Seeds of Opportunity that #doDifferent
Growing your own produce at home has become more common as time goes by. Whether one does it as a hobby to keep yourself busy and out in nature, or as a source of food for your family and community, it is a great way to feed many mouths without damaging or harming the environment. There are many plants that can infringe on South Africa’s nature and local flora. This is why, this week, we are looking at a company that cares as much about the product that they are selling as they do about the environment and their community.
Simply African Seed Company was created with a view of providing households, small holding farmers and commercial farmers with locally produced, organically grown non-GMO seed. More than 80% of their seeds are Heirloom seeds, sourced from all over the world and grown on their seed farms in Malawi and South Africa. The remaining percentage is tried and tested hybrid varieties - grown for more than two seasons on their seed farms.
They strive to provide varieties in their ever-growing range that are not commonly found locally but are from an organic sustainable source in Africa. Their motto is “Grown and processed in Africa, for Africa, by Africans”. They have over 300 varieties of seeds, enabling their purchasers to add variety into the products they are growing as well as the different nutrients that people are getting from their plants. Adding variety is beneficial to the soil as well as different plants require different nutrients from the soil to grow, which is why crop rotation is a vital part of keeping the soil healthy.
Simply African Seed Company ensures that their seeds are hermetically sealed, organically grown and tested on their farms in Malawi and South Africa to ensure that they are safe for consumption and the earth. Given the correct conditions, seeds all show germination rates in excess of 80% if planted correctly. The fact that the seed is produced in the region results in seeds and plants that are more acclimatized, resistant and hardy than those grown from seed in climates different to ours.
They also believe in repurposing, reusing, recycling and being as green as humanly possible. They strive for 0% produce wastage during the seed production process. Pulp and left over plant materials from the seed extraction process are used to produce sauces, jams, organic pesticides and compost for use on our farms. Also, they use Biodegradable paper packets, which sets them apart from many of their competitors.
Simply African Seed Company have also set themselves apart from others based on their key objectives. They strive to help uplift and support local communities by allocating 10% of their growing space to community gardens, ensuring mouths are fed and bellies are full. They also aim to develop skills for people in the community by employing farm staff from the local community, which helps to reduce unemployment in the area.
In the future, they plan to establish community colleges in the areas where they have seed farms and to offer nationally recognised, accredited, affordable, hands-on-training in all matters related to agriculture and seed production, giving future generations the opportunity to study something they are interested in that can better their communities.
So the next time you are looking to add to your vegetable garden, why not source your seeds from a company that truly cares about the product that they are selling you, and our local communities.
Find out more about Simply African Seed Company here.
