In a public-private-partnership, the Perdekraal East Wind Farm in Ceres in the Western Cape has announced its funding of 11 sustainable food gardens, in support of the department of agriculture’s drive to increase food security in the area.
The food gardens are being established in partner communities in the Witzenberg Municipality, and gardens at a school, a crèche, homes, a church ground and small holding. The project kicked off during the last week in October and will run for three months to late January 2021.
11 community food gardens
The broader communities will benefit directly from this project too, as the harvested produce will be used for existing community soup kitchens and the crèche’s daily meals. Surplus produce is earmarked to be sold in the community.
Seedlings, seeds and equipment are being provided, in addition to funding for two “food garden coordinators”, to support and help sustain these 11 gardens.
“One of the driving elements of the project is the help and support that the experienced coordinators, who are qualified in the field of agriculture, will provide to the food garden during the weekly visits that are scheduled to take place throughout the three-month period,” said Jo-Anne Brown, economic development manager at Perdekraal East Wind Farm.
Another key success-driver is the provision of water tanks by the Western Cape department of agriculture’s farmer support unit, which is being given the food garden owners who require it.
10 000 meals for the needy
The wind farm views that as an extension of its broader community food security programme, which commenced at the beginning of the covid-19 lockdown, when it provided 150 food parcels for 150 households. The programme fed over 400 people in the coldest winter months.
In addition to this, soup kitchens were implemented through the collaboration with existing soup kitchens in the community to ensure that more people received a meal a day for five days a week, for four weeks, during September. Just under 10 000 meals were provided during this month.
This is in addition to other NGO and local business partnerships, which worked together to provide food parcels and meals.
