Spring Garden Showcase
Author: Abalimi Bezekhaya
This has been a busy year for Abalimi celebrating 40 years of township farming!
In April we hosted the Farmer Festival with over 1200 micro farmers, while in July we had an amazing cook-up with chefs and farmers. The final activity for the year is to showcase the home and community gardens across the townships.
The aim of the Open Gardens is to invite people from across town to visit the gardens, meet the farmers and chat to them about their challenges and even buy organic produce straight from the garden.
Come and meet the farmers and see their gardens!
All the Abalimi home and community gardens have been invited to participate in this event where they can show their gardens, meet with visitors and sell their produce. Abalimi will assist with coordinating the routes for visiting and farmer availability. The culmination will be an award ceremony in October where their efforts will be acknowledged.
TAKE ACTION: Come visit. Pass on the message. Sponsor an award.
Visitors are requested to meet at a Garden Centre (either in Nyanga or Khayelitsha depending on the date) around 9:30 to meet the team and explore the Garden Centre, before heading out with a guide to the gardens. Visitors will see a selection of community and home gardens, or pods, which is a group of home gardens within walking distance from each other.
We request that visits are done on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday mornings to help with farmer coordination, but alternative arrangements can also be made on special request. Security is a top priority and we believe that you will be safe with us.
Suggested donation per visitor per day is R200. This helps to cover Abalimi's core costs only and is only a suggestion. Anything towards this cost is most welcome. Section 18A Tax Certificates can be issued.
Programme: each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday morning
- Meet your guide at the Garden Centre at 9:30
- Tour of Garden Centre with refreshments and agri-resources for sale
- Visit to a selection of home and community gardens - time dependent
- Depart around lunch time
Gardens to be visited (subject to change) with Google map link to meeting point:
- 21 to 24 September - Khayelitsha GC: Feed the Khaltsha, Ntinga, Masikhanye
- 28 September to 1 October - Nyanga GC: Manelisi’s Urban Farm
- 5 to 8 October - Khayelitsha GC: Sylvia’s Garden, Sunshine Organic, iThemba
- 12 to 15 October - Nyanga GC: Hlumani, Pela Close
- 19 to 22 October - Khayelitsha GC: Masiphile, Whitehouse, NOAH Pod
- 26 to 29 October - Khayelitsha GC: Ma Pat @J81, Wetland farmers, Lumanyono Pod