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COMRADE CARROT’S (FRESH) GREEN ROUTE OMRADE Carrot — aka Macdonald Pale — grows organic carrots, spinach and potatoes on a farm in Phillipi. He sells his produce at Komati Foods in Observatory and the Erf 81 market at Tamboerskloof’s Tyisa Nabanye urban farm.

“My green route starts at Wynberg organic farm. I’ve grown up in this soil with my family of vegetables. I fell in love with the piece of land I am on when I first saw her. I call her my ‘first love’ because together we have produced so much.

“Erf 81 is an old military base just above Bokaap. It’s a naturally rejuvenating, energy-filled spot. It’s ironic that during my military career I spent so much time doing my national service at bases like this all over the country and now this abandoned base is my place of trade every Sunday morning at the organic market.

“Soil for Life in Constantia is a dream garden and the first time I went in I discovered it looked like my grandfather’s house. It has the kraal and garden all in one, nicely smelling of compost and hay.

“Soil for Life runs workshops in communities, training people in backyard gardening and guerilla gardening for business. I am a big believer in backyard gardening.

“I love that Komati Foods in Observatory has become a friend at a time when I have been in deep conversation with myself about food and my body. It’s been easy for me to embark on a vegan diet because the shop is supplied mainly by local producers, from Ashley’s raw golden honey to vegetable rotis from Max.

“I like going to Simon’s Town beach because the water is warm and not too deep, you can swim and picnic and it’s rarely crowded. I recommend getting there by train and I recently found that it’s not too expensive to Uber from there. So you can afford to miss the last train out of Simon’s Town and indulge in some good wine at a local restaurant.”