A local farmer with a passion for the environment and sustainable living is the driving force behind a farming concept that he hopes will take off among youth, schools, homes, NGOs and just about anyone yearning for food security and savings.
Martin Brink owned a garden service in Somerset West for well over 20 years, and once came across an elderly and avid gardener diagnosed with arthritis, and who had trouble bending down to tend to flowers and vegetables on the ground.
In a bid to help, Brink developed the concept of “table gardening”, which is gardening at hip height.
“Square foot gardening is a clever approach to growing food,” explained urban farmer Martin Brink.
“It’s easy to do, easy to manage, very adaptable, and it produces high yields of top-quality food.
“We have added the protection of resources, and human dignity, removing the bending and hard work, and capturing for re-use the sun-warmed, activated water which all plants love and thrive on.”
And it’s easily accessible to young and old, and you don’t need to be an expert as the entire procedure of getting yourself set up has been made quite simple.
“First choose a good site. What makes a good site? Lots of sunshine and enough light, we’ll fix the soil by bringing in the tables which contain the soil, at hip height so no more bending, very little weeding and massive savings of water, space and money.”
Brink has established a “pilot project” of the table farming concept at a farm in Sir Lowry’s Pass and hopes to soon roll out this project to the wider community.
Expanding on the details of the project, Brink explained that the tables are made of fibre-glass, measure 1,4 m x 1,2 m x 20 cm and stand hip height, compressed through the square foot.
The gardening system (SFG) was designed by a retired engineer Mel Bartholomew.
It transforms 17 m of traditional farm lines into 16 x 30 cm grow blocks.
Brink said at half the traditional gardening costs, the system saves 80% of the space, uses 95% less seeds, 90% of the water is captured and re-used and most importantly, 98% less labour and effort is required by removing the need for bending and heavy spadework, protecting our human dignity.
“The next part of this adventure, the feeding of the masses in a sustainable and cost-effective way, is the provision and sale of solar cookers,” Brink said of his vision.
Designed with the idea of local, safe and enjoyable pretty flowers and food security to enable those that don’t have the space or suitable soil to garden, the farm tables would also work to establish mini farms and co-ops at schools, mosques and libraries. Brink has for many years been looking at innovative socio-economic stimulation options, and had previously introduced locally focused, domestic recycling to the Helderberg, a program which has since expanded nationally, so he is no novice.
For more information, myurbanfarm on Facebook, website and contact him directly on 083 708 3468 for more information, or visit the website www.myurbanfarm.co.za.
