Evergreen Urban Farm

Never been so excited to see bananas.

Our 'Williams' bananas are growing fast in this warm weather. Our shower water gets diverted to them+ we also give lots of vermicompost.

The queen of our garden, our wondrous lime tree. There is no big secret to what she needs, I just love her.

Life gets busy but the garden keeps growing quietly. Some pics over the years. 2015. 2017. 2019 and 2023. A few of the trees ( lime, lemon and guava) were planted as larger trees, but everything else was small.

Happy to be one of Metro Organics' microgreen suppliers.

If you think Black Friday is a load of 💩, come get some of ours...a mixture of well-aged chicken, goat and horse manure, sold in easy to carry bags for R20. It's all we use at Rocklands Farm and our organic veggies are so happy.

Mommy goat's belly was getting rounder and rounder but these triplets were still an exciting surprise! Born this week @ Rocklands Farm.

A day in the life...picked some calendula flowers for the ladies(chickens), put up a scarecrow to try and scare hawk or buzzard that is preying on the chickens, caught 2 suspects eating our strawberries and playing peek a boo with a goat. Rocklands Farm

https://youtu.be/LaPge01NQTQ

Hard to watch, but this is why growing your own food is so important.

EATING OUR WAY TO EXTINCTION - KATE WINSLET - ENGLISH EATING OUR WAY TO EXTINCTION is an explosive documentary film narrated by Kate Winslet that takes audiences on a cinematic journey around the world, from the...

New! Delicious fresh vetkoek is now available on Saturday mornings at the Coop Rocklands Farm in Simon's Town. Organic veggies and free range eggs also available. Ask about healthy nettles!

Autumn days are so beautiful in the garden. This sunflower symbolises nature's happy energy. This compost heap is also a thing of beauty; you can see rich layers of goat, chicken and horse manure cooking up a treat for our organic veggies. The last photo is an exciting regenerative agriculture project at the farm.The goats and Gloria are having a nibble.

This is the moment mommy goat suddenly showed interest in her baby. For over a week she had to be held to allow the little one to drink. And the baby was also bottle fed. We decided to spoil mom with sunflowers, extra treats and some loving. Today she is feeding her tiny tot! Makes me so happy. Rocklands Farm

Born yesterday at Rocklands Farm in Simon's Town. Goats love to eat the alien plant, Port Jackson, so if you are clearing your garden please consider driving it to the farm. You will be greeted by really happy goats. Stock up on organic veggies and free range eggs while you visit or just have a coffee under the oak trees.

Evergreen Urban Farm is now on WhatsApp.

Would love to know: has anyone managed to get seeds from sunflowers like this type to grow into new plants, also with multiple flowers?

Always says it so well!

Subsistence farming doesn’t need to be simple or cheap to be good:

Sometimes someone says to me that they are going to live simply, off the grid, grow all their food, instead of working 9-5.

And I immediately want to give unsolicited advice.
Me, with my 7 goats and a few too many flies.

Modern subsistence- intentional downward mobility- may not need to be cheap or simple to be helpful and good.
Subsistence-while-connected-to-Facebook is not the same as subsistence in a rural 19th century village.
We do not have knowledge passed down for many generations, but we have Google.
Not better, different.
With our own mountains.
Things that are cheap are generally not sustainable.
Ecology is beautiful and things fit together snugly, but the relationships are not simple.
Good deals are usually not good for everyone. They are just good for you.
So pay well for what you can’t build, make or grow yourself, even if it feels foolish or extravagant.
No, we can’t produce everything our family needs.
Be careful of lifestyle inflation. It is usually disguised somehow.
Buy from neighbours.
Take care to keep and distribute water well.
Always grow enough tomatoes for the whole year.
Never get a male goat, unless you really really have to.

In the end, we should do whatever softens us.
It is the hardness that makes us so busy, makes everything seem urgent, makes the world into a battle ground.
There is a lot to fight for, make no mistake.
But there is also the work of sitting down, watching the frogs with their big yellow eyes.
Making sure we are not making things worse by our relentless action.
That is the work that is hard for me (maybe you’re different and you sit too much).
It is not up to us to prove to the world that our style of farming will save anything or anyone.
It is just up to me to learn to sit and watch the frogs with my kids
and to have faith that one day, all this will change the world.
Even if I have no idea exactly how.

So I guess what I’d say to the person starting out: “Go for it!”

Love this!

Loved picking these lavender bouquets

We focus on growing edible plants, but how pretty are these flowers! Turns out they might be edible and medicinal too; if they are Cistus. Can anyone confirm? EDIT I realise I should take a pic of the actual plant for easier ID. Will do and update.

Hoping that this year's garlic will be a success! It's looking healthy and happy so far.

Chickens go wild for sunflower microgreens so any extra trays are never wasted.

Making your own bread is as liberating as growing your food and it doesn't have to be hard. This recipe is no knead, uses only 4 ingredients (stoneground flour, instant yeast, water and salt) and takes minutes to mix a batch.

These are shiitake mushrooms growing in oak logs stored in a forest. This is the traditional Japenese method, which results in superior taste and health benefits. If you are interested in an introductory course at Rocklands Farm in Simon's Town please comment below. Cost estimate R250.

Our little urban farm has expanded and we are now busy with projects at Rocklands Farm. Hunter is in his element.

Was searching for our tortoise in all her hiding spots, but no sign of her. But when I sat down for a few minutes she came barrelling down the path. A reminder that sometimes you just have to let what you are looking for find you.

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