Tomcat Chipper for Organic Veggie Farmer in Philippi, Cape Town

The long-awaited Tomcat Chipper

On Friday we had the privilege of delivering a Model 125 AFE to one very enthusiastic customer: Nazeer is an organic vegetable farmer on the farm Vegkop, Philippi in Cape Town. He is also one of the people who probably had the longest wait for his brand new TOMCAT Wood Chipper. Nazeer has been a loyal TOMCAT follower for many years and dreamed of the day he would own his own TOMCAT chipper. The look on his face when he saw his chipper for the first time on his farm was PRICELESS!

Uplifting his community

But what makes Nazeer different is that he has a passion for uplifting people and teaching skills to others. He educates residents in the area in the hope that they will become farmers too and manage their own crops. Everything from crop rotation, best veg for the season, soil prep, harvest and selling is explained and taught in detail to the “students”. They also farm organically, meaning they use environmentally friendly farming practices. This improves soil health, decreases the impact of farming on the environment and in the end ensures better human health.

Uses of a wood chipper for organic vegetable farmers

But why on earth would a vegetable farmer need a wood chipper for organic farming?

The reality is that organic vegetable farms use large quantities of compost on a monthly basis. Using a good quality compost in your soil is very important for your plant health and increases your yields, but it is hard to come by and very expensive. Nazeer is currently using more than 20 cubic meters of compost per month in his vegetable gardens. Vegetable farming also generates a lot of green waste. The primary use of the chipper would be to chip all the green waste that is generated on the farm and on neighbouring farms and turn it into compost.

The advantages would be the following:

• Firstly he eliminates his green waste and trips to the landfill,
• Secondly, he now opens up valuable and limited farm space which has been occupied by waste and can now be used to plant more vegetables and generate income,
• Thirdly, and the biggest advantage for him, is that he is no longer dependent on other suppliers and can be self sustainable.

The money he saves from not buying compost anymore directly pays for the wood chipper. The other benefits simply make it a no brainer! And for a farmer to be self-sustaining today is crucial. Not having to be dependent on anyone will help to avoid delays, quality issues etc. Now you have full control over the whole process from the quality of your seeds to what you put in your compost. Having your own wood chipper for organic farming has many benefits and helps to practice more eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

Nazeer, congratulations on your purchase and we thank you for being a true TOMCAT brand ambassador!

Thank you for what you are doing for your local community in Philippi – you are a true inspiration to us all!