Welgemoed – anyone for worm tea?

Farming principally apples and pears, Welgemoed is a large farm situated on the Vyeboom side of Van der Stel Pass. Owner Garry Southern is passionate about the landscape and the importance of keeping a piece of South African land in his family. Conservation minded, it’s refreshing to find a farmer prepared to invest in alternative and more sustainable ways of farming. His approach to nurturing and feeding his orchards is living proof of his philosophy.

Welgemoed produces and feeds their orchards 500 liters per hectare of worm tea a week. It’s a system that has been well researched and is clearly producing results. Apart from saving 30% on fertilizer costs, the worm tea also suppresses diseases and fungal infections.

Worm tea is a highly concentrated liquid, high in essential nutrients such as nitrogen, calcium, potassium and phosphate, but also containing all the healthy microbes that plants thrive on. Immediate benefits aside, by consistently applying the tea as you would any other fertilizer, you actually improve and rehabilitate the overall nature of the soil, producing a far healthier orchard in the long term.

Garry recounts the story of a diseased block, the vermitea appears to have corrected much of the problems in the roots of the Braeburns. Six years after being advised to pull out the trees in that orchard, the farm is still getting over sixty tons a hectare despite that orchard now bring in its 26th year.

The operation is set-up in a large shed, water is pumped and leached through the wormeries, carrying nutrients and all the goodness of Vermicast with it. The tea filters into a large underground tank where it is stored until it is added straight into the irrigation system once a week.

With consumers demanding a shift away from many dangerous and harmful chemicals that get used in farming, it’s uplifting to find a farm that isn’t afraid to explore alternatives.

The introduction of worm tea seems small but has far reaching effects. Welgemoed is restoring the health of their soil, ensuring strong orchards, a sustainable eco-system and a healthy crop. It impacts on overall biodiversity and that is inspiring, hopefully a trend we start seeing more of in our area soon.