An integrated enterprise on a small piece of land

Hennie and Liza-Mari Jonker manage a highly productive 6,6ha farm outside Kroonstad, where they farm more than 800 sheep, 1 500 laying hens, two dozen Boer goats, and a flock of Damara sheep – all with the goal of living as self-sufficiently as possible.

- By Izak Hofmeyr

The Jonkers first drew attention eight years ago when they showed both the junior champion and reserve junior champion Hampshire Down rams at the Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg, just a year after having registered their Zorro Hampshire Down stud.

Since then, they have continued making headlines nationwide with a string of achievements in the showring. These include producing Hampshire Down ram champions from 2019 through 2024, as well as taking home the supreme interbreed champion title at the 2023 Royal Show and the reserve supreme interbreed champion in 2024.

While their record over the years is impressive, 2025 has been a standout year so far. At the recent All-breed Show at the Afridome in Parys, the Jonkers secured top honours in the carcass competition, winning both the single and group of four categories. Their single-carcass winner weighed 25,4kg and fetched R30 000 at the auction. They also claimed victory in the Lamb Champs elimination round held at the same event.

Fields and fertilisation

After years of renting land to accommodate their sheep and feedlot, Hennie and Liza-Mari purchased a portion of land outside Kroonstad shortly after the Covid pandemic and relocated their operation there. "Our aim has always been to create synergy between the different facets of our farming business, while remaining sustainable," explains Hennie. "Input costs are simply too high, so we had to look at possible savings. We couldn't do much about the lamb price, but we could save on fertiliser."