Serving the farmers at heart

At Kaap Agri we’re not only passionate about farmers, but also farmers-in-training and those who are farmers at heart. In February, the business donated gardening tools and seeds worth more than R17,000 to communities who are involved in urban gardening projects via branch-sponsored and corporate-sponsored CARE initiatives.

Kaap Agri helped the Victory Outreach Church Recovery Home (VOCRH) in Cape Town to kickstart their feeding scheme. The Home is a substance abuse rehabilitation centre and offers men and women who seek help a place to live and an opportunity to reclaim and restore their lives.

“We are very grateful for the sponsorship of the gardening equipment. It would have been very difficult to start the project without this support. We are excited about this project and the benefits it holds not only for VOCRH, but also for the surrounding communities. Thank you to everyone who made this donation possible, especially the team at Agrimark Philippi who coordinated and delivered the equipment,” said Brionnee Miller, the home’s project co-ordinator.

At present, VOCRH is home to 40 men and 20 women. Brionnee says the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions forced them to explore different ways to provide healthy meals for all the residents and staff. “We decided to start a vegetable garden as a means to provide food and nutrition to the home so we partnered with a local NPO to gain the necessary skills to ensure the success and sustainability of the vegetable garden,” she added.

In a separate donation, Agrimark Franschhoek donated gardening supplies worth R7,300 to Franschhoek High School. School principal, Marjorie Myburg, said the donation will not only assist them in getting their vegetable garden started, but will also help them to accomplish their vision of teaching learners new skills to live more sustainably. “We are thrilled to have your support. The equipment and vegetable seeds we received will truly make a difference and we are extremely grateful,” she said.