Small yet mighty: farm's integrated approach to sustainability

In an era where small to medium-sized farms are struggling to stay afloat, Charlesford Farm near Knysna is bucking the trend with a combination of traditional agriculture, value adding, and agritourism. Owner Cathy Shearer and farm manager Cobus Erasmus spoke to Glenneis Kriel about their approach.

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Cathy Shearer joined her aunt, Gwen Devenish, at Charlesford Farm, bordering Phantom Pass in the Western Cape's Knysna River Valley, towards the end of the 1980s.

“Gwen used to farm dairy cattle, breed racehorses, manage a horse-riding school, and hold regular polocrosse events at the nearby Old Drift. She used to call the dairy her bread and butter and the racehorses the jam,” says Shearer.

When Shearer inherited Charlesford in 2002, she realised she would have to do things differently for the small farm to remain financially sustainable amid rising cost pressures.

That’s when she decided to diversify farming operations. Over time, she kept the dairy cattle and diversified into a small beef herd and pig production, with value added to slaughter animals through on-farm processing at the Charlesford Farm Meat Co & Deli, which was built around 2016.

To accommodate the diversification, Shearer went into a partnership with farm manager Cobus Erasmus to buy Spurwing Farm near Rheenendal, and also started renting small pockets of land from neighbouring farmers.

This added another 150ha to the 110ha of arable land at Charlesford and unlocked an opportunity to sell grass to the lawn industry.

They also ventured into agritourism by building a campsite on Charlesford with 13 sites strategically spaced next to the Knysna River, and seven cottages spread across Charlesford and Spurwing.

“The campsite is secluded, off the grid, and has become known for its beauty, tranquillity, and abundance of birds. As such, it appeals to nature lovers and people who want peace and quiet,” says Shearer.

USING THEIR NETWORK

Managing such a diverse farming operation can be challenging, especially because of the highly intensive nature of dairy and pig production. But Shearer and Erasmus are proof that it can be done quite successfully.