• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
Besige Erasmus Bytjies featured at the South African Cheese Festival, 2019.

From household chore to successful agribusiness

2nd July 2019
Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

11th August 2022
Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

11th August 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Thanks to Netafim’s innovative solutions, drip irrigation is within reach of small-scale farmers. Photo: Supplied

Yes, precision irrigation is possible on a budget

11th August 2022
There's been a major breakthrough with South African citrus containers that have been contained at European ports. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

11th August 2022
Willem Booise (left) is a trustee and has won the industry’s Specialist Agricultural Worker of the Year award in 2018. Photo: Supplied/Hortgro

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

11th August 2022
Many people love avocados, but did you know that the introduction of just one of these fruits per day can improve the overall quality of your diet? Photo: Pixabay

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

10th August 2022
Davidzo Chizhengeni, animal scientist, founder of KvD livestock, Ika Cronje, farmer and participant in the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022 programme, Vuyokazi Makapela, a Director at Afrivet, and permaculture farmer, Stephanie Mullins. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Prevent rabies with vaccination

10th August 2022
Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

11th August 2022
The value of South Africa’s informal farming sector is understated, experts say, and many farmers say that they prefer trading to this segment of the economy. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

New farmer? Informal markets ‘the way to go’

10th August 2022
Gauteng police recovered and confiscated sheep and goats in Sedibeng this week. Photo: Supplied/SAPS

ICYMI: Police recover stolen livestock

10th August 2022
Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

Ecological farming the answer to food insecurity

11th August 2022
Setting up a regenerative smallholding

Setting up a regenerative smallholding

9th August 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Friday, August 12, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Claire and Martin Joubert have sacrificed and struggled to become top breeders of Ankole cattle in South Africa. But giving up was never an option, because they wanted to offer only the very best Ankole genetics in the country. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farming couple lives and breathes Ankole cattle

    Tackling climate change, one tree at a time

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Once struggling farm now a family heirloom

    Optimal yields now at farmers’ finger tips

    Some of the children with the ECD practitioner Yolanda Shabalala. Zero2Five Trust promotes holistic Early Childhood Development in formerly disadvantaged areas by improving learners’ health and education outcomes with nutrition and education programmes. Photo: Supplied/Zero2Five Trust

    Zero2Five: Giving hope to KZN flood victims

    Agripreneur 101: Kupisa Sauce is going places

    Agripreneur 101: Kupisa Sauce is going places

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

From household chore to successful agribusiness

by Duncan Masiwa
2nd July 2019
in Agribusiness, Farmers, Farming Mentors, Inspiration, Small Scale Farmer
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Besige Erasmus Bytjies featured at the South African Cheese Festival, 2019.

Besige Erasmus Bytjies featured at the South African Cheese Festival, 2019. Photo: Agri-Expo

“Farming was part of a long list of chores we had to do growing up. We had no idea that what started out as a few ordinary, mundane tasks would later result in us owning a successful farm with a diverse produce offering,” Piet Erasmus says.

Piet and his wife Christien Erasmus farms with bees on a one-hectare piece of land that they rent from Piet’s employer in Herbertsdale, a small community edged along the Langeberg Mountains in the Southern Cape near Mossel Bay.

“When my husband and I got married, we knew that we wanted to farm, just like our parents did,” Christien explains.

ADVERTISEMENT

ALSO READ: Weird and wonderful: The how and why of a beekeeper’s job

The self-driven farmers felt a compelling urge to farm and purchased 25 laying hens (kept primarily for laying eggs) and 50 broiler chickens (chickens that are bred and raised specifically for meat production) in 2004. It was a journey the couple felt ready to embark on and they were quite chuffed when they made their first sale.

By the end of 2005 the couple had 200 laying and 200 broiler chickens in their shed and their farming future seemed promising.

A surprise visit from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in 2007 resulted in the department gifting them with three chicken sheds.

“We were completely shocked by their visit. We didn’t even know that we could get assistance from the department of agriculture,” Piet explains.

When the sheds finally arrived in 2009, a bird flu outbreak forced Piet and Christien to put down more than 200 chickens. “I was ready to give up on farming, but my husband refused to and instead went out to seek advice from other farmers,” she says.

Piet Erasmus and his wife Christien Erasmus farms with bees on a one-hectare piece of land in the Southern Cape near Mossel Bay.
Piet Erasmus and his wife Christien Erasmus farms with bees on a one-hectare piece of land in the Southern Cape near Mossel Bay.

Act like a farmer, think like a businessman

In an attempt to save their farm, Piet planted vegetable seedlings which they then later sold to people in the community. However, this was never going to be enough to sustain their business, and the farming couple knew it.

He explains that in 2010 God smiled upon them and an opportunity to save the business arose.

“A swarm of bees infested my employer’s house and a bee farmer was called in to remove the bees. Fortunately for me, the farmer could not afford to look after the bees and offered to sell them to me at a discounted price.”

“Besige Erasmus Bytjies” (Busy Little Erasmus Bees) was birthed and was the lifeline Piet and Christien had been looking for. “I was excited about our new venture, but I don’t think the bees liked us very much. We were stung almost every day,” Piet says, amused.

Not lucky, but blessed

Erasmus and his wife have now been farming for 17 years and throughout their journey in agriculture they have thoroughly enjoyed the support of DAFF.

ADVERTISEMENT
“Besige Erasmus Bytjies” (Busy Little Erasmus Bees) products.
“Besige Erasmus Bytjies” (Busy Little Erasmus Bees) products.

The farm received another visit from the department and the officials were pleased to see that the farm pursued growth in categories outside their core business which is bee farming. “Shortly after his visit, DAFF gave us three beehives and two bee suits, veils and boots,” Piet says.

Of course, that was not the end. In 2015 the department paid them another visit, only this time it was to gift them 150 beehives.

ALSO READ: Jozi buzzes with Urban Beekeeper, Themba Mntambo.

Piet mentions that they have experienced many challenges that have disrupted their growth.

Baboons and honey badgers are frequent visitors on the farm and cause damage to the beehives. Another challenge was the drought and bad weather conditions which affected their bee farming. In an attempt to try and counter this, Piet fed the bees with a sugary liquid, which kept them alive.

Piet understands the value of knowledge and frequently asks for advice from experienced farmers. “When my wife and I started farming, we didn’t know a lot. But as we’ve journeyed through the agriculture industry, we have gained a lot of information.”

Busy Erasmus Bees have been frequent features at the Prince Albert Festival, South African Cheese Festival and George Town Festival.

Their honey sales at this year’s Cheese Festival were not that good, but Erasmus explains that they’ve identified the problem and look forward to next year’s festival. Fynbos will be blooming soon, and this means that “Besige Erasmus Bytjies” will be bottling beautiful golden liquid soon.

The farming duo says they want to grow their business and diversify their offering even further. “When we leave this world, we want to leave our children with a healthy farm,” explains the buzzing bee farmers.

MUST-READ:  Queen bee set on giving beekeeping a young and vibrant face.

Tags: Beesbroiler chickensCheese FestivalChristien ErasmusDAFFGeorge FestivalHerbertsdalehoneyLangeberg Mountainslaying chickensMossel BayPiet ErasmusPrince Albert Festival
Previous Post

Mzansi’s first black winemaker didn’t let rejection stop her

Next Post

Positivity among hard pressed farmers impresses Irish agri journalist as he tours South Africa

Duncan Masiwa

Duncan Masiwa

DUNCAN MASIWA is a budding journalist with a passion for telling great agricultural stories. He hails from Macassar, close to Somerset West in the Western Cape, where he first started writing for the Helderberg Gazette community newspaper. Besides making a name for himself as a columnist, he is also an avid poet who has shared stages with artists like Mahalia Buchanan, Charisma Hanekam, Jesse Jordan and Motlatsi Mofatse.

Related Posts

Yao honey-hunters harvesting a honeybee nest in Niassa Special. Reserve, Mozambique, where human-honeyguide cooperation still thrives. Photo: Supplied/Jessica van der Wal

Why human-honeyguide cooperation must be preserved

by The Conversation
20th June 2022
0

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Today, human-honeyguide cooperation is becoming scarcer because of changing cultures and deteriorating habitats. It's therefore imperative to...

Attendees at the broiler workshop which was held in Pietermaritzberg recently. Photo: Joën Cornelissen/Food for Mzansi

Broiler clinic: Tzaneen, we are on our way!

by Nicole Ludolph
7th May 2022
0

If broiler farming is a possibility that excites you, we have the perfect opportunity for you! Food For Mzansi's final...

Food For Mzansi’s newly-launched Farmer’s Inside Track Academy kicks off with a series of chicken farming workshops. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Register now for chicken farming workshops

by Staff Reporter
26th January 2022
0

Are you an aspiring broiler chicken farmer? Do you have a space of at least 3x6 metres to start? Join...

Bees: In South Africa a total of 1,069 beekeepers are registered, managing 60,351 colonies. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Deformed wing virus: Why our bees are not dying so fast

by The Conversation
29th August 2021
0

Deformed wing virus has killed millions of bee colonies in the US, Europe and Asia. So why are honeybees in...

Next Post
Chris McCullough is a freelance multimedia journalist has visited and reported from South Africa on five separate occasions over the past 12 years.

Positivity among hard pressed farmers impresses Irish agri journalist as he tours South Africa

There's been a major breakthrough with South African citrus containers that have been contained at European ports. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
News

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

by Duncan Masiwa
11th August 2022
0

South Africa has managed to secure a major breakthrough for local citrus exporters. Thanks to high-level government intervention, tonnes of...

Read more
Willem Booise (left) is a trustee and has won the industry’s Specialist Agricultural Worker of the Year award in 2018. Photo: Supplied/Hortgro

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

11th August 2022
Many people love avocados, but did you know that the introduction of just one of these fruits per day can improve the overall quality of your diet? Photo: Pixabay

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

10th August 2022
Davidzo Chizhengeni, animal scientist, founder of KvD livestock, Ika Cronje, farmer and participant in the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022 programme, Vuyokazi Makapela, a Director at Afrivet, and permaculture farmer, Stephanie Mullins. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Prevent rabies with vaccination

10th August 2022
Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

Control and prevent downy mildew on crops

11th August 2022

ICYMI: Mama Fifi determined to rise again

R19-million breakthrough for sugarcane farmers

Women farmers bolster Tiger Brands value chain

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

Farmer 101: Exploring alternative energy fixes

Setting up a regenerative smallholding

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 12 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

Yes, precision irrigation is possible on a budget

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.