Friday 28^th October

Each month we invite you to join us for a DAY of FUN in support of a community food garden.

This Month we will be supporting Levana Primary School in Lavender Hill – it’s a school/community garden run by two soil for life course graduates, but is needing a good pick up. Urban harvest will be donating its time, expertise and resources to Support and renovate their garden.  Please join us, bring your kids and friends and get stuck in.

DATE:  Friday 28^th October

TIME: 10am -2pm

LOCATION: Depsiton Crescent, Lavender Hill, Cape Town, Western Cape

BRING: Garden Clothes, Gloves, Hat, Some fruit to share and a snack for yourself.

Please RSVP to: jen@urbanharvest.co.za

Urban harvest teamed up with Greenpop to plant 80 trees at Oval North Secondary School in Mitchell’s Plain last Thursday. The Grade 8 learners got stuck in and helped with the planting, watering and they even made a new path up to their brand new Olive grove. They’ll be looking after these Olives and learning to process the fruits to eat down the line.

So much fun was had by all!

Two years ago the Botha sisters moved back to Jeffreys Bay to materialize their dream of building an eco-friendly house for their mom. Little did they know that interest in the vegetable home gardens they were building for friends and family would grow into a business and make the move to the Eastern Cape a permanent one. “We thought we would build the house and then move on, but the organic vegetable gardens we had set up, more as a hobby and favour for friends and family created enormous interest. I had previously worked with Ben, a friend of mine, as a volunteer in the Masiphumelele garden in Cape Town and after some dialogue with him, Urban Harvest Eastern Cape was born. And of course being able to permanently live in Jeffreys Bay whilst doing something you love is not a bad deal at all.” says Susan.

Initially focussing on building the foundations of the business, and not the house, the sisters secured a property to start their own nursery to grow organic seed and seedlings. ” We source some of our seedlings from nurseries, but where we can, we grown organic seed and seedlings to use in our gardens.”  says Jakkie

One and a half years later the foundations for their mom’s house was marked out. Started over the December holidays, the sisters invited friends and family to hang out over Christmas and help out with building the house. “

The support has been amazing,” Susan says, “friends and family have travelled from afar to lend a helping hand.” The house is being built out of sandbags, laid within a wooden beam structure, on top of a sand-cement sandbag foundation. The building technique uses very little cement and is a great method to use for self-builders.

Now that the walls are in place, the building continues with a permanent team of guys, whilst the sisters have jumped back into the gardens. “It has definitely been a tremendous challenge, but also very rewarding. We can’t wait to get to the stage where we put in a graywater recycling system and a huge mandala edible food garden for my mom.” says Susan. Jakkie agrees: ”We have that in our mind’s eye, sitting under the pergola,  eating granadillas and having a beer whilst watching the garden grow. Another job well done. ” she laughs.  

We now visit the project once a month and are happy to say that over 1000 children are enjoying fresh produce in their lunches every day!

Under the supervision of Urban Harvest, One Love Foundation and the School Principal,  Solomon, a community member in his 60′s is overseeing the daily maintenance and harvesting of the garden.

Below is a series of before and after photos which beautifully illustrate the abundance of the garden – ENJOY!

Help us empower more school and community projects like this, Contact Ben: +27 72 495 2977