Local farmer turns Menlyn roof into organic farm
Andile Matukane's hydroponic farm on the Menlyn mall rooftop produces vegetables for local restaurants.
A parking lot at the Menlyn shopping centre rooftop has now been transformed into a farm in a bid to help a local young farmer start an organic hydroponic farm.
Andile Matukane approached the centre with a proposal for a rooftop urban farm, and the outlandish yet brilliant idea was too hard to say no to.
She set up a hydroponic farm, meaning the produce grows in water and not in soil, using less water.
The whole roof has been filled with plants that turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. Literally, a breath of fresh air.
The produce is organic as no pesticides are needed because of the plastic tents it’s growing in.
Cutting on any refrigeration or transport costs, Andile’s produce is bought by many of the restaurants in the centre where she easily delivers orders by foot.
Andile has plans to make her rooftop farm a benefit for the community at large.
She has created training centres to teach people about hydroponic farming, enabling them to do it themselves.
“Everyone wins here. The environment and the community. We’re proud to be a part of it,” the Menlyn shopping centre said in a statement.
“In recent years, the word sustainability has become a much-used buzzword. And for good reason. For many years now, we’ve been living life on this planet in a rather unsustainable way. And it’s starting to catch up with us.
“The centre is doing its part in turning behaviour around to get the planet back onto the right path.”
The shopping centre said it has been, over the past few years, working hard to find solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, by using solar energy, recycling water and harvesting rainwater.
It installed a solar photovoltaic system to ensure its electricity source is sustainable and always on. The system harvests rainwater, practise water-wise landscaping and has low-flow sanitary fittings in place.
With the recent shift towards electric vehicles, the centre has 13 electric vehicle charging bays installed at various entrances.
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