FARMING BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hailing from Evaton, near Sebokeng, Lindiwe is no stranger to agriculture. \u201cI grew up in a subsistence-farming homestead. My grandparents owned a plot, where they raised ducks and chickens, and grew vegetables and had some fruit trees,\u201d Lindiwe recalls.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was this one apple tree that always produced the sourest apples I have ever tasted. I never could figure out what was wrong with that tree,\u201d she says. Growing up self-sufficient, the Sitholes rarely had to buy vegetables or meat. \u201cMy grandmother also used to bake a lot and there was always plenty to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindiwe says her grandparents, Fana Patrick and Gladys Khathazile Sithole, never worked but still managed to raise a large family of nine, including grandchildren.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough farming, my grandparents were also able to make a huge contribution to the poor in the community.<\/p>\n

My grandparents ran a church on the plot and donated a lot of what they produced to the poor.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a child, Lindiwe never could understand why they had to be woken up so early on weekends. \u201cWe were expected to help with weeding, watering and feeding chickens. I always remember being so upset, because I felt weekends were there for resting after a long week of school.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was only years after her grandparents had passed on that Lindiwe started to appreciate how important those childhood experiences had been. \u201cWhenever we go back to my grandparents\u2019 homestead for family gatherings, I can\u2019t help but be saddened about how the land is now just lying fallow.<\/p>\n

These memories of her grandparents stayed with her throughout her university studies and into her working life, until she and her mother started discussing farming again. \u201cWe\u2019re now looking for a piece of land where we can start small,\u201d explains Lindiwe. Her mom, who used to work is a credit controller at a private hospital, is now retired, and the plan is that she will actively manage the farm and Lindiwe will help part time as she continues to work.<\/p>\n

Lindiwe says she is extremely excited about the opportunity to present African Farming, especially because it came at a time when she and her mom are actively planning their farming careers. \u201cI\u2019m so convinced it is God\u2019s intervention!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The show has been a real eye-opener for Lindiwe. Spending time with top farmers like Mama Dineo Mokgoshi, Mama Pinky Hlabedi and Mbali Nwoko has not only been inspiring, but has also helped her rediscover who she is, what matters to her and why she wants to farm.<\/p>\n