Tabby Robertshaw and her partner, Alex Chouler, are experienced homesteaders who have long sought complete self-sufficiency. Today, they live and work on rented land near Stanford in the Western Cape, where they produce a variety of organic vegetables, fruit, salad greens and meat, and sell it under their Goodluck Homestead brand at local markets and restaurants and via WhatsApp groups. They also produce all the food they require for themselves, except for breakfast cereals.
The couple moved to the current farm, Vaalvlei, a year and a half ago after spending 10 years on their previous property, where they used to make enough money to live on. The move, however, has required major investments in infrastructure and soil improvement. To boost their income, they built guest accommodation in December last year, and Robertshaw believes this will make the farm financially viable. She also presents self-sufficiency workshops such as food gardening and food processing. Her most recent workshop focused on the production of fermented butter and kimchi.
‘EVERYTHING ON THE FARM IS GIVEN FOUR YEARS TO SEE IF IT WILL BECOME A VIABLE INCOME STREAM'
“We're setting up the farm to have more space for workshops,” she says.
FARMING PHILOSOPHY
Vaalvlei covers 50ha, with 0,5ha under vegetables and salad greens,
