Growing For Good A new generation of growers takes root

GROWING FOOD

In our food gardens, Megan McCarthy grows fruit, herbs and vegetables using eco-friendly and regenerative techniques.

G4 G Food Garden Team 724x703
More than just a garden, our Food Garden is a hub for learning and community engagement.
Established 2020

A few key facts

Community members employed

8

Receiving hands-on training in growing food using eco-friendly techniques

The food garden spans

1 ha

A bounty of nutrient-rich and delicious fruits, herbs, salad greens and vegetables

Indian runner ducks

16

Natural pest control keeps it free from snails and slugs

THE GROWERS BLOSSOMING IN OUR FOOD GARDEN

GROWING FOOD. NURTURING PEOPLE.

Spier’s food gardens were first planted in September 2013, and significantly expanded in 2020 under Megan McCarthy’s guidance, an expert in using eco-friendly and regenerative techniques to grow food. Our approach is simple: we steer clear of pesticides or artificial fertilisers, focusing instead on keeping our soil rich and healthy. This ensures our fruit, herbs and vegetables are naturally resilient, growing in line with the best organic practices.

By relying on worm compost and weekly foliar sprays, we naturally boost nutrients in our soil. Techniques like companion planting, cover cropping and crop rotation are central to our gardening, enhancing the flavour of our produce while keeping pests at bay and maintaining soil health. The presence of sheep in our orchards, and ducks and chickens in the garden helps us keep the soil alive and fertile without turning it over.

The fruits of our labour serve a dual purpose: they’re a key ingredient in the dishes served at our restaurants and also find their way to the shelves of the Spier Cowshed, as well as a select few local retailers and restaurants.

More than just a garden, this space is a hub for learning and community engagement. Through activities like self-harvests, tours, and workshops, we emphasise the value of nutrition, the importance of soil health, and the joy of sharing good food.

Our commitment extends beyond our farm, as we collaborate with local initiatives like the Sustainability Institute and Woolworths through the Living Soils Community Learning Farm program, and we're proud to be affiliated with the Western Cape Farmers Participatory Guarantee System.


Join us for Self-Harvesting

Harvest your own produce from the food garden Monday - Saturday mornings between 09.00 to 11.00. From R150, advanced booking is essential. Click here to secure your spot. Comfortable shoes and a hat are recommended.

Spier Food Garden 1599 x 671

Blog stories

Keep up to date with the latest news on this project

Spier Winter Kids 21 mailer

Top 10 wintery things to do on the farm

06 July 2023

Enjoy wide open spaces to crunch underfoot. Here, nature writes the script and we just observe.

Screenshot 2023 04 12 at 11 26 39

Meet Megan from our thriving Food Garden

02 March 2022

Megan McCarthy, who heads the Spier Food Garden, was born in Gauteng to a family of avid ...

Living Soils Community Farmers in Field 2880x1124

Civil society – and that’s you – might just be the answer to food security!

15 October 2021

Did you know that 60% food relief during lockdown came from civil society? This remarkable ...

Spier megan vegetable garden 7

SPIER FOOD GARDEN TAKES ITS PLACE IN THE WESTERN CAPE PEER GUARANTEE SYSTEM

18 June 2021

The recently-expanded Spier Food Garden joins hands with other small-holder growers in the ...

Spier megan vegetable garden 23 1

Growing food and nurturing people

26 April 2021

Our food garden, first planted in 2013, was significantly expanded in 2020 under the ...

Living Soils community farm first harvest 2880

Spier celebrates the women growing food and trees

07 August 2020

This Women’s Month Spier is celebrating the women-led food- and tree-growing projects that ...

Food garden 2880 x 1124

Vegetable garden takes root at Spier to boost food security during lockdown and beyond

06 April 2020

On the eve of the lockdown, Spier staff prepared boxes of food for 450 underprivileged ...

Explore all our initiatives

Spier G4 G waste sorting 400 x 400

Teaching the value of waste

100% of our organic waste is transformed into organic, nutrient-rich fertiliser and more than 97% of our solid waste is recycled.

G4 G Wastewater yin yang 724x703

Reducing and reusing water

100% of Spier’s black and grey wastewater is recycled using a centralised wastewater treatment plant installed in 2007.

G4 G Love the Land

Agents of change

Because each employee is an ambassador for Spier and its values, every new member of our team participates in a five-day training course that explores environmental and social challenges.

Mosaic Studio 10

Art

A Living Tribute to Contemporary South African Art

G4 G Treepreneurs seedlings 724x703

Tree-preneurs

Living in some of the province’s most impoverished communities, Tree-preneurs are taught how to care for indigenous trees and plants.

Feathers in the vineyards DSC09217

Nurturing nature

Our land is holistically farmed to create a diversified, balanced ecosystem with minimal impact on the environment.

G4 G Living Soils Harvest 724x703

Living Soils Community Learning Farm

Based at Spier, this learning and demonstration farm produces nutritious food using eco-friendly regenerative farming methods while empowering a new generation of farmers.

G4 G Sustainability Nursery 724x703

The Spier Nursery

The Spier Nursery was established to propagate and grow indigenous trees and plants that are specific to the region to re-introduce these onto the farm.

G4 G ILS Tyson Meyi SQ

Individual Learning Spend

Facilitating the personal development and wellbeing of our staff