Cherry festival showcases local industry offerings

Ficksburg last month hosted its 51st annual Cherry Festival. Chairperson of the Ficksburg Cherry Festival, Johan du Toit, said the festival was a major contributor to the economy of the town and surrounding towns in the eastern Free State. It also played an important role in marketing the cherry industry, with some 15% of exhibitors at the festival offering cherries or cherry-based products for sale, he added.

Many of the exhibitors were locals who had been involved in the festival almost since its inception. Charlie Barrett of Charlie’s Cherry Products, based just outside Ficksburg, first started making cherry-based liqueurs over 30 years ago as a means of supplementing his farming activities. Although he still farms livestock, Barrett does not believe this would be sustainable without his operation’s cherry component.

He does not produce his own cherries, aside from a few trees on the farm “for the children”, but instead sources cherries from local producers. At this year’s festival, Barrett sold alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, a range of cherry products such as jams and chutney, as well as cherry cider.

Visitors could also go on farm tours offered by several producers in the region. – Sabrina Dean

PHOTOS: SABRINA DEAN ABOVE LEFT: Chairperson of the Ficksburg Cherry Festival, Johan du Toit, said the festival served an important role in marketing the cherry industry, with some 15% of exhibitors offering cherries or cherry-based products for sale.ABOVE RIGHT: Charlie Barrett of Charlie’s Cherry Products first started making cherrybased liqueurs over 30 years ago to supplement his farming activities.BELOW LEFT: Another long-term exhibitor is Elmien Erasmus of Horatio Cherries and Liqueurs in Ventersburg, who has been producing cherry products for decades with fruit sourced from the family farm.BELOW RIGHT: Young farmer Hanno Erasmus of Horatio Cherries sold fresh cherries at the festival.