Eikelaan farm produce organically grown vegetables and free range meat products , olives and olive oil. We also source from local farmers in the Tulbagh valley We deliver on a daily bases to areas in the Western Cape.

ORGANIC

The demand for food grown without harmful chemicals is growing rapidly. Lynette grows all her vegetables using organic methods, this starts with soil improvement, healthy soil = healthy plants. Companion planting and the use of green manures also assist in growing healthy, nutritious plants which are naturally more resistant to disease. Visitors are welcome, for many city children it is the first time they see how their food is grown.

EMPLOYMENT

Growing food organically is labour intensive. Lynette employs 2 full time gardeners and 2 women for picking & packing. The farm has given the farm workers a section of land where they can grow their own produce, they also sell excess back to the farm. Lynette also sources vegetables from workers on neighbouring farms and other valley locals who grow their produce organically, creating much needed additional income within the community.

FARM EGGS & CHICKEN

The Eikelaan hens have access to the outdoors during daylight hours so they can scratch and sunbathe. They love to scratch and eat the weeds and left over vegetables provided from the garden. They are fed GM corn.

Eikelaan's broiler chickens are not pasture raised and are fed a GM diet.

OLIVE PRODUCTS

Eikelaan also has its own olive grove. Olive harvest is in autumn, the oil is pressed locally and available for sale in sizes up to 5lts. Other Olive products include tapenade and black or green olives in brine.

General questions

1. Is the majority of your produce made from or grown in South Africa? Yes –

2. Is the explicit intention of part or all of the business to uplift socially and/or economically disempowered individuals and communities? (please expand if so)Yes

3. Is part/all of the business woman owned? No - Trust

4. Is part/all of the business black owned ? No

5. Is part or all of the business employee owned ? No

6. Are your products packaged using a material that is biodegradable in a home-compostable environment? Some

7. Are your products packaged in 100% locally recyclable packaging? Some

8. Are your products made using a material that is biodegradable in water? Some – paper bags and cardboard boxes

9. What measures have been taken to reduce packaging? Bulk packing

10. Do you permit consumers to give back packaging you supply for reuse (egg boxes, plastic or glass containers etc.)? Yes

11. Do you offer a monetary reward for returned packaging (return deposit)? Do you take returns from supermarket packaging e.g. clean punnets and paper bags? No – Admin a problem

12. Do you use preservatives or additives e.g. synthetic chemicals in your product/production process? No – salt, vinegar, olive oil. We use sugar in Jam’s

13. What are the areas you will deliver to and what is your minimum spend? For Clubs – Northern suburbs/ Southern suburbs/City Bowl / as far as Constantia & Marine De Gama/Franschhoek/Paarl/ Somerset West etc. R1500-00 minimum orders.

Specific questions for crops

1. Do you grow or supply produce that is more than 80% local? Yes

2. Do you use no-till practices: Leaving the root systems of your crops or vegetables in the soil once you

have harvested, so as to keep the structure of the soil intact and build carbon sequestration? Yes

3. Do you use minimum till practices? Yes

4. Do you practice crop rotation? Yes

5. Do you use cover crops, mulch, or compost to protect your soil? Yes

6. Do you have a living root all year round: no dormancy? No

7. What % of your compost do you make on site? 100%

8. Do you integrate animals with crops: animal manure into crop/veg systems for the purposes of

stimulating soil biology and reducing the need for chemicals? Yes – No Chemicals – we add gypsum and bone meal at times. Pine needles to increase acidity

9. Do you farm only GM free crops? No -We have Vines on the farm for Wine producing purposes.

10. Do you use glyphosate on your farm at all? No – we hire ladies to do our weeding or apply wheat straw as a mulch and weed controle and and shovel weeds in our Olives and mulch with wheat straw

11. Do you use any chemical fertilisers – For roots ? Organic fertilizers – Vita Gro/Vita Veg and Vita Flower/ Plantos Verde (German Import)

12. Do you use any chemical herbicides and pesticides? Organic Only – Exterminator/ Cupra /Eco T/ Cera Trap

13. For Leaf feed – Ocean Feed / Plantos Verde/Carbology Kelp/ (at times we spray Boron (broccoli/cauliflower/spinach kale).

13. How do you manage predator control? Fencing

14. Are you PGS/Organic certified? No.

15. If you buy in from other suppliers, what is your criteria from these suppliers? Fresh farm Produce - Preferably organic.

16. If you use pesticides or fertilisers, can you share your brand of fertiliser? Talborne Organics mostly