Circular agriculture in practice: A regenerative and profitable model

On their family farm in Himeville, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eustaces have developed a system that balances profitability with regeneration and sustainability, giving outputs a second life and adding value wherever possible.

- By Izak Hofmeyr and Jemma Eustace

Their approach exemplifies the circular economy by transforming agricultural waste into resources, enhancing ecosystem health, and reducing dependence on external inputs.

Pat's father, Charles, bought the farm in 1936 when he moved to the area as a wool advisor for the Farmers’ Cooperative Union (FCU). Pat joined him after finishing school in 1964, and John followed in 1997. The Eustaces are committed to efficiency and effectiveness, running a mixed farming system that combines extensive livestock farming with intensive cropping.

They employ techniques such as genetic technology, precision planting, biostimulants, water monitoring, and no-till mechanisation in their cropping system. In terms of their livestock division, they focus on breeding naturally hardy and strong animals with minimal medical intervention, good conception and birth statistics, and efficient feed conversion.

Himeville lies in a high rainfall (850mm) sourveld area, with a high carrying capacity in summer but very low-quality grazing in winter. On its own, beef cattle require about 2,5ha/LSU (large-stock unit). By integrating sheep into the system, the Eustaces have reduced this figure and improved the productivity of the land without degrading it.

Employing circular practices

Rather than reshaping the land to fit industrial production, they work in harmony with the local environment (rainfall patterns, grazing capacity, and mountainous terrain). The farm has been in their family for 90 years, with each generation contributing knowledge and sustainable practices instead of merely extracting more from the land. “Circularity begins with respecting what the land can provide, not demanding more than it can give,” explains John.