Pieter Pieterse and his father, Jan, have made diversity a hallmark of their operation on their two farms, York and Klipbankfontein, near Lephalale in Limpopo. They grow peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, yellow maize, butternuts, lucerne, cabbage and onions on open lands, in tunnels and under netting.
The busines operates under the name Op en Wakker Boerdery.
Pieter says he realised early on in his career that diversifying was key to being a sustainable producer. He and his father have also focused on high-yield, top-quality produce on limited land, rather than extensive bulk production.
“We were regular commercial farmers,” Pieter recalls. “In 1982, when my father arrived in Lephalale, vegetable operations were new in the district. He initially used standing sprayers for irrigation, but agronomist Richard Dahan, who assists him with soil…
