Food Archives - Oranjezicht City Farm

Guest Blog Barry Washkansky

March 26, 2013 By Simon Barnett

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For the past few years I have driven past the old Oranjezicht Bowling Green on many occasions. The bowling club, which operated for 50 years, closed down leaving this prime piece of city land abandoned in its wake. Wasted green space in a city fast running out of the precious green stuff. Fortunately local residents, led by Sheryl Ozinsky, saw a future for the plot. They proposed an inner city farm to local city officials, jumped through the necessary bureaucratic hoops and within a month had Read more [...]

Planting Ideas, Growing Passion: OZCF’s 1st Environmental Education Update

March 15, 2013 By Simon Barnett

Oranjezicht City Farm has teamed up with the St Cyprian’s environmental club in running a trial environmental education program As an organisation, we want to grow. Not just herbs, vegetables or fruit, but people too. We want to inspire, and be inspired, to learn, share, co-create and facilitate. Farming in the city is about much more than just growing food. It’s about growing interconnectivity and knowledge, sharing a passion for the art of fostering life, reconnecting with our food systems, Read more [...]

Progress Update 3

March 10, 2013 By Kurt Ackermann

We have been very busy at the farm in the past few weeks; preparing new beds, planting seeds in the existing beds and caring for the seedlings that are battling with the wind. Those are courgettes / zucchini / marrow in the foreground (the name depends on the size that you pick them). Catherine Nicks Read more [...]

Support small-scale

February 28, 2013 By Kurt Ackermann

Yesterday on page 8 of the Cape Times an article was published titled ‘Giants put squeeze on global food production’. The article draws from a report released by the Fairtrade Foundation – a British non-profit organization. On page seven of the report one can see that five companies control 75% of world banana trade and three companies control 42% of global coffee sales. On a local scale, this happens more than we think. I attended the Urban Food SystemUCT Summer School course and was shocked Read more [...]

Creative Planting

February 22, 2013 By Kurt Ackermann

In the past few years a number of creative planting methods have been developed, especially for those urban gardeners who want to grow food but are lacking the space to do so. Entrepreneurs, avid gardeners and multinational giants have taken initiative in this growing food revolution. The Kitchen Nano Garden was designed by Hyuandai and a South Korean design firm, Gromo in 2010. You can grow salad and herbs regardless of season - hydroponically; you control the light, water and nutrients. And Read more [...]

Progress Update 2

February 14, 2013 By Kurt Ackermann

In the past few weeks the farm has started to take shape - it is looking more and more like the historic Cape Town vegetable gardens on which Tanya based her design forOZCF. In the righthand side section (when facing the ocean) beans, Italian mixed lettuce, patty pans, courgettes (zucchini / baby marrow) and a few others I am forgetting have been planted and are growing at an alarming rate. In the lefthand side section Clinton and I planted onions, carrots and radishes. Mario taught us Read more [...]

Rooftop Farming – Urban Agriculture in Cape Town

February 7, 2013 By Kurt Ackermann

Tracing the inspiration behind urban agriculture in Cape Town. I have tried to trace back the origin of my passion for urban agriculture, and there are two moments that come to mind. The most obvious is watching the documentary Food Inc. I was instantly shocked by the facts and images the film illustrated and over the months that followed it all sank in and my lifestyle began to change. On a more positive and inspiring note I came across this picture on The Selby’s site around the same time. Annie Read more [...]

In the News: Urban Agriculture in South Africa – Food in the city – Enough for all?

February 7, 2013 By Simon Barnett

What is the status of urban agriculture in South Africa? Steven Bland explains his findings in this article.. The truth is, OZCF and Abalimi only scratch the surface of urban food growing in Cape Town. At the Woodstock Peace Garden, Molenvliet Road, Strubens Street, under the bridge at the Lansdowne Road – Palmyra Road Intersection in Claremont, at the Soil for life Training Centre in Constantia, no community food initiative is the same, but they share much in common. Both Abalimi and OZCF are Read more [...]