Green Acre Living

Providing training and infrastructure support to enhance organic urban agriculture
2016 SAG-SEED Awards; SWITCH-Africa Green
Sustainable Agriculture
Johannesburg
South Africa

Green Acre Living (NPO) develops low-technology solutions to address urban agriculture challenges and provides donor-funded training for emerging farmers on efficient organic cultivation and produce distribution. The organisation works to develop urban organic markets and microcooperatives with a focus on organically developed solutions, and acts as the distributor of harvested produce. Green Acre Living cultivates a farm that supplies vegetables, poultry and eggs to a hospice and orphanage facility to illustrate the value of nutrient dense organically grown produce.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
Green Acre Living enables urban farmers to attain food security, generate incomes and create additional jobs. Communities benefit from healthier nutrient dense food grown in ecologies that mirror indigenous environments while providing food for the local orphanage and hospice facilities.
  • Enhancing food security and the understanding of daily nutritional requirements within urban communities.
  • Providing vegetables and poultry products for people at an orphanage and hospice.
  • Improving the availability of nutrient-dense foods enhances health within the community.
  • Rehabilitating soils through establishing viable soil ecosystems in food production.
  • Reducing carbon emissions through efficient farming methods, carbon trapping techniques, purpose-designed equipment, and food production in urban areas.
  • Eliminating water waste through water harvesting and the use of grey water.
  • Generating income for urban food gardeners nationally.
  • Reducing food purchase and production costs by growing food closer to points of retail.
  • Establishing multiple organic food based micro-enterprises.

 

Partners

Green Acre Living provides organic farming training to emerging farmers in urban areas and promotes the establishment of urban food micro-enterprises. The focus is on biodiversity, promoting indigenous foods and increasing organic production to achieve food security.

Green Acre Living (NPO) manages the enterprise and provides training and workshops for farmers.

Izindaba Zokudla a community outreach initiative of the University of Johannesburg develops innovative solutions for urban farming challenges.

Slow Food assists by supporting biodiversity in food production and the reestablishment of indigenous food preparation traditions.

Sparrow Village Hospice and Orphanage provides partial training facilities, logistical support and land for food production.

Shaft 17 supports Green Acre Living through the provision of land and training facilities.