the SCENE

Two cases of Polish/ Silkie cross chickens with neurological signs

by Darryl Jacobs, darrylj@elsenburg.com

It is so good to be alive! I wonder how many of us are celebrating that today.

The past 18 months have seen unprecedented changes in how we live, how we think, and how we should behave, both on our own and around other people. And each of us, I am certain, has been affected by the loss of loved ones, whether it be family, friends, or colleagues. At the same time, the country has experienced extreme weather events, while two of our sister provinces suffered the disgrace of being the centre of an attempted uprising. Our third issue of the 2021 AgriProbe has been crafted against this backdrop.

But despite this, in this edition of AgriProbe there is much that will delight, inform, educate, and inspire you. We celebrate the department winning silver at the Premier’s Service Excellence Awards for its One Home, One Garden project, which encourages households and communities to take control of their food security needs. Indeed, the projects around food security in the Elsies River community, the implementation of the food garden at Van Wyksvlei Primary School in Wellington as part of our Youth Day activities, and the article on how the department was able to bring relief to wine tourism workers, are all examples of how this AgriProbe may inspire you.

We share news about the commissioning of the Ebenhaeser Irrigation Scheme, and the extent to which the Holsloot weir restores ecological infrastructure. And given the impact of climate change on our sector, we share information on how natural resource management is central to a climate-resilient agricultural sector.

In summary, I want you to allow yourself to be inspired, informed, and uplifted. Our agricultural sector remains the real source of hope for a flagging economy, rampant unemployment, and growing inequality.

Let us celebrate being alive by continuing to make a meaningful difference in our society.

Thank you.

EDITOR

Mary James (021 808 5008) maryj@elsenburg.com

CHAIRPERSON

Dr Ilse Trautmann (021 808 5012) ilset@elsenburg.com

SECRETARIAT

Gizelle van Wyk (021 808 5022) gizellevw@elsenburg.com

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Ashia Petersen ashiap@elsenburg.com

Vusumzi Zwelendaba (021 808 5226) vusumziz@elsenburg.com

Riaan Nowers (021 808 5194) riaann@elsenburg.com