The Sustainability Institute is a non-profit trust, founded in 1999. An international living and learning centre focussing on studies and experience in ecology, community and spirit, we work in partnership with the School of Public Management and Planning, University of Stellenbosch in the following areas of  education (Masters and PhD degrees in Sustainable Development Planning and Sustainable Agriculture), Early Childhood Development, Community Development Practice and Management, project facilitation to establish Sustainable Neighbourhood Developments in various localities,policy research in the sustainable development sector. The Institute is located in the Lynedoch EcoVillage, a place where we have provided development facilitation to create a space for sustainable living and learning.

New Arrivals at the Sustainability Institute

After more than a year in the planning and extensive training at the University of Fort Hare Animal Traction Centre (ATC), 6 young draft oxen arrived at Eric Swarts’s farm on Tuesday the 27th of January 2009. As part of a research programme to assess the potential of Draft Animal Traction in Sustainable Agriculture, the Sustainability Institute initiated the Animal Traction Research Programme early in 2008.

 

Draft Oxen

The team in action on Eric’s farm

 

 

Team

Eric ploughing his field and no longer having to be concerned about the fuel price increases or compaction

 

After visits to the ATC and a partnership agreement with the University of Fort Hare, the Sustainability Institute and Eric Swarts embarked on a project to utilise a team of 6 oxen on Eric’s organic farm, the farm that SI students utilise for research and community work. The team, consisting of Denkland, Kruisman, Spogter, Baailam, Divide and Pasman arrived late on the evening of the 27th and began working on the morning of the 28th. After a few trial runs, the team were working well and easily got into a rhythm. Within a short period of time they had ploughed and cultivated a number of fields on the organic farm.

The oxen team is led by Eric Swarts and ably supported by Piet Smit and Vuyo Vuzani.  George Manjengwa will be conducting his Masters Degree research on the project. As part of the project, Piet and George went to visit the ATC and spent a week training there. This training has proved invaluable in getting to the project running on the organic farm with minimum delays.

 One of the key characteristics of the project is that contemporary implements have also been procured to support the process assisting farmers in farming sustainably with modern implements that support their sustainability oriented endeavours. Other research projects are currently being designed to support the programme. In the context of the current agricultural challenges of food insecurity, the financial crisis and skewed  development strategies within the agricultural sector , it is believed that this programme will be able to provide a valuable contribution to the development of appropriate and sustainable agricultural technologies. Based on the interest that this project has already generated from all sectors, it is also felt that this project will provide solutions to all agriculture.

Implements

 Implements being assembled: Boom sprayer, (with a knife roller in the background for conservation tillage agriculture)