Babsie Young on a farming mission
"In 2003, my husband and I went to Groot Aub with a church outreach and my husband fell in love with the place almost immediately. He said we should come and sit here one day and we did," said Babsie Young (68) of Young Farming Enterprises.In 2013, when Groot Aub was ravaged by drought, the Youngs had a borehole drilled and created a vegetable garden.
"We plant everything from beetroot, carrots, cabbage to onions, mielies and potatoes at home and at the borehole. When the vegetables are harvested, they are packed in N$10 and N$20 packets and sold in Windhoek. We also plant our own alfalfa for our goats."
When the gardens were well underway, Babsie bought a ram and two ewes at an auction. "Now we have almost 30 goats. I also started farming with 350 laying hens four years ago. Their laying period is over, so now I am waiting for new chicks. In the meantime, I also had 500 broilers. The halal slaughterhouses in Windhoek mainly buy these chickens. They are sold alive and they slaughter the chickens themselves. There are also only about 100 of them left that need to be slaughtered and then the new chicks will come."
Right hand
Joseph Simon was born in Ondangwa and his mother taught him to plant. "I came to Groot Aub looking for work. I know how to plant the vegetables and take care of the animals. Just look at our goats, we now have a lot and we also sell some of the goats for meat and we still have a lot."
There is still a lot of space at the vegetable garden and Babsie wants to transform it into an entertainment area for youngsters.
"I want to build a small swimming pool and braai areas. Then the young people can come here to relax, ride horses and stay out of the bars and shebeens. I want to show them that you can enjoy yourself without having to use alcohol or drugs. It will be a safe and clean entertainment area - without alcohol or smoking. I also want to build a play area from old tyres for the smaller children. Groot Aub needs this kind of thing now. Healthy entertainment for the young team while I make sure there are no drinks or drugs."
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