From picking fresh berries to creating your own bouquet, these Gauteng farms offer opportunities to slow down, enjoy the outdoors and reconnect with nature.
By Mapaballo Borotho
Staying indoors over the weekend can sometimes become a little boring. And with the cost of living continuously rising, trying out new restaurants or exploring expensive activities every weekend is not always an option.
But having a memorable day out does not have to cost a fortune. Why not spend a morning picking fresh strawberries at a farm? You can go on your own, invite a few friends or make it a family outing.
If berries are not quite your thing, there are other ways to enjoy the outdoors. You could visit a farm market, stock up on fresh produce or take a leisurely walk through a field full of dandelions.
These experiences offer something a little different from the usual weekend activities. Such activities also give individuals an opportunity of better understanding where their food comes from.
Some of these farms focus on organic and regenerative agriculture, while others open their growing fields to visitors during particular seasons.
From berry picking in Muldersdrift to flower harvesting in Benoni, here are four Gauteng farms worth adding to your weekend to-do list.
1. The Cradle Berry Farm, Muldersdrift
If you are looking for a simple outdoor activity that does not involve too much physical effort, strawberry picking is definitely worth considering.
At The Cradle Berry Farm in Muldersdrift, visitors can head into the fields to pick and enjoy fresh strawberries straight from the plants.
The farm grows its strawberries without herbicides or pesticides, making it an appealing option for families interested in more natural farming practices.
Visitors can pick and eat strawberries while walking through the fields, with the option of purchasing additional fruit to take home.
The strawberry season generally runs from September to December, depending on growing conditions and the harvest. This makes spring and early summer particularly good times to plan a visit.
2. MacFresh Deli & Berry Farm, Benoni
If you are based in the East Rand, MacFresh Deli & Berry Farm in Benoni is another spot worth exploring, particularly if you enjoy picking seasonal fruit.
The farm grows strawberries and blueberries, which visitors can pick themselves when the fruit is ready for harvesting.
The berries are weighed and charged according to the quantity picked, giving visitors the opportunity to take home as much as they like.
Beyond the picking experience, visitors can also learn a little about how berries are grown. The farm uses growing tunnels to help manage its crops and harvest, making it an interesting stop for anyone curious about fruit production.
It is a lovely option for a family morning out, particularly during berry season when the fields are ready for picking.
3. Flower Haven Farm, Benoni
As much as the heat can sometimes feel unbearable, one of the lovely things about spring is getting to witness flowers bloom and enjoy the beauty and fragrance of seasonal blossoms.
At Flower Haven Farm in Benoni, visitors can spend time among seasonal blooms and create their own bouquets.
The working cut-flower farm follows a field-to-vase approach, growing flowers that can be harvested and arranged into bouquets. Visitors can walk through the flower beds, choose their favourite blooms and cut their own flowers to take home.
The farm grows a selection of seasonal varieties, with snapdragons, sunflowers, garden roses and cosmos among its growing collection.
It is a particularly lovely experience for anyone who enjoys flowers and wants to take home something a little more personal than a store-bought bouquet.
4. Big Inja Farming, Midrand
Last but certainly not least, if you are looking for a farming experience in the City of Gold, Big Inja Farming in Carlswald, Midrand, offers guided tours centred on regenerative agriculture.
The farm explores ways of producing food while working alongside natural systems. Its approach includes living-soil growing methods, water-conscious systems, natural swimming ponds and innovative ways of making better use of available resources.
Unlike the berry-picking and flower-harvesting experiences, this is an opportunity to learn more about sustainable farming and the role small-scale agriculture can play in making better use of natural resources.
It is worth considering for anyone interested in understanding where their food comes from and exploring more environmentally conscious ways of growing it.
READ NEXT:
