Jerid-Lee's grape dreams sprout great success

From cold Septembers to 40°C heatwaves, Jerid-Lee Warries shares how he navigates the unpredictable weather at Broodkraal to grow top-quality table grapes. He shares his journey on our Farmer Mentor podcast series on Farmer’s Inside Track.

Jerid-Lee Warries, a seasoned production manager with over 12 years of experience in table grape cultivation, has built a successful farming career at Broodkraal Landgoed Middelpos in the Piketberg region of the Western Cape.

Growing up on a farm, surrounded by the vineyards and stories of his family members who worked the land, Warries found inspiration despite initially wanting to pursue a different path.

His upbringing was deeply rooted in farming but not in the way one might expect. Warries’ grandparents, aunts, and other family members were general workers on a farm, a humble background that shaped his understanding of hard work. His parents lived elsewhere, so he stayed with his grandmother.

“I didn’t want to go into farming. I wanted to be an architect and then I thought maybe a marketing manager.”

Warries vividly remembers evenings when his family members returned home from long days in the vineyards, their hands dirtied by the day’s labour but their hearts full of passion. The stories they shared were sometimes filled with joy and at other times, frustration. Yet, what struck Warries most was their pride in their work.

“The one thing that inspired me was the passion they had for their job, despite being general workers,” he says.

After completing his education at Noorder Paarl High School, Warries pursued marketing studies at Boland College, where he spent two and a half years. He later attended Elsenberg Agricultural College to study farming. “After that, I started as a general worker in 2014, working my way up to where I am today.”

A passion for table grapes

His childhood exposure to the vineyards motivated Warries to focus on table grapes. Growing up, he spent his school holidays walking through the rows of grapevines, listening to the stories of his elders. These experiences left a lasting impression.

“I remember when we were still kids, we were so excited when our parents started to pack the grapes. The first day when they started packing, we would always go to the packhouse. All of that inspired me to do table grapes.”

When Warries officially began working in the industry in 2014, he had already accumulated a wealth of knowledge simply by asking questions and observing.

Today, he manages a section of Broodkraal Landgoed Middelpos, which boasts 552 hectares dedicated to table grapes. The farm is divided into 10 smaller farms, with each production manager responsible for their portion.

Running a farm is no easy feat, but Warries thrives in the environment. Broodkraal, as a large operation, has a culture of collaboration where best practices are agreed upon before each season begins.

“There are many things we implement but you are still responsible for managing your own farm. You make your own big decisions, and with that comes consequences if things don’t work out,” he explains.

The balance between independence and teamwork allows the production managers to feel as if they are running their own farms, while still benefitting from the shared knowledge and support of the larger group.

Piketberg presents its own unique challenges, particularly when it comes to weather. The region experiences heavy winter rains, which are both a blessing and a curse. “The rain helps us a lot because we don’t have the best soil. Our soil is very salty, so the rain helps flush out the salt. But the challenges come with our temperatures increasing very late.”

The summers, by contrast, bring intense heat. Warries recalls last year’s heatwave while packing Sweet Globe, a mid-season table grape variety. “We experienced over 40°C for more than a week, and it had a significant impact on the quality of our grapes,” he says. The extreme heat with occasional, unexpected summer rainfall can severely affect the harvest.

Global markets and building relationships

Despite these challenges, Broodkraal has established a strong presence in international markets. Traditionally, their grapes were primarily exported to the UK and Far East markets, with some shipments to China. However, in recent years, they have expanded into the US and Canadian markets.

“We try to build strong relationships with our markets by providing the best grapes with the best quality. Quality builds good relationships,” Warries emphasises.

Maintaining these relationships is key to their success. “You must make sure that the client receives the product you promised. This builds trust and ensures long-term partnerships.”

For Warries, farming table grapes is more than just a job, it is a way of life that demands passion and dedication. “Table grapes are one of the most intensive crops to farm. You can’t just study it; you must have a passion for it and you must have a passion for working with people. The person who has the biggest passion is always the best farmer,” he says.