May I start by wishing all our readers, sponsors, contributors and advertisers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Our main feature in this edition focuses on a land reform project that has become a shinning example that land reform can work as long as you have dedicated staff, good management, commitment to working the land and also working with experienced white commercial farmers for knowledge transfer.

We focus on manure management and continue our series on vegetable gardening. We also address important aspects of farm management such as dairy cow housing ventilation, pest control, dairy food safety at
farm level and the application of basic biosecurity principles.

Our disease section focuses on bovine trichomonasis and on keeping dairy cows free from blue ticks to protect them from diseases transmitted by these parasites.

We hope it has been a successful year for all our readers and look forward to sharing your stories and experiences about dairy farming.

Please write to us at:
PO Box 1284, Pretoria, 0001.

“When I was allocated this farm, my objective was first of all to empower the workers through building a trust that will hold shares,” he explains.

He believes that farm workers are behind the success of every farmer in the world and hence they need to reap what they are sowing through schemes that will benefit them and their families in the long run.

“You will never be a successful farmer without the support of your staff. All my achievements in the short period I have been at this farm rest with the professionalism, dedication and commitment that my staff put into their daily activities. I am good at business management and giving direction, but the workers are the ones who put theory into practise,” he asserts.

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