DURBAN - No one Is immune to the ravages of the economy right now: farmers, particularly, are feeling the pinch, and so the wiser among them know to diversify to stay afloat in these tough times.
One of them is Steve Caldecott, whose farm on Rosetta Road, just before Mooi River, is easily distinguished by the big, fat, pink pig at the gate. To the right, there are fields of leafy green veggies which he supplies to the market and to various regular customers. The massive cauliflowers and cabbages and the plum broccoli were the bread and butter of the farm, said Caldecott.
Rotational cover crops like Saia oats, which they bale and sell, are also grown by him and his wife, Nathalie.
“And we hand-feed one-day-old bull calves with our own feed and farm some goats and sheep, as well as pigs.”
The pigs are the main reason for their Trotters Farm Butchery.
“We’ve farmed pigs for about 10 years, but the pork industry went through a massive dip several years ago .
“We needed to make a plan: previously we sold all of our pigs to the wholesaler, but we decided it made sense to open our own butchery and sell directly from here.”
“A large amount of capital was invested into converting sheds into cold rooms and a spotless butchery, and the hiring of experienced blockman Admire Nyakanyanga.
“A year later, Trotters Farm Butchery is already a regular supplier to local restaurants, B&Bs and school hostels.
“There’s nothing but meat in our products,” said Caldecott. “No soya, no preservatives, nothing added to bulk it up.” Plump pork sausages, kassler chops, large family roasts, eisbeins, sandwich ham and bacon are some of their products, and demand is growing.
Their piggery boasts 60 sows - “Which is very small,” he said, “but we average 90 baconers a month (a baconer is a 65kg or so ‘dressed’ pig).”
The Caldecotts are proof that hard work along with diversification and dedication do pay off.