At the foot of the Magaliesberg, where the land is rich with history and farming is a way of life, lies Food Fair Farm, the agricultural heartbeat behind the beloved Jasmyn store in Hartbeespoort. This is not just another farm-to-market operation, it's a living demonstration of what a true circular agricultural economy looks like. Everything is connected, everything is used, and everything feeds back into the land that sustains it.
And at the centre of this regenerative system is a vision: to farm in a way that improves human health, soil life, and the planet.
From Blue Gum Timberland to Regenerative Sanctuary
When Des Erasmus took on Food Fair Farm in 2001, the land was far from ideal. It was originally a blue gum farm; the soil was depleted, compacted, and starved of microbial life. The gum trees were removed, and a long process of soil regeneration began, not through shortcuts, but through patience, compost, biology, and time.
Today, that same land produces:
- Cucumbers and tomatoes in protected tunnels
- Green peppers in the open field
- Pumpkins
- Brassicas
- Curry leaf trees harvested regularly
The transformation is a testament to what happens when farmers commit to biological stewardship of the soil.
Farming the Biological Way - Less Chemicals, More Life
Walk through the Food Fair tunnels and fields and you’ll notice something unusual: Hadedas wandering through the crops. On most conventional farms, birds avoid chemically treated areas. Here, they thrive. It’s a subtle but powerful indicator of ecological health.
Under the guidance of farm manager Willie Matthews, the farm runs minimal-to-zero chemical inputs in the cucumber tunnels. Instead, they rely on:
- Pyrol (natural pyrethrin) for gentle knockdown when needed
- RealIPM’s Real Metarhizium 69 for whitefly control
- Real Bacillus on cucumbers to maintain strong microbial protection
On the pepper crops, their integrated programme includes:
- Real Metarhizium 69
- Real Bacillus
- NewSil (orthosilicic acid) for strengthening cell walls and improving resilience
This synergy has created healthier plants and as the Food Fair team believes, “a healthy plant cannot get sick as easily as an unhealthy plant.”
Wood Vinegar: On-Farm Innovation in Action
Food Fair doesn't only use biological products, they also make some of their own solutions.
Wood vinegar, used as both a natural fertiliser and pesticide, is produced on-site using a custom-built kiln. It improves soil fertility, enhances pest resistance, and boosts overall crop growth. Willie now produces his own batches by carefully condensing smoke vapours from charcoal production, creating a versatile, potent tool for regenerative farming.
The Circular Economy Brought to Life
Food Fair is designed as a complete, closed-loop system. A rare and exemplary model of the circular economy:
- Vegetable scraps feed the cattle
- Cattle manure becomes compost and earthworm tea
- Compost and worm tea nourish the fields
- Plant waste unsuitable for cattle gets fed to the pigs
- Milk from the cows becomes yoghurt, cheeses, and fresh milk for Jasmyn
- Vegetables with cosmetic blemishes are transformed into jams, pickles, sauces, and preserves for the store
Nothing is wasted. Everything has a purpose.
This holistic system lowers input costs, reduces external dependency, and maximises the value of every resource.
The Power of Owning the Market
Food Fair has a unique advantage: literally across the road sits Jasmyn, their own farm shop and deli. This direct connection to the consumer:
- Cuts out transport and packaging emissions
- Eliminates the need for export-quality perfection
- Keeps produce local (within ±50 km)
- Dramatically reduces carbon footprint
What leaves the farm gate enters the shop door moments later. Fresh, nutrient-dense, and authentically local. This is “local is lekker” in action.
RealIPM: A Key Partner in Their Biological Success
Food Fair has used Integrated Pest Management (IPM) since the 1980s, long before it became fashionable. But biological programmes rely on dependable products, and this is where RealIPM plays a crucial role.
Their standout tools on the farm include:
For Peppers
- NewSil - strengthening plant walls and improving resistance
- Real Bacillus - boosting soil and plant microbial protection
- Real Metarhizium 69 - suppressing whitefly and other insect pests
For Cucumbers
- Real Bacillus - supporting a chemical-free tunnel system
These products work hand-in-hand with their homemade wood vinegar, compost teas, and natural predators, creating a resilient, living farm ecosystem.
Food Fair’s success is proof that biological farming is not only viable, it’s profitable, scalable, and healthy for people and the planet.
Looking to the Future
The Food Fair story doesn't end in Hartbeespoort. Plans are already underway for a second farm near the Botswana border, focusing on grass-fed beef and game meat production, thus expanding their regenerative practices and products.
Final Thoughts: Farming as a Lifestyle, Biology as a Philosophy
For Des, Willie, and the Food Fair team, farming isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle rooted in wellness, respect for the soil, and respect for the consumer.
Their belief reflects a timeless truth:
Food should nourish, heal, and sustain the people who eat it, and the land that produces it.
And with RealIPM as part of their journey, Food Fair is proving that biological and circular farming can not only work, it can thrive.