Dedication, hard work, the right decisions … and the right fertiliser, lead to abundant harvests and successful farming. This fact is proven by Lauretta Visagie of Vereeniging.

Born and raised in the Eastern Cape, with lots of ambition and desire for farming, Lauretta Visagie started farming eighteen years ago in her backyard in Springs.

In 2013 she moved to Vereeniging and started mixed farming. With the help of The Department of Rural Development, Lauretta could buy the right implements to grow maize, in rotation with soya beans. She also planted vegetables used mainly for cashflow. She is a proud vegetable producer for Boxer superstores.

This shows how the right kind of eagerness and perseverance can take a farm started from scratch to a successful business. But, as with all good things, it did not come without difficulty. “I always tell people  when you are a farmer, you become close to God even if you were not so before,” says Lauretta.

Green fingers and a bunch of greener spinach

Lauretta uses only top of the range products for her vegetable garden, and it shows. Kynoch supplies the fertiliser that makes a noticeable difference in the quality of her vegetables and the size of her yields. “Since I have been working with Kynoch, I have never had a problem. They are excellent.”

The love for farming

Growing up with farming and seeing how her grandfather planted, has placed a deep love and passion for the farm in Lauretta’s heart. “I would not exchange it for anything, and I am so happy that my grandchildren will be taking over. Everybody in my family seems to love farming.”

Lauretta encourages women to go into farming but also shares her wisdom on making the right decisions. “Nowadays, there is no employment and people are starving. Farmers feed the nation, so I would encourage all women, especially the youth, to take farming seriously, because farming will ensure the future of the nation. But they must have a desire for it. You can encourage a person and try and teach a person about farming, but the person must have the love and the passion, because there is a lot of challenges in farming. If you do not have the love and the passion, you will not make it. You will give up,” she says.

With her trust in God and her hard work in the field, Lauretta continues to be an inspiration to young upcoming farmers in South Africa. Where there is a will, there is a way, and the challenge to farm will always carry the possibility of success, if you believe in yourself.