Community growing in urban spaces
“You just don't know what's in your food, we were tired of going to the shop buying some vegetables and two, three days later the produce had gone off.”
The thought of sustainable and self-sufficient farming leaves many beginners overwhelmed and uncertain of their first step on their agricultural journey; however, this no longer needs to be the case.
With improvements in vertical, small space and hydroponic grow systems, gone are the days where community members needed large properties to grow their produce.
To learn more about the sustainable and small space growing, the NEWS met with the owner of Kensington-based nursery Home Growers, Colin Hazel.
The nursey started eight months ago during lockdown. Colin previously worked in the cellular industry designing software and products related to handsfree devices.
Working with cellular devices, Colin would often travel to China or Asia for work or business trips; however, he felt as if something was missing in his life.
It was not until a friend recommended visiting Panama that Colin’s passion for plants and self-sustainability developed.
“I booked a ticket in March with the hopes of permanently finding somewhere to relocate to. “It was just me and my wife, we had nothing tying us down here really.”
While in Panama, something which Colin noticed kept popping up was hydroponics, a method of growing plants, usually crops, without soil.
Colin said Panama citizens and homeowners would grow what they could and sell vegetable to neighbours and small restaurants.
While returning to SA, the country was initiating the first phases of the original lockdown. “My flight out of Panama was cancelled and I spent eight hours just sitting on the floor of the airport waiting.”
Colin said the first hydroponic systems he created were made during quarantine after returning to South Africa. “I was extremely interested in how everything all worked, so I learnt from scratch and made my hydroponic system in my two weeks of quarantine.
“Once the president started our lockdown and it continued those extra two weeks I built a solar-powered hydroponic system.
“When I told everyone I was starting my own business a lot of people told me I was crazy. “They asked me why am I doing this and why during a pandemic, but three weeks later I had a shop up and running.”
Colin said he and his business partner, Cass, fell in love with the idea of promoting hydroponics and encouraging community members to become self-sufficient.
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After launching the business, the partners decided to go even further and encourage those living in small spaces, like townhouses, flats or complexes, to start growing.
Colin said through small-space growing, community members can experience the same joy and gave similar experiences as other homegrowers.
“For me, the choice to grow in a subsistent manner had nothing to do with finances but more to do with the produce.
“You just don’t know what’s in your food, we were tired of going to the shop buying some vegetables and two, three days later the produce had gone off.
“I just wanted to be able to grow what I eat and eat what I grow.” Another reason why Colin is encouraging community members to turn to hydroponics is because of how he describes the planet is being destroyed by corporate farming.
“I hope it never happens but it could be a reality that one day a certain product is no longer available on the shelve or there is no food in the shops.”
To learn more about self-sustainable gardening visit www.homegrowers.co.za
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