6 seasonal work being done to ensure alien invasives are eradicated. Terry is aware of his responsibility as the custodian of the land and the importance of ensuring the viability of the farming operation for the next generation so conservation of his resources especially the soil is of fundamental importance to his operational planning, hence the move to regenerative agriculture. All timber compartments that are harvested are being re-established along the contours; cool burns are practiced on the harvesting residue, which is only carried out once the local community have removed firewood and weather conditions permit. Pesticide usage is kept to a minimum and weed control is done by means of line hoeing followed by a modified slasher that uses chains instead of blades creating a mulch in the inter-row that conserves moisture, reduces weed germination and acts as a protective layer in heavy storms preventing erosion. In timber stands that have canopied, Terry uses his Nguni’s to graze under the canopy reducing the fuel load for fire protection and weed control. Regenerative agriculture in the sugar cane blocks is done by planting the fields due for reestablishment with a cover crop seed mix that includes amongst others Japanese Radish, Stooling Rye, Fescue grass and Oats. The resultant crop is used for the Nguni’s that has the bonus of the manure being spread over the area as it is grazed. After this operation maize is planted that is either sold or used for feed. Terry is discovering the benefits of the two-year fallow period without sugar cane seeing increased microbial activity and improved sugar cane growth when replanted. Due to the current situation with more sugar cane being carried over than usual, Terry is feeding this to the Nguni’s so these blocks are having an addition bonus of manure before the sugar cane ratoons or is planted with the cover crop. Terry’s passion for his farm doesn’t stop at regenerative agricultural operations, innovation is what has assisted Terry in the timber portion of the farm where cost savings and productivity improvements have resulted in the creation of a wattle seeder and a modified ripper with a duck’s foot improving stand survival percentages, uniformity, and happy staff members. The wattle seeder that was brought to life by Terry’s mechanic Tewis after numerus local engineering companies couldn’t has reduced the quantity of seed used per hectare and created a uniform dense hedge of young wattle seedlings that are thinned 12 to 18 months after sowing to 2 500 SPHA and then down to 1 800 SPHA at 24 months old. Where site conditions allow, conventional Acacia mearnsii (Black Wattle) seedlings are planted. This is where Terry’s ripper and duck’s foot combination comes to the fore replacing the conventional planting pit with a ripped line allowing the seedlings to be planted into it after is has been marked to the correct espacement. The addition of the duck’s foot behind the rippers tine shatters the soil underneath the surface and the suspended weight automatically close up the ripped line ensuring any moisture within the soil is not lost due to drying out. Being a sugar cane grower and owning an earth moving business specialising in cane contouring and water way construction, Terry knows the importance of a well-maintained road infrastructure and has gravelled all the main access roads throughout the farm, contour roads and water ways are all grassed to prevent erosion. Stream crossings are constructed with pipes and concrete so vehicles can operate in wet weather without the fear of silting up the streams or downtime due to being stuck. Adding to Terry’s cost saving drive on the farm linked to the regenerative agriculture is his composting operation where a mixture of cane tops, Mila sourced from the local cane mill and chicken litter are mixed and left to breakdown into a healthy compost that has resulted in the reduction of synthetic fertilizers purchased for the sugar cane farming. Social responsibilities are as important as any other operation on the farm and apart from assisting with firewood, Terry has loaned TLB’s to the community and sponsored a local soccer team. Chatting to Terry he attributes the success of the farm to everyone working together and wouldn’t have been able to do it without the assistance of Belinda, especially when it comes to all the admin.
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