The Living Soils Community Learning Farm welcomed 20 new interns to its year-long sustainable agriculture internship programme.
The transformative initiative, a partnership between Woolworths, Spier Wine Farm, and the Sustainability Institute, continues to serve as a catalyst for change by equipping young and emerging farmers with critical agricultural skills while fostering food security in communities in need of support.
Last year was a milestone year for Living Soils, marked by significant progress in agricultural production, sustainability, and social impact.
The project boasted a 214% increase in 2024, when compared to 2023, resulting in the harvesting of 15 773 kg of fresh food. Of this, 9 877 kg was donated to nearby communities and early childhood development centres, reinforcing Living Soils Community Learner Farm’s mission of food security.
On the sustainability and innovation front, the introduction of a greenhouse tunnel, donated by Vegtech Netafim, provided interns, farm employees, and managers with an invaluable platform to explore precision agriculture techniques that enhance sustainability and efficiency.
Furthermore, a 45% increase in revenue underscored Living Soils’ growing financial sustainability.
In 2024, over 15 000 people benefited daily from fresh produce through direct donations and subsidised sales to organisations such as Feeding in Action, the Pebbles Project, and the Lynedoch Children’s House, and eight interns graduated, with two securing employment immediately and two are pursuing further studies.
This year, with an ambitious vision, Living Soils is poised to deepen its impact through:
• land expansion: cultivated land will increase by 90%, from 1,1 ha to 2,1 ha;
• diverse crop production: new crops, including mixed peppers, butternut, marrows, tomatoes, and turnips, will be introduced;
• growing educational opportunities: the increase of internship intake to 20 young people, with 65% of these being women;
• skills development initiatives: new practical training opportunities to be introduced, like tractor driving lessons that will provide interns with essential hands-on agricultural skills; and
• enhanced infrastructure: the installation of a new, highly efficient irrigation system and on-field irrigation maintenance training by Vegtech Netafim, to improve efficiency and productivity on the farm.
Living Soils continues to cultivate crops, talent, opportunities and sustainable solutions, dedicated to empowering individuals and communities.
By investing in people and the planet, the green initiative is nurturing a future where agriculture is a vehicle for economic empowerment.
