Organic Farming: Serving People And The Environment

The Thompson family has mastered the art of living and working in harmony with nature at their diverse farming operation in Limpopo. Nipper Thompson spoke to Lindi Botha about how they have continually adapted to strike a balance between profit, lifestyle and the environment.

- Lindi Botha

FAST FACTS

The dairy at Wegraakbosch farm produces organic cheese from the milk of grass-fed cows.

The cows, which are managed organically, produce less milk than those at conventional dairies, but milk quality is very high, says Nipper Thompson.

The dairy is cleaned with water only, enabling good bacteria to grow.

When the Thompson family found their beloved rooster dead one morning in a potato field sprayed with pesticide, they saw it as a wake-up call to switch to organic farming practices. Today, 26 years later, despite having faced a range of challenges with a variety of crops, they remain committed to working with nature.

Their farm Wegraakbosch, near Haenertsburg in Limpopo, has been in the Thompson family for three generations.

“Wegraakbosch has seen its fair share of crops. It all started with apples in the early 1900s, after which the family converted to potatoes. Following the incident with our rooster, we moved to organic farming, which has continued through to the dairy we have today,” explains Nipper Thompson, who co-owns the farm with his wife, Sylvia. Wegraakbosch produces 14 types of organic cheese, yoghurt, a variety of organic seasonal vegetables, free-range eggs, and chorizo sausages from free-range pigs.

Switching to a relatively unknown cultivation practice was far from easy and proved to be a lonely journey, says Thompson.

“We constantly questioned our decision. But then we’d have a breakthrough with something we were struggling with, and we’d realise we were on the right path.”

FOLLOWING THE SWISS