Free State farmer of the year announced

DJ van der Linde

The other two finalists who competed for the title, are Hendrik Heyns from Rouxville and PJ Badenhorst from Dewetsdorp. The team of judges said the drought provided them with some unique challenges during the judging process.

Prof. Pieter Fourie, associate professor at the Central University of Technology (CUT) Free State’s Department of Agriculture and convenor of the judges, says the drought conditions complicated judging. The drought affects all three of the finalists and several aspects had to be taken into account. Fourie says it was challenging to choose a winner, as all the finalists performed well.

Drought makes for a better farmer

Van der Linde grew up on a farm, and his journey as farmer started during a challenging time in his life. After about eight months in education, his life path led him to the farm as his father took ill and passed away in 2012. He inherited the farm and has been farming for eight years.

During the judging process and in his entry Van der Linde indicated that he enjoys making plans to adapt the equipment and skills available on his farm to adapt to changing circumstances. He says although they are not in the possession to replace existing equipment and implements with newer technology, they adapt what they have to keep up with the fast-changing times and industry.

Van der Linde systematically expanded the farming enterprise since 2012 by refining his planting techniques and managing planting and harvesting with more precision. The different enterprises on the farm are white maize, yellow maize, sunflower, and cattle.

Van der Linde is proud to say that his team competes on equal footing with other farms in the area. He checks spending on a daily basis to establish what they have to their disposal. Van der Linde also keeps a diary of rainfall in every field or of any problems that may arise in every field, so that he can pay attention to these issues.

Van der Linde is very proud of his team on the farm. “We are a great team and we treat each other with respect. My people get twice as much leave as other farm workers in the area and they speak to me about their concerns.”

According to Van der Linde the young farmers of today are the problem solvers of the industry. “We are the farmers of tomorrow and we must ensure that our children provide food for South Africa.” Positivity has a pivotal role in the management of the farming enterprise. “I always see the positive behind a situation. You can rather approach and fix any situation with positivity than be negative all day long. The drought of 2015/16 has made me a better person and farmer!”