Claire Reid Reel Gardening

Empowering communities to implement their own sustainable food projects
Sustainable Agriculture
Johannesburg
South Africa

Reel Gardening is a simple, cost-effective and convenient means of growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers from seed. Reel Gardening enables and empowers communities to implement their own sustainable food projects throughout South Africa through a user-friendly and educational medium which can contribute to alleviating food shortages and promote self-sustaining communities. Claire Reid Reel Gardening (Pty) Ltd is a start-up business specialising in hand-made vegetable seed strip products created and patented by Claire Reid, the company founder. These products include 10 vegetables; 10 herbs; and 3 companion planting flowers. Reel Gardening is an environmentally-friendly organic product which has been taken up positively by consumers from diverse walks of life. Reel Gardening markets its products in a three-tier approach: Retail, Social development initiatives, and Corporate gifting. 

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
Claire Reid Reel Gardening alleviates food shortages and promotes self-sustaining communities through a simple, cost-effective and convenient means of agriculture.
  • Ensuring skills transfer and sustainable development through Reel Gardening. 
  • Empowering women by creating employment for them; the initiative has 9 full-time employees from the community - previously un-employed mothers with children.
  • Reducing use of water up to 80% and using organic fertiliser (worm castings).
  • Saving energy as the manufacturing process does not require any electricity.
  • Contributing to the reduction of leaching and soil erosion.
  • Enabling the individuals in the rural area to buy reel gardening directly at a much-reduced price and then to sell it on within the community.
  • Allowing the vendor to make profit while contributing to the local food security.

Partners

“Claire Reid Reel Gardening” provides consumers with a pre-fertilised seed strip that encases seeds at the correct depth and distance apart and offers planting instructions in seven languages. Implemented by a youth organization with assistance from government and social development programmes, the initiative aims to create sustainable subsistence gardens throughout South Africa.

Label Pak helps with research and development and product expansion with regard to the printing process.

Anglo Zimile provides loans as well as mentoring and guidance in the business start-up process.