Local agripreneur inspires youth to pursue farming
WHAT started as a small nursery supplying vegetable seedlings has flourished into a major business that caters to subsistence and commercial farmers within the Zululand region. Agripreneur, Don Mthembu, launched Armsdon Nurseries in Empangeni in 2017 with the dream of inspiring farming in local communities.
‘When we started, there was a huge need for a nursery selling seedlings in Empangeni, a town with many farmers living nearby,’ said Mthembu.
‘Our aim is to encourage everybody, in suburbs or rural areas, to get involved in farming within their neighbourhoods.
‘If we all plant something and share with our neighbour, this could grow into a culture of living off the earth. Then there won’t be a need for South Africans to buy vegetables in supermarkets.’
Having started with just two partners, Mthembu currently has more than 15 employees from the community - many of them youth working in his nursery.
The company specialises in producing high quality vegetable seedlings, bedding of flowers and indigenous trees, using exported coco peat soil and recyclable trays. They also educate communities about foodscaping.
‘We are available to give guidance to our customers who wish to continue planting and growing their own seedlings,’ he said.
‘We are especially encouraging the youth to make the most of this opportunity and start farming at home.’
Through hard work, dedication and support from organisations such as the Tronox Charitable Employee Trust and Uthungulu Community Foundation, Armsdon Nursery has grown dramatically with a rise in demand for their products.
Mthembu feels that his nursery is one of the most prominent in the province.
Unfortunately his business was impacted by the floods with damage suffered to plants, soil and nets, but Mthembu said they would recover and continue supplying the best seedlings in Zululand.