pipes bursting or joints leaking . And because your animals require grazing you will have learnt about pasture grasses , increaser and decreaser species , and you will have recognised palatable versus unpalatable species as you observe the grasses that are eaten by your animals , and those that are left behind . Not to mention that you will hopefully have more than a passing knowledge of fire management and the laws surrounding firebreaks , and firefighting equipment ( which you will also have learnt to operate efficiently ). If your animals are kept to provide you with food you will have learnt how to milk a cow , and possibly also how to make your own butter , yoghurt and cheese . You might also have tried your hand at slaughtering , hopefully under the watchful eye and advice of somebody experienced in this gruesome art . Or , at the very least you will have learnt where the nearest small abattoir is located . Growing your own fruit and vegetables will have taught you about fertilization , manuring and composting , not to mention about pruning and spraying , companion planting , succession planting , pest and disease control . And you will probably have rummaged around to your grandmother ' s old cookbooks for recipes and methods of bottling , pickling and freezing to preserve the harvest you reap . Your large garden will have meant you are , after a decade or so , on your third or fourth lawnmower , having FINALLY learnt that “ goedkoop is duurkoop ” when choosing machines not up to the task you ask of them . And , of course , you will have become an expert in the arcane science of the septic tank . You will have learnt , probably the hard way , that caustic soda as a drain cleaner , and the disgusting habit of discarding cigarette stompies down the loo , are instant recipes for your septic system to turn into a bubbling stinky fly pit . Yes , there is a lot to learn when you become a smallholder , no less important being how to pass your new-found knowledge on to your staff and family .

SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE GAUTENG SMALLHOLDER