A Day on the Farm: Learning and laughing in the Heart of Agriculture organised by IRESA & Motheo Incubator

On Thursday, August 22, 2024, IRESA organized a memorable visit to the University of the Free State (UFS) experimental farm, located outside Bloemfontein on the road to Reddersburg. This agricultural training center, part of UFS’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, provides practical experience for students in cattle and sheep management, crop cultivation, and milk production.

In addition to student training, the farm offers community programs, including short courses in animal health and breeding, and workshops in wool classing, sheep handling, and management.

The day began with an insightful session on wool production led by Miss Doritha Jacobs, who demonstrated the process from shearing to spinning. We then learned about cheese making with Dr. Analie Hattingh, covering milk selection and production.

We explored farm management with Mr. Johan Barnard, gaining insights into crop rotation and animal care, and met the farm’s Jursey cows.

The visit concluded with a tour of the farm’s brewery, where we discovered the craft beer brewing process and sampled unique creations.

Overall, the day celebrated agriculture’s hard work, creativity, and passion, and was particularly inspiring for entrepreneurs from the Center for Entrepreneurship and Rapid Incubator—a joint venture between Motheo TVET College and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) under the Department of Small Business Development and Trade Industry.