Jacarandell Farm to Table

It’s a glorious winter day in Umguza.

There’s something very special about this time of the year. As I sit on the verandah in the afternoon sun, I watch the butterflies flitting daintily over the lavender planted in my old “Terrapotta” pots. They land on the pretty purple flowers for a second, and fly off again, always busy. There’s a continual buzz of bees, hornets and wasps, just going about their business. There’s a never ending chorus of bird calls. It’s a sparkly time of year. The sun glints, and as it slips towards the horizon, it glows through the autumnal leaves. It’s hot and cold. It’s heaven sitting in the full sun, and then as the dappled shade creeps over me, the chill sets in.

However, it’s a strange time. 2020. It was going to be a great year we thought. 2020 just sounded good – it had a positive ring to it somehow. Then reality hit. Corona Virus invaded the globe and spread with a relentless evil energy, killing the vulnerable in it’s wake and causing havoc in every corner of the world. We all went into lockdown. Social distancing became the norm, as well as wearing masks, sanitising hands, staying at home, not travelling. There are no more planes flying into Bulawayo, right over the farm. We used to tell the time by that mid-day flight from Jo’burg. No more. Life seems to have come to a standstill.

Or has it?

Here we are, in the Umguza Valley near Bulawayo, dairy and vegetable farming as normal. Luckily for us, people will always need to eat. Jacarandell African Carvings however, as with many small businesses, is dormant. Now what? How will the carvers survive? Time to think out of the box?

Jacarandell was “born” 25 years ago. When the two talented wood carvers, Ndubeko and Njabulo Ndlovu (Ndebele for elephant) arrived at the gate to see if I was interested in their creations, I asked them if they could try out a few samples, starting with carving something similar to our family “mouse cheeseboard”. After many months of trial and error, we had put together a range of “functional art” – cheeseboards, kitchen boards, doorstoppers and decorations, using the prolific exotic Jacaranda wood available locally. Mark, my husband decided on the name Jacarandell, and I loved it. Mr Donald Sibanda joined us, carving beautiful spoons, spatulas and knives out of the common Dichrostachys cinerea (Chinese Lantern Tree). My little business started doing pretty well.

I decided to hold a bi-annual “Jacarandell Spring Fair” on the farm, and this grew to be a much loved event. Held in our garden in September, I would gather together over 30 different craft stalls from all over the country and with the entry fee, raise money for local schools. It was always a beautiful day.

Back to the present. With more time at home due to “the virus”, I’ve been focusing much more on my organic vegetable garden, and really enjoying cooking in my big yellow kitchen, using farm produce as much as possible. I’ve realised how much our Jacarandell products are a special part of our lives. I love playing with recipes and improvising. Out of the kitchen, I adore taking photographs, writing and painting. My mind has been spinning with excitement.

Announcing the birth of “Jacarandell Farm to Table”.

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