In this episode of our Farmer Mentor podcast on Farmer’s Inside Track, Tinashe Jomairwa shares his remarkable journey of going from a music producer to a maize and livestock farmer. Coming from a family of farmers, he is on a mission to grow the legacy of his forefathers.
Gauteng farmer Tinashe Jomairwa comes from a long line of Zimbabwean farmers. Agriculture has always been embedded in his genes. But agriculture was never his first choice.
“I’ve been producing music for overseas labels for quite some time. But the call of the land was strong,” he shares.
He and his family farm 30 hectares where they try to implement forward-thinking strategies. “You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversification is key,” he says.
Which is why they integrate both crop and livestock farming. They have maize fields, sugar beans and livestock thrive under Jomairwa’s careful watch.
“We started with crops,” Tinashe explains, “focusing on yellow maize, sugar beans, and soya beans.”
Weathering the storm
Their choice of crops was guided by the region’s natural rainfall patterns, minimising reliance on irrigation. However, navigating the challenges of unpredictable weather required innovative solutions.
“Installing irrigation where feasible, meticulous planning, and consulting local farmers for insights into weather patterns are all part of our resilience strategy,” Tinashe notes.
Integrating livestock into their operations presented its own set of challenges. “The challenge was being able to equally divide the land for natural grazing and crop cultivation,” Tinashe explains. “We ended up renting land from neighbouring farms to accommodate both.”
Yet, innovation has always been at the forefront of their approach. Leveraging Tinashe’s educational background in geographical information systems (GIS), they’re exploring cutting-edge techniques such as remote sensing for crop monitoring. “
“We’re working with experts to incorporate remote sensing into our operations. It’s about looking ahead,” he says.
In the podcast, Jomairwa shares more about their farming business and what contributes to their success on the ground.
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