ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What does sustainable farming actually look like on a commercial fruit farm?
In Episode 167 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie speak with Steven Versfeld, farmer and recipient of the Hortgro Footprint Award, about an approach to farming that has developed over three decades.
Steven is a fourth-generation farmer who returned to the family farm in 1996 after studying mechanical engineering. Today, his approach combines commercial fruit production with a growing focus on soil health, integrated pest management, biological control, energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.
Rather than positioning sustainability as an alternative to commercial agriculture, Steven explains why it has increasingly become part of mainstream farming.
The conversation explores:
• Why healthier soil forms the foundation of biological farming
• Reducing reliance on broad-spectrum pesticides without abandoning conventional crop protection
• Integrated pest management and the importance of monitoring pest populations
• Using predators and other biological tools in commercial orchards
• How soil carbon on the farm has doubled since 2008 without importing compost or other carbon sources
• Renewable energy and reducing energy use
• Clearing alien vegetation from rivers and mountain catchments
• The relationship between alien vegetation, water availability and flooding
• How recent extreme rainfall events are changing the way farmers think about rivers and floodplains
• Why sustainable production still has to deliver fruit that meets consumer expectations
• How sustainability has moved from the fringes of agriculture towards becoming standard practice on farms of all sizes
Steven also shares a principle passed down by his father:
“My dad always used to say you inherit your farm from your children. So you've got to leave it better than you find it.”
It captures much of the philosophy behind the conversation: farming successfully today while protecting the productive capacity of the land for whoever farms it next.
Steven’s work was recognised through the Hortgro Footprint Award, which included a R200,000 solar installation sponsored by Electech Power Solutions.
Watch the full conversation to hear a practical farmer’s perspective on sustainability, profitability, biological control, soil health and the changing way South African fruit growers are managing their farms.
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