How a lockdown hobby became a thriving broccoli business
When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced South Africa’s lockdown restrictions in March, Teresa Theron suggested to her family that they start a vegetable patch, as their trips to the supermarket would be limited.
Theron’s plot on the outskirts of Mbombela, Mpumalanga, has seen its fair share of farming activity over the years, with Theron referring to herself as an ‘Old MacDonald’ farmer. She and her father farmed Meatmaster sheep on the land, and she collected a wide variety of pets, including ostriches, alpacas and pigeons. Last year, however, her father died suddenly and the sheep were sold.
“My husband told me I needed something to keep myself busy to get over the shock of losing my father,” recalls Theron. “So I decided to use the vacant land to plant vegetables, but it never got off the
