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waZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) has announced the winner of its prestigious Young Farmer of the Year competition.
Sugar cane farmer Brad O’Neill of Richmond impressed judges with his commitment to precision farming, his advanced and sustainable bio-dynamic practices, and his successful value-added rum Agricole venture. Brad (39) will go on to represent Kwanalu and all KZN farmers at the Toyota SA/Agri SA National Young Farmer of the Year Competition 2021 where he will compete against top farmers from all nine provinces, in an effort to secure the much sought after title, as well as a brand new Toyota Hilux.
‘We were blown away by the extremely high standard of finalists in this year’s competition; it speaks well of the incredibly high standard of agriculture in our province,’ said Kwanalu CEO Sandy La Marque.
The Toyota/Kwanalu Young Farmer of the Year 2021 competition was open to farmers under the age of 40, male or female, and who are full members of their provincial agricultural union. The judging and evaluation of the farmers and their agricultural practices took place at provincial level, with the applicants evaluated on all aspects of their business including their overall vision for the future of their farm/ business. The main features on which farmers are judged is their management/business philosophy and the technical competence with which their philosophy is applied.
Only the best
Brad is the second generation to farm on Seafield Farm in Richmond, which he took over at the passing of his late father in 2010, following a career in the wine industry.
Aside from farming sugar cane, he also started the Sugar Baron Craft Distillery with his wife Marisa, and is solely responsible for general decision making and onthe-ground farming decisions.
Brad’s vision and his methodology is to adopt the best management approaches for both his operations while implementing sustainable biodynamic practices, maintaining healthy and happy relationships with his staff via upliftment programmes, ongoing education and training, improved living conditions, provision of PPE and family insurance policies.
His vision includes growing and establishing the Sugar Baron Craft Distillery locally and internationally as a leading producer and supplier of only the highest quality rum produced from only the best sugar cane in the world.
In 2017, Brad with his knowledge and love for the winemaking industry, established the distillery, called Sugar Baron Craft Distillery, on the farm.
‘We produce small, high-quality distillation batches from harvesting only the best quality varieties of plant sugar cane for fermentation and distillation to produce a oneof-a-kind rum,’ says Brad.
‘Just as with sugar cane, it all begins with healthy soils and therefore a healthy crop being sent to the mill. The same can be said for the single estate rum we produce at Sugar Baron.
‘We select only the very best single varietal plant cane to be crushed to produce the beautiful golden, green sugar cane juice which is then fermented before being distilled.
‘From this only the best batches are selected to be bottled and sent to market,’ he explains.
95% of Brad’s farming enterprise is sugar cane while 5% is craft rum.
Living the dream
Brad says he ‘truly believes we are simply custodians of this land and as such my approach to farming is one of passion and commitment to sustainable agricultural practices’.
He implements year-long fallow field programmes and multispecies green manure crops to ensure best possible soil health.
No foliar pesticide chemicals are used, and he is steadily reducing the use of herbicide and chemical fertilisers instead applying organics.
‘Attention to detail within all facets of my farming is paramount for me; for example, precise amounts of fertiliser and chemicals are applied per field, and only harvesting of small cane blocks to ensure freshness and high-quality cane,’ says Brad.
Brad is involved in organised agriculture and is a member of the Richmond Farmers’ Association, the Midlands South Sugar Cane Pest and Disease Committee, the Richmond Fire Protection Association, and is a committed member of Kwanalu.
‘I farm sugar cane in a different way, with a more holistic approach where the attention to detail and sustainability are the focus, ensuring I create a legacy for future generations.
Besides pushing the boundaries with new techniques and trying to consistently improve on every facet of my farming operation, I don’t believe in re-inventing the wheel, but rather modifying and improving on it. I am incredibly fortunate and grateful to be living my dream of being a sugar cane farmer,’ says Brad.