Following the phenomenal success of an urban farming project in Brackenfell, Grant Twigg, Mayco member for urban waste management in the City of Cape Town, is encouraging residents in other areas of the city to follow suit.
After its inception in May last year, the one-hectare community vegetable garden in Protea Village has yielded enough crops to feed almost 70 families, as well as the families of the 38 volunteer gardeners who tend it.
“To our surprise the City was eager to assist and within three months and minimal red tape the processes were finalised. We signed a five-year contract with the City for use of a portion of the land and City water.”
The couple were then referred to the provincial department of agriculture who, for the first time ever, got involved with such a project by giving Apple Tree a grant of R171 000 to drill a bore hole for future use.
The City of Cape Town signed a five-year lease with residents to use the park for urban farming and for the first time ever in such a project the provincial department of agriculture came on board with a R171 000 grant to drill a bore hole in the park.
Taking ownership
Twigg says he is very impressed with what the residents have accomplished in the park.
“The initiative they took to take ownership of their area is nothing less than astonishing. In stead of complaining about what the park looks like or a lack of maintenance on the side of the City, they decided to take ownership of the park,” says Twigg who is also the ward councillor in Protea Village and the adjoining suburbs in Kraaifontein.
“The residents came and spoke to me and together we approached City officials to get the necessary permission from the City. A lease was signed and the rest is history.
“The municipality assisted where we could, but the residents did all the work themselves. Each resident took a patch of land and worked it in the evenings and over weekends. They are now literally picking the ‘vegetables’ of their labour and the entire community is benefiting from it.
“I would like to see residents all over Cape Town do the same. The expectation that the City and the ward councillors must do everything alone is not going to materialise; taking hand with residents who do their part is the way forward,” Twigg says.
