Water is the most precious resource on the planet. The growers at Van Greunen Boerdery in George, know this better than anyone else. They farm with dairy cows, maize, potatoes, blueberries, and most recently, avocados.
Nelius Van Greunen, Managing Director of the Van Greunen Boerdery, is one of 4 bothers that make up the 4th generation of farmers on the land. He explains that his father bought their 1st Valley pivot in 1985. From that point, they have been loyal Valley customers and are the proud owners of 57 Valley pivots today.
“The pivots have extensively contributed to productivity for us. They give us the opportunity to apply water accurately to our fields so we can have optimal growth from the limited water resources available”, says Nelius.
The next generation of Van Greunen’s are already preparing to take over the family farm one day and Nelius says that as the farm expands, so does Valley’s technology innovations. Like in 2015, Valley made it possible for growers to monitor and control their pivots remotely from their mobile phones, and today they have technology which enables growers to identify crop and watering anomalies before they are visible to the human eye, which has been life-changing for many farmers.
Nelius van Greunen, Managing Director of Van Greunen Boerdery stands in one of the fields where their cows graze.
The Van Greunen farm is located near the Outeniqua mountains which provides a good catchment area for fresh water, however, the Van Greunen’s still have to work sparingly with their water and have various dams on the farm to ensure that they have enough supply when the dry-spells occur. Their Valley® pivots assist them in managing and applying this water as efficiently as possible.
“We are extremely focused on ensuring that the precipitation rate of the pivots is equal to the filtration capacity of the soil to minimize run-off. The root zone must also have optimal moisture without wasting water” explains Nelius.
His nephew, Michael Van Greunen oversees soil health, establishment of the pastures, the choices of cultivars, and all the technology that goes with it. “My role on the farm is more practical so Valley’s technology makes it convenient in that I can control my pivots from anywhere” says Michael.
They use Valley® ICON 5 control panels on the farm. These panels allow them to monitor the status of their pivots in real-time, collect data and remotely control their machines.
Michael van Greunen and his uncle Nelius, say their oldest Valley hub was bought in 1985.
The Van Greunen’s have a dairy farm and their priority is always the wellbeing of their prized cows. “As dairy farmers, its all about how happy our cows are. If our cows are happy, we are happy. Healthy cows need to have enough quality food” says Nelius, which is why the main crop grown under pivot is pasture for their cows to graze on.
They also grow maize which is used for silage in the drier months.
Although they are impressed with Valley’s technology, Nelius believes that the success of their relationship with Valley® does not only lie in Valley’s great technology but very importantly with the great service they receive from their local Valley dealer.
Michael van Greunen, oversees soil health, establishment of pasture, choice of cultivar and the technology that goes with it on the Van Greunen Farm.
Bertus van der Merwe from Suid-Kaap Besproeiing (SKB) runs the company with his dad, Schalk van der Merwe and Danie de Villiers who established the business in the 1980’s and sold the Van Greunen’s their 1st Valley pivot in 1985.
“For us, it is most important to build good relationships with our customers. We prefer open communication and if we can improve on certain aspects we appreciate hearing it directly from the customer. This feedback really motivates us to be more innovative in the solutions we provide”.
For Nelius, it is the after-sales service and relationship with SKB that has been most valuable to their farm over the years. “Any equipments’ use over time is dependent on the reliability of the product and also the service/maintenance needed to keep it running optimally. For this, Valley® and SKB have added great value and peace of mind to us” says Nelius.
The SKB team consists of 4 technicians and 2 crane trucks with operators who assist farmers with everything: From surveying, to the design, installation, implementation and after-sales service of their systems.
We handle everything from point A-Z. We don’t just dig trenches. We ensure that the system is working properly before we leave your farm” says Bertus.
