Lowveld - April 2020
Our feel-good issue!
Our feel-good issue!
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Spending his days tied to his desk,<br />
Jan-Hendrik du Plessis longed to get<br />
his hands dirty out in the sunshine.<br />
Intended as a hobby to offset his IT job, he<br />
started experimenting with microgreen<br />
production. But, quick to spot a gap in the<br />
market for this vibrant superfood, his wife,<br />
Melanie, turned his hobby into a business<br />
with budding results.<br />
20 Get It <strong>Lowveld</strong> <strong>April</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
Big<br />
DREAMS FOR<br />
MICROGREENS<br />
Text and photographer: LINDI BOTHA<br />
Energetic, with multiple job titles, Melanie does<br />
not shy away from a new challenge - or hard work.<br />
Besides assisting Jan-Hendrik in his IT business, graphic<br />
designing, content creation and fundraising for their<br />
church, she is also the mother of a two-year-old. Now<br />
she has added the title “farmer” to her repertoire, too.<br />
Regarding the latter title, she laughs. “As an Afrikaner,<br />
or Boer, I always grew up wondering what the concept<br />
of being a ‘boer’ was. I never thought I would be a real<br />
bona fide boer who farms. Now I am farming and it’s<br />
exciting. I’m not just a Boer in blood and heritage, I<br />
actually farm now, too!”<br />
The project started in 2018 when Jan-Hendrik started<br />
researching hobbies to do in their home town of Sabie,<br />
to offset long hours spent in front of a computer. After<br />
seeing a YouTube video on microgreen production, he<br />
decided to test it out. After the first six trays he planted<br />
had been a success, he started increasing production.<br />
At this stage Melanie sold and distributed honey<br />
sourced from local farmers. “But the honey supply<br />
dropped drastically in recent years, so when I realised<br />
that Jan-Hendrik’s ‘hobby’ was turning out to be a great<br />
success, I decided to load my car with microgreens<br />
and go looking for a market. I approached fine dining<br />
restaurants in the <strong>Lowveld</strong> and after receiving our first<br />
orders, Bumblebee Organics was officially on track.<br />
Today we supply around 10 restaurants and a few<br />
supermarkets in the area,” she smiles.<br />
Far from being just a garnish, microgreens are classified<br />
as a superfood and contain 40% more nutrition than<br />
vegetables. Benefits range from beet that promotes<br />
heart function, to radishes promoting digestion and<br />
weight loss, and sunflowers aiding cellular recovery to<br />
assist with reducing ageing. The colourful leaves pack<br />
a punch in terms of flavour and can be used in salads,<br />
as a tasty snack or added to a range of dishes to add