Today Fairtrade Label South Africa (FLSA) celebrates the start of their very first Fairtrade Week in South Africa, a campaign aimed at raising awareness about Fairtrade among the local public. Fairtrade Week’s slogan, ‘Taste the Change’, encourages South Africans to learn about the incredible potential of fair trading, and the significance it plays in improving lives in farming communities and in offering consumers the possibility of an ethical choice.

Amongst the activities planned for the week is the official product launch of the Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk bars, which will finally be introduced to retail stores around South Africa (and the cost of a bar stays the same!)

Why buy Fairtrade?
Fairtrade creates more opportunities for those farming communities who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalised by the conventional trading system. Fairtrade benefits small-scale farmers and farm workers by:

1. ensuring better trading, working and living conditions through Fairtrade Standards
2. providing a Fairtrade Premium that small-scale farmers (in the case of a co-operative) and farm workers (in the case of a commercial farm) can invest in projects to improve their lives
3. supporting sustainable production and protection of the environment for a better future

Environmental standards focus on farming methods that are sustainable and safe. Amongst them: protection of sensitive natural areas, minimised and safe use of agrochemicals and ban of prohibited pesticides, safe and sustainable handling of waste and water, and no use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Perhaps one day this could even go a step further and support primarily organic and natural farming practices… a girl can dream, right?

Included in the media release were a number of examples of how Fairtrade is improving things here in South Africa, giving support to local farm workers, their families, and communities:

Bergendal Wine Farm – Western Cape

Location: Citrusdal, Western Cape, South Africa
Fairtrade certified for: wine grapes, rooibos tea, oranges, and soft citrus
Fairtrade products: Six Hats Fairtrade Wines

In 2006, three years after obtaining Fairtrade certification, 91 farm workers became shareholders with the creation of the Bergendal Workers Trust. Six months later a rooibos tea plantation was developed and in 2007 a packinghouse was built and a fruit exporting company, Everseason, established. At the same time the Carmien rooibos tea marketing company was started up. The trust holds shares from each of these ventures, ensuring diverse and profitable dividends.

Amongst other initiatives, farm workers’ homes were improved, a recreational hall and after care centre was built, and the local crèche was renovated.

Read full story.  Visit www.citrusdalwines.co.za

Dinaledi Farming Enterprises – Limpopo

Fairtrade certified for its oranges, lemons and grapefruit.

Money from Fairtrade premiums has been invested in schooling and education, the building of a recreation centre and the installation of hot showers.  Additionally, a portion of the 2010 Premium was also used to renovate a farm crèche and a number of beds were bought for the homes of workers on Grovedale farm. A small amount was set aside for low-interest loans afforded to farm workers, who used it to help pay for their children’s school fees.

Read full story.

Bosman Family Vineyards – Western Cape

Farm: Lilienfontein Estate (Bosman Family Vineyards), Wellington, South Africa
Fairtrade certified for: wine grapes
Fairtrade products: Appollis and Bosman Family Vineyards

At a milestone-marking event in January 2009, a joint venture between the Bosman family and the workers at Lilienfontein was birthed, forming the largest land reform partnership in the wine industry. “The Adama empowerment project turned [land reform] challenges into great opportunities: 260 permanent farm workers formed the Adama Appollo Trust of which they all are now beneficiaries. 430 hectares of [prime vineyard] land was included in the project, with Adama Trust acquiring a fifty percent share in the land,” Petrus Bosman, director of JC Bosman Farming, says. “The transaction also included a thirty percent share in the Bosman Family Vineyards cellar on Lelienfontein Estate and a five percent share in the operational farming concern, Lelienfontein Vinegrowers, Africa’s biggest vine nursery.”

Funds generated by the Fairtrade Premium has been invested in buying karate uniforms for the local karate squad (they attend the Bosman Farming Karate Club, an initiative started on the farm to keep farm workers’ children occupied) and plans for a fully-fledged karate club are in the pipeline. Other projects the committee has tackled include the renovation of two farm crèches, tiling of workers’ homes, stocking of a library on the estate and development of a computer centre.

Read full story.

A number of other inspiring worker case studies are published here.

A list of current and upcoming Fairtrade products in South Africa is available here.

Gutted.  The Hout Bay Green Faire is on this Saturday, and I’m going to miss it.  Again.

But, for those of you who will be in town this coming weekend, it’s a fun day out, and a great way to find out about eco-friendly products and services in Cape Town.

The details:

Envirochild presents its 5th annual Hout Bay Green Faire on Saturday 29 October 2011.

After 4 successful years the Green Faire has become a permanent feature in the community and has attracted 1000’s of visitors from the Cape Town metro.
The Green Faire  is a volunteer driven event – providing a showcase of products and services that offer ways of living lightly on the planet.

Eco-friendly, human friendly, animal friendly and planet friendly choices are easier when we know what’s available.

Many companies are offering these choices now and this Faire is a way for us to find out more about them.

There’s a long list of exhibitors, who’ll be showcasing everything from urban gardening services and worm farms to eco-friendly cleaning products and compost toilets!

Green Faire Event Details:

Dates & Times:  Saturday 29 October 2011, 10am-5.30pm
Cost: Adults:  R20 / Kids: R10
Location:  Kronendal Primary School. Andrews Rd, off Main Rd, Hout Bay, at the Shell garage corner.
Website: www.houtbaygreenfaire.org

Intrigued by the concept, I met with the organiser to find out more.

In essence, this is what the market is all about:

• It’s a speciality food market, dedicated to authentic plant-based cuisine.
• It will be held monthly (first Sunday) and will be catering for cognisant food lovers who have an appreciation for the benefits of plant-based foods, as well as being mindful where their food is grown and its preparation methods.
• All food will be made by the artisans and merchants, and sold by them in person.
• On offer will be: Organic fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly baked breads, winter soups, raw tree nuts, olives and olive oils, gourmet food dishes, fresh juices, with a touch of kitchen and home decor thrown in for good measure.

I really like the idea of a market with a specific focus… There are plenty of food markets out there these days, which is awesome, but I do sometimes feel that for many there is a great opportunity for them to carve out their own niche, whatever it might be (community aspect, organic focus, gourmet extravaganza, etc).  Otherwise, with so much competition, they run the risk of being just like every other food market out there, and people gradually losing interest (Capetonians do love the novelty-factor!)

I also like that it’s going to be held on a Sunday – rather than the usual Saturday of most Cape Town markets (means I have a better chance of getting there!).

So, I shall definitely be there, this coming Sunday (3 July 2011), when the market opens its door for the very first time, and I am very keen indeed to see what will be on offer!

Market details:

Date & Time:
Launch date:  Sunday 3 July 2011.  9am-2pm.  Thereafter, the market will be held on a selected Sunday of every month (view trading dates).

Location:
In the Constantia Valley, at the historic Alphen Hall on Constantia Main Rd. Predominately indoors, with a large courtyard for sunny days. There is plenty of parking.

Contact details:
Email: eat@gaiafoodmarket.co.za
Website: www.gaiafoodmarket.co.za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GaiaFoodMarket
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GaiaFoodMarket

But recycling isn’t a magic panacea for dealing with waste – and it’s not enough: if we don’t stop manufacturing and using so many new bottles and other plastics, we’re going to run out of space to stash it all.

Think on this… It takes about 450 years for a single bottle to decompose.  Given that around 141 billion (yes, that’s billion with a ‘b’) bottles and cans are not recycled every year and end up in landfills, that’s a whole helluva lot of plastic hanging around to haunt us for a whole helluva long time.  Recycling does help, sure, but it still requires large amounts of energy and resources to turn those materials back into usable form.

A much better plan is to start reducing how much you buy and use, reusing what you already have, and recycling whatever you can no longer make functional use of.  Makes sense, right?

So how to get around buying new plastic bottles when you’re hooked on the flavoursome bubbly beverages contained within?

Well, you could give them up and resort to drinking plain tap water (nothing wrong with that), or you could make your own bubbles and mix-and-match flavours with a home beverage carbonation system.

Last week SodaStream launched a compelling new campaign: “Help Free the World from Bottles” – and I think they’re on to a really good thing.

“The SodaStream system enables consumers to easily transform ordinary tap water into carbonated drinks in seconds. SodaStream’s products are environmentally-friendly, cost-effective, promote health and wellness, are customisable and fun to use.  In addition, they eliminate the need to carry bottles from the supermarket, to store bottles or to regularly dispose of empty bottles.

SodaStream’s vision is to create a world free from bottles. SodaStream is committed to continuously improving as an earth-friendly brand and having a positive impact on the environment. Using water straight from the tap to create carbonated flavoured beverages, SodaStream makes traditional store-bought beverage bottles obsolete. This results in less plastic manufactured, less plastic waste and less transportation of bottled beverages.”

Every SodaStream bottle can be used for up to three years, and is estimated to save the environment from 2,000 bottles and cans during that time. Plus, the CO2 carbonator can make up to 60 litres (or 180 cans) of beverage before having to be refilled and reused.  That all sounds like rather a good plan to me…

Additionally, in acknowledgement of the importance of water, SodaStream have announced their participation in the One to One Project, in collaboration with The Water Project Inc:

“This ground-breaking initiative aims to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people, by building water wells to supply clean, safe drinking water in developing communities in Africa.

The One to One project is a global SodaStream effort whereby $1 (R6.92) for each home soda maker sold will be donated towards building of water wells in Kenya.  The donation from each soda maker sold will help supply one person in Kenya with clean drinking water for at least one year.”

I am really very impressed, and I have a feeling this initiative, which has the rare distinction of making both eco-friendly and economic sense, might just change the way people go about consuming bubbly beverages.  If you haven’t already given up drinking bottled water and other packaged beverages, now’s a really good time to get started.

Visit SodaStream.co.za to find out more.

We are depleting our water resources faster than nature can replenish them, and if we don’t do something about it, the well could be dry sooner than we think.

In celebration of National Water Week (ended on Sunday), Global Carbon Exchange is currently running a competition giving away a 3 day Water Auditing Course to the value of R6,500.

GCX’s 3 day Water Auditing Level 1 course gives learners a good understanding of the importance of water, how to conduct a water audit and how to develop a water management strategy for a business or residential home.

Benefits of doing this course:

• Lead your company’s water reduction program.
• Learn a unique skill that every company needs and helps to differentiate you in the job market.
• Become a knowledge leader with your new found understanding of this critical resource.
• Begin a new career in water management and conservation.
• Learn how to manage and conserve water use in a home.

To enter:

Send an email to timeak@globalcarbonexchange.com with your details and the email addresses of 5 colleagues or friends who you feel would love to receive our monthly environmentally focused newsletter (view past newsletters).  Competition closes 15 April 2011.

Who is Global Carbon Exchange?

“GCX is a strategic environmental sustainability consultancy and training provider. We work closely with our customers to help them identify and build their Eco-Advantage; the opportunity for sustained growth and profitability while demonstrating reduced environmental and social impacts over time.” www.globalcarbonexchange.com

Some awesome, awesome news for town-based foodies:  a new open-air fresh food market will be launching in the city next week.  Jacqui Simpson, owner and creator of the Earth Fair Market in Tokai (one of my favourite Cape Town markets) is behind this new street market, and given her success with the Tokai market, I have a very good feeling this one will do very well indeed.

Here’s the official release:

“The Earth Fair Food Market @ St Georges opens on 17 February on Upper St Georges’ Mall. It will offer visitors and city centre dwellers a smorgasbord of fresh, organic food. The choice spans smoked fish, specialty sausages, homemade pies, farm cheeses, fruit and vegetables, biltong, pâtés, organic nuts and grains, breads and a host of other products from small producers and artisans.

City centre office workers will be able to snack on sushi, kebabs or pasta at lunch time, or meet a friend for a quick bite after work.

“Many cities have iconic, fresh-food markets – Borough Market in London, the Dublin Food Coop Organic Food Market and the Marché de Pont de l’Alma in Paris – now it’s Cape Town’s turn,” says Jacqui Simpson, owner of the Earth Fair Market.

“In many ways it’s a return to our roots. The Company Gardens originally provided fresh fruit and vegetables to passing ships and Greenmarket Square was somewhere where farmers could sell their produce. That’s why upper St George’s Mall in the historic heart of Cape Town is the ideal location.”

The St Georges’ Mall Market is based on the successful Saturday Earth Fair Market in Tokai, which has become so popular that is now also open on a Wednesday afternoon. The Earth Fair concept is one of a country market, where visitors can shop for fresh goods from local producers, building relationships with them in the process.

The Earth Fair Market will offer fresh produce and food that contains no preservatives or hormones and is not overly packaged. It provides an outlet for small, local producers and artisans as well as city centre community upliftment programmes.”

Can’t. Wait.

The Earth Fair Food Market @ St George’s will be open every Thursday from 12.30 until 18.30, starting Thursday 17^th February 2011.

For more information contact:

Aoife Gormely, St Georges Mall Forum on 071 820 4016

Jacqui Simpson, Earth Fair Food Market on 084 220 3856, or visit www.earthfairmarket.co.za

Since the Soccer World Cup ended in July 2010, many people have lost interest in the Green Point Stadium and surrounds. However, the area that underwent such extreme rejuvenation for football fans now also provides a beautiful spot for Cape Town outdoor lovers to spend an afternoon: The Green Point Park and Biodiversity Garden.

I visited on a Monday (it opened on the 20^th December 2010) and was struck by its emptiness – all of this space and beauty and no one to utilise it? But a revisit on Saturday demonstrated that the public are starting to trickle in. A family set up a cricket game on the lawns, children and their parents exercised on the outdoor ‘green circuit’ machines, and couples wandered through the grounds looking at plants and spotting animal sculptures.

The biodiversity garden within the Park contains over 300 local Cape plant species, and is designed to be educational, inspirational and stimulating (see more about its planning and development here: http://marijkes-biodiversityblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/backtracking.html). Although it appears to be pitched at children of school-going age it is equally informative for adults.

The garden is separated into ‘People and Plants’, ‘Wetlands’ and ‘Discovering Biodiversity’. Beds are planted according to vegetation type, so you can see which plants typically grow in sandveld, renosterveld, mountain fynbos, coastal thicket etc. Cleverly, these sections are laid out in such a way that when the signs prompt you to look up, you can associate which of these vegetation types grows on the surrounding Signal Hill, Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. They even have a lawn garden, so you can test the softness of various indigenous water wise grasses between your toes!

Educational boards throughout the garden are entertaining and clear, and provide useful information such as ‘dead logs are great homes for lizards and geckos’ and ‘how to keep a healthy pond in your garden to attract frogs’. Beaded animals and metal sculptures are cleverly tucked into the vegetation, my personal favourite are the moles, poking their heads out of the earth! If the Cape heat is overwhelming, there are picnic tables, benches, beautiful drinking fountains, and shady spots in which to sit and absorb the view of your surrounds, and the paths are wide enough to allow for wheelchair and pram access. Water bodies are dotted across the park, acting as a boundary to the golf course and drawing lots of birds to the area.

It’s a great spot to spend a morning. You can enter from the fan walk or through the west gate on the side of Mouille Point lighthouse. Recycling bins are placed at the main entry gates to the park, and security guards are present. Hours are 7am-7pm.

Visit www.stadiumcapetown.co.za for more details or phone +27 (0)21 430 7300 or +27 (0)21 417 0101. Park tours can be booked through the Stadium Visitor Centre.The Park tour costs about R35 per person. This is for the City to raise much-needed funds to maintain the Park. The tours leave at 10, 12 and 2, and there are official guides.

Directions to the Visitor Centre:

From the new raised Green Point traffic circle, take the turnoff closest to McDonald’s, and park near the site of the old stadium. Look for entrance C off Granger Bay Boulevard.

Rosie Stanway is a botanist, with a Masters degree in pollination biology from the University of Stellenbosch. She has worked in a wide range of environments, including the Peruvian Amazon, but is captivated by Cape fynbos and renosterveld. Apart from being passionate about plant conservation, another great love is cooking, and she is always on the lookout for new markets, ethical producers, and gardening projects in and around Cape Town.

The organic food garden was created some years ago by Dr Cluver and Norwegian chef, Andreas Viestad – and we were lucky enough to have Andreas himself show us around.

I love gardens that are both functional and beautiful – and this one certainly fits that bill.  Most of the spaces are circular, which is very soothing to the eye, with colourful swathes of bright lights spinach here, electric blue artichokes there…

We wandered through as Andreas shared his enthusiasm for the incredible variety that such a garden can provide (at one stage they had over 100 different types of tomatoes growing there), not just to look at, but to taste.  No dish is ever the same when you’re using home-grown ingredients – the flavours change with the season, with the soil, with the time of day.

We tasted fennel flowers, lush basil leaves, herbs of all shapes and sizes and gawped at the most enormous beetroots I have ever seen.  We oohed appreciatively at the tree tomatoes (tomatillo family, apparently) and gobbled up some sweet alpine strawberries.

And then it was time to wander over to the orchard, where even more treasures awaited.  Pomegranates, quinces, over 15 varieties of citrus… A lemon, it seems, is not always a lemon: sometimes it’s a Buddha’s Hand Citron, an alien-looking creature that smells like lemon, tastes like lemon, but certainly doesn’t look like lemon!  It’s a cultivar used for the oils in its skin, rather than any juice you might get out of it (there isn’t any), and it smells absolutely heavenly.

Then came the peaches and almonds plucked and eaten right off the trees (you need strong teeth to crack the almond shell, but the payload is delicate, sweet almond flesh inside).

I tasted three different peach types one after the other and started daydreaming about setting up a tent in the garden, and foraging all summer long…

When the tour came to an end, we were so enchanted we felt we couldn’t leave straight away, so we decided to stop in at the estate’s new restaurant, ‘Fresh’ and have a bite to eat.  Joan Lancefield, who runs the restaurant, had been with us on the tour, and had spoken to us about their philosphy of using locally-sourced ingredients for their dishes – most from the garden itself, and the rest from farms and producers in the area.

It’s a wonderful, rustic, convivial environment with long shared tables and a huge aga stove that must be wonderful in winter time.  The staff are super friendly, and the food was lovely, unpretentious and reasonably priced (R45-R65 for mains, if I remember correctly – and you could have a half-portion of certain dishes if you asked nicely).  It’s a simple menu, which I like, and naturally I love the fact that most of the ingredients come from just around the corner!

The verdict, of course, is that we will definitely be organising another Slow Food Mother City visit – so watch this space.  And if you’re heading out to Elgin any time soon, stop in at Paul Cluver Estate for breakfast or lunch at Fresh, and take a walk around the garden – it really is a wonderful experience.

Paul Cluver Estate is located in Elgin, just off the N2 at the Kromco turnoff (directions here). Fresh is open Tuesday to Friday from 9am-4.30pm and on Saturdays from 8.30am to 4pm. Telephone: 071 563 6020. If you’re not a fan of communal seating, there are also a few smaller tables dotted about the area. More photos from our tour are posted on the Slow Food Mother City website.

Origin Roasting on Hudson Street is without doubt my favourite coffee haunt in Cape Town.  Sublime coffee, excellent vibe, awesome staff – it’s bliss.  Because I don’t live in town,  I don’t get to spend as much time there as I’d like (not exactly either economical or eco-friendly to drive all the way in from the Southern Suburbs just for a flat white – tempting though that may be), but happily their coffee and trained-up baristas can be found in a growing number of places around Cape Town.

Today, though, I gave in to temptation and made a pilgrimage – and whilst tripping out on a single-estate coffee-bean high, I noticed that they’ve just launched a range of eco-friendly reusable cups, called ‘KeepCups‘:

“We always strive to be environmentally friendly at Origin but we have just stepped it up a gear. Our coffee community now has a chance to save money and drink responsibly by using our new KeepCups. These are completely bio-degradable, environmentally friendly and beautifully designed take away coffee cups that you bring from home to Origin…

KeepCups are BPA free and non toxic. They have good thermal properties keeping beverages hot 20-30 minutes longer than disposable cups.  KeepCups are lightweight, dishwasher safe, microwaveable and splash proof. They have a sealable lid and sipper hole and are pleasing to drink from with the lid on or off.  KeepCups fit into most car cup holders and many bicycle bottle holders.” (via)

I really like the design… I’ve been wanting to buy one of those ceramic eco-mugs from Woolworths, but although I think they look great, I hesitated because of the weight and potential for breakage.  KeepCups are made from food-safe plastic, so they’re not likely to chip or crack in my clumsy paws and – the dealbreaker – they have an awesome little adjustable lip that covers the sipper hole when you’re moving around (you shift it aside when you want to take a sip).

The cups cost R100 (240ml) or R125 (360ml) and when you buy your first KeepCup, you get a free coffee.  After that, as an incentive to keep reusing the cup (re-use being somewhat more eco-friendly than recycling), you get a R1 discount every time you come back for more (in the KeepCup).  It’s perhaps a bit pricey for what is essentially a plastic cup, but I think it’s worth it, and will definitely be getting me one on my next visit.

Visit www.originroasting.co.za to find out more.

Wine estates, in general, tend not to be on the eco-friendly side… The amount of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers that go hand-in-hand with most wine-making in Cape Town (and elsewhere) can be a little off-putting to anyone with an inkling of how negatively those practices affect the environments in which the vines are grown.

But, happily, there are some estates out there who are working towards a new way of wine-making – one that’s more in harmony with nature and all its quirks.  

Some go whole hog and farm organically or even biodynamically, while others find creative ways of drastically lowering their carbon footprint until their operations are totally carbon-neutral, or possibly carbon-negative.  Still others commit, via the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI), to preserving large tracts of natural fynbos and the ecosystems they contain.
It’s so exciting to see these pioneers bravely break away from commercial agricultural methods and invest their resources in more sustainable solutions – and I believe we should all support them at every chance we get!

One of the best ways to visit some of these wonderful farms and farmers is on a new ‘Eco Wine Tour‘, conducted by Charles Lourens of Bottle Plate Pillow, and Pieter Geldenhuys of PG Top Tours.

I was invited to join the tour a little while back, and had the most awesome time.  On your own, you might get a good wine-tasting in, and a chance to survey the scenery, but with Charles and Pieter you get the whole lowdown on what the farms are doing to be more eco-friendly, and can ask the many questions you might have in that regard. You also get to taste a lot of wine.

We visited the picturesque Avondale Farm, near Paarl, and literally got to feel (and smell) the beautiful soil in which the vineyards grow (no chemicals, so the soil is super-healthy), and meet their happy snail-gobbling ducks (no need for snail bait – those birds are way more efficient).  We tasted their superb biodynamic bubbly, and other fantastic wines (and took some home).

We stopped in at Backsberg Estate, and were shown around by Simon Back, who told us more about their latest carbon-neutral innovations (such as lighter glass bottles, and the recently launched ‘Tread Lightly’ PET bottle range,  which require fewer materials to produce, and by being lighter reduce the carbon-footprint of transport).   Somewhere in between, we had some generous samplings of the farm’s always-delicious wines.

Feeling quite merry by this stage (well, I certainly was merry – I’m not that robust when it comes to wine-tasting!), we then had a glorious lunch at Towerbosch, on Knorhoek Estate (a BWI-supporter)  Towerbosch is a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant which specialises in traditional Cape foods, with ingredients sourced locally where possible.  It was absolutely delectable, full of flavour, and everybody had seconds (and plenty more wine).

After that, it was time for an impromptu detour to Mooiplaas (not originally on the tour schedule, but we had a little leeway time-wise) and a bumpy ride up to the farmhouse, where we tasted more wine (naturally), and chatted to co-owner Tielman Roos about their farming methods (their wines are not organic, but do carry the Integrity and Sustainability seal).

As part of their commitment to the environment, Mooiplaas has set aside a large portion of land for the conservation of endangered Renosterveld habitat (part of our Cape Floristic Kingdom, unique to this part of the world).  Tielman leads walks through the reserve – and I hope to go back and do that some time soon.

And so back to Cape Town, where the tour culminated in a visit to Cape Town’s only city winery, Signal Hill Winery.  I loved this place… the wine was incredible, experimental and rather mind-blowing, and I really didn’t want to leave.  From three tiny urban vineyards around Cape Town (Kalk Bay, Camps Bay and one other… Oranjezicht, I think?), these guys lovingly produced just six barrels of wine that proudly grace the tasting room.  They’re passionate about keeping those green spaces in the city, and producing these unique and unusual wines.

It was a fantastic day out.  Charles and Pieter were both very knowledgeable about the wine estates, as well as about ‘green’ practices in the industry.  Each tour will be a bit different, with plans made for whatever weather comes along on the day.  And the advantage of going with a tour like this, is that the farms know you’re coming, and the owners or managers make a special effort to come and answer your questions about all their eco-initiatives.

Eco Wine Tour Details:
This tour is inclusive of all tasting, transport, guide and activities. The tour departs from Cape Town at 9am and will return by no later than 5pm. Book your spot on the scheduled Wednesday tour or alternatively book any other day (min 4 guests – Subject to availability). The eco tour is offered at R695 per person. A special lunch package has been negotiated to compliment the eco friendly theme and is available at R75 (Excluding drinks and service fee)
Contact info:
Charles Lourens, Bottle Plate Pillow: Tel 082 375 2884 www.bottleplatepillow.co.za
Pieter Geldenhuys, PG Tops:  Tel 083 288 4944. www.pgtops.com

** View updated 2011 Market details here **

‘Tis the festive season – a time when people tend to go a little crazy, and leave gift-buying a little late.  There is no purgatory on earth quite like standing in a snaking queue in a shopping mall a day or two before Christmas – panicking because you’re only at your first stop, and grouchy as hell because the sun is shining and you’re not on the beach.

Don’t do it, people!  Christmas markets are definitely the way to go… You get to have a bit of fun whilst you’re browsing, and by buying home-made, hand-made gifts you’re not only supporting local traders, you’ll be giving gifts that have a more personal touch.  Win-win for all concerned, and plenty of time for beaching.

This year’s crop of Christmas markets is fantastic already, so we’re spoilt for choice… and I’ve just heard about a new one making its debut next week.

Designer-Maker Artisan Market

It’s a market featuring over 40 local designer exhibitors, all hand-picked by Lauren Shantall, Head of the Freeworld Design Centre, and formerly curator and manager of the Design Indaba Expo.

The event will be held on Wednesday the 15th of December 2010 at 71 Waterkant Street (on the FanWalk) – starting with the market at 3.30pm and culminating in Carols by Candlelight at 8pm at the Historical Evangelical Lutheran Church (the carols last for approximately 90minutes).

Some great reasons to go:

• There will be over 40 designer exhibitors including:
• Pierre Estienne who will do on-site engraving
• Anthony Susin who will offer a selection of bright, comtemporary tipis
• Mielie who will be launching two new bags – old-school leather bag and the Pampoen bag, a soft squishy body-hugging bag
• Clementina van der Walt who will present her new SJOE! range of handbuilt earthenware
• Kathy Mellor with her Heirloom & Agapanthus range of tea towels, placemats and napkins
• Wild Olive with handmade bath and body products

In addition to the “exquisite handmade goodies” on offer, there will be traditional German Christmas fare courtesy of Birds, and food from Jacques Erasmus’ new Hemelhuijs cafe.

It all sounds pretty good to me, and whilst I may give the carols a skip (and likely head over to the Neighbourgoods Christmas Market, which is on on the same night), I will definitely be checking out what the market itself has on offer!

What: A Cape Town artisan market jointly hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Freeworld Design Centre, followed by the church’s annual Carols by Candlelight
When: 15 December 2010.  Market from 3.30pm.  Carols by Candlelight at 8pm.
Where: The courtyard at the Cape Waters Building, 71 Waterkant Street
Cost of entry: free
Bring: A Christmas gift to be donated to a local orphanage.

This event forms part of WalkCapeTown, a post-World Cup initiative, which aims to re-energise the Fan Walk through public events and ultimately enhance the cultural life of the city.

Before I vanished off overseas for the incredible experience that was attending Terra Madre, in Italy (a gathering of Slow Food members and enthusiasts from around the world – also to be written about SOON), a friend and I got stuck in and started our first plantings for the spring season.  But, we could never have done it without the help of a wonderful guy called Tony – a man with considerable expertise in permaculture gardening, and great enthusiasm for the produce it can create.

Not only did Tony help us, but everyone else gardening alongside us (there are 5 allotments in total) – and the results are already beautiful to behold (photos soon!).  If you’re keen to learn some of these handy skills, you might be keen to come along to a course Tony and his wife Mildred will be holding this Saturday.

One of my fellow allotment holders, Matt Allison (www.imnojamieoliver.com), has organised the workshop, and wrote about it as follows:

“As you may know if you follow this blog, I’m a gardener. I started with a small salad garden and am now an allotment holder over at the Ariston Elemental Organic Garden.

One of my fellow gardening partners are duo, Mildred and Tony. They both have wealth of knowledge when it comes to gardening in all its facets and a particular love and interest for permaculture.

It has long been my hope to help them start a small business. I’ve been supporting them by buying weekly produce from their garden and employed Tony to work along side me in mine. I’m now helping them start up monthly workshops.

Mildred is the senior field worker for a great organisation called ‘Soil for life’, who already host a great series of weekend workshops. The idea is not to compete with their great work, but rather offer a single day course in organic gardening basics, which Mildred will lead.

It will be intensely practical and fun, teaching you how to start and grow your own vegetable garden covering soil preparation, composting, planning your garden, companion planting, seeds and seedlings.

It will be held at Ariston Elemental Organic Garden, which can be found on the Corner of Dunluce and Malone Avenues in Claremont.

The cost is R200.00 per person and will include a light tea and runs from 9am – 2pm, Saturday, November 20th, 2010.

Booking is essential and space is limited. To book your place please contact me on 083 324 1477, or e-mail me at matt@imnojamieoliver.com.

Come along and learn how to put fresh, pesticide free food on your table all year round.”

If you have a chance, and you’re keen to learn some simple tricks on growing your own food in our Cape environment – and growing it naturally (organically) – then get in contact with Matt… R200 is a bargain!