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Dear Friend of the Farm
Philippi farmer Johan Terblanche was on Carte Blanche last week talking about the threat of developing the Philippi Horticultural Area, a region uniquely suited to vegetable production. The combination of friable soils, good-quality water and a high water table enables production over 12 months of the year. The area, 20 minutes from central Cape Town, currently produces over 50 percent of the vegetables consumed in our city. Reducing its capacity, says Johan will undoubtedly have negative impacts on food security in future years. Its productive capacity has been built up through two centuries of investment in soil fertility and irrigation infrastructure. Johan thinks politics is the biggest threat to this horticultural land on Cape Town's urban edge. “It all depends what the politicians think is important. If they can’t see the value of Philippi, then we have a big problem,†he says.
The PHA has been in the news lately because of plans to rezone the farmlands for housing development. So far, some fiery activism has stalled the process, but an aerial view of Philippi shows how contested this island of vegetable gardening is, in a place where the City of Cape Town says it has a housing backlog of 300 000 units - on every side, the congested settlements of the Cape Flats push harder and harder up against its green edge.
This area has been the city’s vegetable garden since the late 1800s. Exactly how much fresh food it supplies Cape Town now is hard to calculate, but according to a report by the African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), up to half of the city’s cauliflower, carrots and lettuce come from here. While most of the PHA’s produce goes directly to retailers (83%), a good chunk of the second-grade veggies trickle down through to the township traders, with third-grade stock given to farm labourers - the latter is a significant contributor to the availability of healthy food to the poorest communities in the Cape Flats.
Johan, like his father before him was a warden at Pollsmoor Prison. But he left there in 1991, in his late thirties, to live out his dream of being a farmer. He sold his home in Lakeside for R50 000 and bought his first three hectares in Philippi. Since then, Johan has slowly bought 120 hectares of farmland, and, including the rental lands he tills, his operation is now 300 hectares in size. “I will farm until I die. It’s in my blood and it’s all I can do now."
 Johan supplies cabbage, cauliflower, parsley, celery, lettuce, carrots, kale, spinach, radishes, turnips, and beetroot to all the big retailers, but also supplies 5 000 cabbages and 8 000 bunches of spinach to local informal traders on a daily basis. It's a massive operation, employing some 360 people, mostly women from the local area.
Food is one of the essentials of life and yet relatively little attention is paid to how it reaches us in our cities. It is an essential lens through which to view urban sustainability and issues of justice. Although there has always been enough food to feed everyone in Cape Town, up to eighty percent of residents in low income areas struggle to access adequately nutritious and affordable food. In urban centres worldwide, areas of food scarcity and oversupply exist in close proximity. The complexity of food production, distribution, access, control and consumption are critical development challenges for Cape Town.
Says Johan, "Asking questions about food, where it comes from and demanding a better food system is an important key aspect of citizenship. It is what living (and eating) in a city should be all about."
We agree. Calling for and supporting a food system that is sustainable, equitable and resilient is a democratic obligation.
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Market Day Saturday 23 April 2016 from 9am to 2pm, Granger Bay at the V&A Waterfront
Food and market-loving friends from all over the Mother City, throw on your most comfortable weekend wear, bring the family, or friends, and come spend Market Day celebrating our heroic farmers and artisanal producers who grow and prepare your food. Its the right thing to do.
What's in Season
It's persimmon (aka Sharon fruit) season in the Western Cape. Though there are many varieties of Japanese persimmon, you are likely only going to come across two, the ‘Hachiya’ and the ‘Fuyu.’
 It’s important you know the difference between these two fruits, as one — if eaten before fully ripe — will likely make you swear off persimmon forever. Both varieties of persimmon look like orange tomatoes. Hachiya is more oblong with a pointed end, akin to a plump roma. Fuyu is squat, with a flattened bottom, like smaller heirloom tomatoes. Both are vibrant orange, though Fuyu is yellower than Hachiya. But here is where you really need to pay attention: Hachiya is known as an astringent persimmon. If you bite into an unripe Hachiya, you will be greeted with a flood of bitter tannin that will sheath your tongue in shrink wrap. Your tongue will dry up. You will curse. And you will never look at a persimmon again. Never ever.
But if you let the persimmon ripen (just leave it on the counter, pointy end up, for a week or two), you will be rewarded with a rich, sweet fruit, moist and soft. Fuyu, on the other hand, is a firm, non-astringent persimmon. You can eat Fuyus just like an apple. It won’t be as sweet when not-quite-ripe (akin to an apple), but it won’t have your tongue curling backwards into your throat, either.
Sharon fruit trees were first planted in the Western Cape in 1998, and it soon became clear that the province’s southern Overberg had the best climatic conditions to grow the exotic fruit in South Africa. Currently, South Africa is the only country in the southern hemisphere that produces Sharon fruit. This is according to Pine Pienaar, Sharon Fruit South Africa’s project manager, who is also in charge of the Arisa packhouse at Buffeljags River near Swellendam in the Overberg region.
Apart from increasing market share in South Africa’s main markets – western Europe, the UK and the Middle and Far East – the industry wants to take advantage of the access it gained to the US market in 2014. Last year, only a limited number of containers were exported to this lucrative market in order to gain experience in the difficult protocols that need to be followed. “We were very successful with those shipments and look forward to increasing shipments this year,†says Pienaar.
 Guava doesn't make its way into many recipes - just as it isn't found in many fruit bowls - but when it does, this pink-fleshed fruit makes it count. Try one of these recipes and you'll see what we mean.
Farmer Fan Olivier in Portervile has again sent us no less than 60kg of Dragon fruit this week. The taste is subtle, kind of like a kiwi and a melon, buy wait until your taste buds get used to the taste and then it becomes the finest thing.
We've got thick excellent quality fresh turmeric root for you. Dozens of studies have revealed many clinical benefits associated with curcumin. They include antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory activity and protection against chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
 Fresh Medjool Dates: The desert-like conditions of the Klein Pella area in the Lower Orange River region provides the ideal climate for The Karsten Group’s production of Dates. The production at Klein Pella concentrates on the Medjoul variety which is harvested during March and April and marketed from March to October. When it comes to the number of minerals, vitamins, and health-benefiting phytonutrients in dates, suffice it to say there are a lot of them. First and foremost, they're easily digested, allowing your body to make full use of their goodness.
As summer bids us farewell one fruit that is hard to see go is the Evita fig. But, thanks to Farmer Jan Eksteen of Uitkijk Farm, Voor-Paardeberg, near Paarl, we'll have one more week of deliciousness.
In addition, you can choose from red and white onions, large open brown and gable mushrooms, organic herbs and salad leaves, carrots, beets, fennel, broccoli, cauliflower, ginger, apples, pears, garlic, spring onions, brinjals, grapefruit and melons.
Market Information
ALERT: We suggest that you come early this Saturday. The World Triathlon Series is taking place this weekend in and around the Cape Town Stadium. Access to the Market is from Dock Road, through the town entrance to the Waterfront, or from Portswood Road into the open parking at the Lookout, which is open as usual. Please note that due to the event there is no parking on both sides of Beach Road from 4am to 6pm on Saturday, and Granger Bay Boulevard is closed to traffic.
If you’ve forgotten your own shopper we have locally made cotton OZCF shoppers for R120 and gorgeous woven baskets for sale. We also sell OZCF branded short and long sleeved shirts, caps and safari style hats, and linen aprons unique to OZCF, available in stone or sage green.
We're happy to offer you a simple, easy, convenient and free payment solution as an alternative to cash payments. SnapScan is a smartphone app that lets you use your phone to make secure payments. It’s free to use and free to download so it’s perfect if you don’t want to carry cash. Read more here.
We're also able to offer credit card payments, and we accept cash.
Entrance: There is no fee to enter the market. Pedestrian entrances are open directly from The Lookout and on Beach Road, and cyclists, joggers, dog walkers and others are most welcome.
Public transport: The MyCiTi 104 route stops opposite the market on Beach Road and at the main V&A Waterfront stop. The T01 also stops there, as well as on Granger Bay Blvd a block from the market.
Uber to the Market: Proud to announce that OZCF Market Day has partnered with Uber to get our customers to and from the Market safely and in style. We'll reward you by giving you a 10% discount for purchases in the OZCF Veg Tent on sales of R200 and more upon sight of your Uber receipt. And you'll get a free pomegranate. New to Uber? Sign up here and enter the promo code EASTERSA for a free first ride up to R100.
Cycle or Walk: Cycle or walk to the Market, or as many have been doing - enjoy a walk along Beach Road and take an Uber home. Hire a cycle from Up Cycles on the Sea Point Promenade and ride to the Market. Rent a bike from Up Cycles at their station at the Sea Point Promenade and take a leisurely ride along the coast all the way to the OZCF Market Day to claim your reward. To get 10% off your smoothie from The Shakedown, simply show your Up Cycle rental slip to Richard and Corina who will reward you with 10% off the price.
Parking: Parking is a pleasure - either on site at The Lookout (R10 for the entire day), in one of the many V&AW parking garages, at The Grand Cafe and Beach with a short walk up the wooden steps to the market, or you can park for free along Beach Road, opposite the Somerset Hospital and Fort Wynyard – the gate on Beach Road into the Market site will be open on Saturdays. Map and further details on the website.
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What do our farmers have to offer you this week?
Farmer Eric Swarts farming outside Stellenbosch has sent the crispiest of green beans, bunches of his famous carrots, kilos of sweet potatoes, and mild in flavour spring onions. When cooked, the spring onions are tender and sweet.
From the dedicated farmers of Abalimi Bezekhaya on the Cape Flats we have brinjals, beets, pak choi, rhubarb, mint, chives, celery, radish and spring onions.
 Farmers Lynette and Fanie Fourie of Eikelaan Farm just outside of Tulbagh have delivered herb salad, leeks, butternut, quinces, pomegranates and brinjals.
Farmer Arlene Van Wyk, will harvest the most sweet, peppery salad rocket, that will make your salads burst with flavour.
Farmers David and Charlene Rothquel from Klein Namaquasfontein near Redelinghuys on the West Coast have brought fresh lavender flowers and oil and Favlosa Olive Oil. David and Charlene drive two hours to the Market every Saturday and enjoy sharing their farming stories with you.
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What do our traders have to offer you this week?
Peter and Lizanne Owen of By Nature now offer dried persimmons - sulphur-free of course. They're super yummy. They also offer a range of raw flavoured nuts. Yes, you read that right. Activated nuts, coated in a home-made paste, then dehydrated. In other words, no heated oils. With ingredients like turmeric, kelp powder, Himalayan rock salt, tamari, cinnamon and naartjie peel you might want to try them all. Oh, and if you haven't noticed them, their raw macadamias are back in stock.
"Selling farm cheese at markets breaks from the routine of an 8 to 5 job", says Jane Selander of Around Cheese. "Being a country girl at heart it entails bringing a little of the country into the city. It is about imparting knowledge and stories about small farm cheese makers as well as a bit of the history and origin of farm cheese as opposed to factory and processed cheese. My motto is..... A DAY WITHOUT CHEESE IS LIKE A KISS WITHOUT A SQUEEZE!"
We welcome Nikki Swing with original clothing, accessories and home-ware made locally out of predominately natural fabrics. Nikki offers a bespoke, made to measure service for clothing, using linen and some hemp and upholstery fabrics. Look out for some exclusive products for OZCF such as the linen cushions printed with herbs and botanicals.
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Interviewer: "Congratulations on winning the R25 million lottery."
Interviewer: "Do you have any special plans for spending all of that money?"
Farmer: "No, Not really. I'm just gonna keep farming until the lottery money is all gone."
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See you at Market Day at Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront or at the Farm in Upper Orange St, Oranjezicht.
Remember to Eat Your Greens
The Oranjezicht City Farm Team
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