At Food For Mzansi we eat, breathe and sleep agriculture. Just like you. And in trying to bring you as much helpful information as possible, we brought you Farmer’s Inside Track, a collab between farmers, agri economists, researchers and agripreneurs to share as much valuable farming knowledge as we can – with YOU.
Now we bring you our guide of all guides: a one-stop library of our best and most helpful resources for farmers.
Getting started
Sometimes it is difficult to get started. You have this big dream but how do you get there? With farming it can start with anything from finding internships to land to finances.
- How to start farming in 10 easy steps
- Your guide to landing an agriculture internship
- 10 funding opportunities for farmers
- How to start farming with no money
- 7 (not-so-easy!) ways to get farmland in SA
- New farmers: What to do when looking for a farm
Building your agri enterprise
After you have started your farming business, there comes a whole new set of challenges. If you have no trouble working the soil but need some help on the business side of things, we have you covered.
- How to find markets for your produce
- How to diversify your markets
- Reasons to supply to fresh produce markets
- 5 reasons you need a crop production plan
- Focus on your core offering
- 5 tips to export fresh produce to global markets
Managing your farming business
Owning a business and employing other people can get confusing quickly. If you have questions about payrolls, taxes or even workplace injuries, you can find some answers here.
- Tax tips: What every farmer wished they knew…
- VIDEO: Don’t underestimate the ‘business’ part of ‘agri-business’
- What farmers should know about workplace injuries
- New farmers: How to manage your payroll effectively
Farm management tips
Maybe you are fine with the business side of things, but the day-to-day challenges of owning a farm can get you down. Especially in Mzansi we face a host of unique challenges such us crop and livestock theft or dealing with the unpredictable support from Eskom.
- New farmers: Start off small and gradually grow
- Smallholders: Focus on yield, cost of production to unlock potential
- Farm guide: Should you diversify your business?
- Load shedding: How to farm off the grid
- 10 farmers’ tips on tackling crop and livestock theft
- 10 tips to cut down on animal feed costs
- 6 tips to thrive as a serious township farmer
- Farmers: Here’s how to prevent foot rot in cattle
Provincial agriculture department websites
There are many rules and regulations in agriculture that differ from province to province, or provincial opportunities to grab. For these you need to know your provincial department website or have the contact details on hand. Find your province’s agri department here and get acquainted with the website.
Farming ideas
Have you been farming for a long time and you’re trying to branch out into something new? Or are you considering farming and don’t know which type of farming is for you? Here are some ideas of different types of farming, and guides to getting started. Have fun exploring this list of exciting farm guides.
- Hydroponics: Here’s what you need to know
- How to start your own chicken farm
- Permaculture: 12 principles to farm like Mother Nature
- A look into the gin-making industry
- How to start beekeeping in Mzansi
- How to start a tea farm in South Africa
- New farmers: How to start farming sugar cane
- How to farm with subtropical fruit in Mzansi
- Farming with saffron in South Africa: Here’s how you do it
- Cotton farming: The dos and don’ts
- How to start an olive farm that can crack export markets
- How to start fish farming in just 10 easy steps
- Farmer’s guide: How to farm with rabbits
- Coffee farming: 10 steps to starting up in SA
- Fruit farming: What starter farmers need to know
- Aquaculture: Five tips to get started
- Goat farming: Here’s how to get started
- Grain farming: Take these 5 steps to start
- How to start mushroom farming in 6 easy steps
- Vertical farming: 6 tips on how to start up
- How to start your own pig farm in 10 easy steps
The Mzansi agri community
Food For Mzansi has grown from a small media house and being voted as Africa’s best digital news start-up, to being a true multimedia and multiplatform hub for the agriculture community in South Africa. Our offerings to you include podcasts, videos, online news and social media groups, and our topics include everything that might concern farmers in Mzansi, including health. Here’s where you can find us online:
- Our main website, Food For Mzansi, is where you can find daily agri news, tips, inspiration and opportunities.
- Find our Farmer’s Inside Track podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
- Proudly brought to you by Health For Mzansi, The Sisters Without Shame podcast can also be found on Google Podcasts and Spotify.
- We have a variety of different newsletters for you to subscribe to. Whether you’re looking to lift your spirits with local changemakers in and around Mzansi, keep up with the latest news and trends in the agriculture sector, or you’re simply looking for foodspiration for the week, Food For Mzansi has you covered with a wide range of mailers.
- Subscribe to your chosen newsletters here.
Connect with our community on social media!
- We have a YouTube channel where you can find educational, fun and inspirational content.
- Never miss a beat by following our updates on Instagram and Facebook.
- Last, but not least, you won’t want to miss out on our #FarmSpaces every Monday on Twitter where farmers share their stories and knowledge with each other.
