Smallholder farmer has big aspirations

Jonathan Carlson started working on his dream of becoming a farmer straight after he finished school: he made and sold neck clamps for cattle to raise the funds he would need to turn his aspirations into reality. Today, he runs a small yet successful Boer goat and cattle operation. Pieter Dempsey reports.

- Pieter Dempsey

FAST FACTS

Having access to only a small piece of land, Jonathan Carlson decided to invest in quality over quantity by starting a Boer goat stud.

On his 10ha smallholding, he manages to run a 50-cow Bonsmara herd and a 60-ewe Boer goat stud.

His advice to other new breeders is to invest in the best genetics they can afford.

If you are passionate about farming, no farm is too small to make a start on, says Jonathan Carlson. With a smaller property, you simply need to plan the layout so that you can maximize its potential. Carlson adds that his 10ha smallholding Langverwaght in the Hartbeespoort area of North West is perfectly suited to intensive farming with a Boer goat stud.

Cattle, however, were Carlson’s initial choice. Using money he had saved from making and selling neck clamps for cattle, he bought a herd of five Bonsmaras (one bull and five cows). He then went on to buy calves, background them and sell them to purchase more cattle. The herd now consists of 50 cows.

Due to the size of his land, however, Carlson realized that he could not expand his herd appreciably, so he decided to focus on Boer goats.

Even in this case, the size of his farm was a limiting factor, and it triggered his next decision: to pursue quality over quantity by starting a Boer goat stud. “One of the advantages of Boer goats is that most of the ewes produce twins, which means the flock grows quickly,” says Carlson.

He has one ram, which he uses for most of the breeding, and 60 ewes.