Senwes Scenario October/November | Page 14

Winning combination in crop farming! Pieter Ferreira and his father Piet. PRODUCER FOCUS Piet Ferreira Staying in agriculture While a lot of producers are upping and leaving, it is not the case at the Ferreiras. Senwes Scenario visited producer Piet Ferreira.  By Aubrey Kruger Senwes Scenario Editor F ive years ago, at the age of 63, the farming operations of Piet, or Piet Lentedou as he is known, looked a lot different than it looks today. Mercifully his son and son-in-law decided to become part of the farming operations. Pieter is a pilot and Cassie 12 SENWES SCENARIO | SUMMER 2018 studied Forestry and Natural Resources and they brought a new vibe to the farm. Believe it or not, says Piet Lentedou, there are three Piet Ferreiras who farm in this sandy region. THE BEGINNING Piet started farming in 1975 when he took over from his father Lou, who had a shop in the area, Lentedou Cash Store. Lou was the manager of the Senwes retail branch in Tierfontein in 1947 and started farming in 1954, when he also established his cash store. Piet learned the basic principles of farming from his father and other farmers in the area. He started with 150 hectares of wheat and 300 hectares of maize and today, 43 years later, he has built up a strong farming business. An interesting fact is that his father attended the first grain grading course at Senwes in 1940.