1. Bertie Coetzee operates Lowerland farm in South Africa which he is converting to organic and regenerative practices including no-till farming, crop diversity, mob grazing, and closed-loop systems. 2. Lowerland produces organic crops like maize, wheat, teff, pecans, wine grapes and pumpkins which they process into products like flour, malt and wine to add value. 3. The challenges of transitioning include managing complexity, securing multiple markets and distribution partners, and financial sustainability during the conversion phase. Coetzee believes in managing complexity through diversity and resilience.

1. Bertie Coetzee
Lowerland farm, Prieska, Northern Cape, South Africa
LBW Regenerative Ag Conference 2018
Organic farming: Managing complexity
@bioboertie

3. “We live in a time where artists (farmers) are being led
from one bad deal to another worst deal. No one asks
the artists (farmers). We are told to get good at
marketing, but I have to say that I didn’t start playing
music (farming) to start a career in marketing.
And, as we are being told that, our work is being
commoditized – the price of music (farm products) is
being driven down to zero”
- T-Bone Burnett (famous American producer and folk artist)

4. Content
1. Overview
2. Our Products
2. Our practises
3. Our challenges

5. Lowerland overview
• Biological (conservation agriculture)
– “No passion in poison”
– Bonsmara cattle stud and need for viable legumes
– Wheat in maize stubble
• Switch to organic
– Permaculture (broadscale)
– Ownership of product – health, nutrition
– Move away from price taker/commodity farming
– Better not bigger
• Perennial vs annual
– Move away from grain and short rotations
– Take foot of the gas – time to think

6. Lowerland overview
• Value add
– Work back from markets
– Master your own product
• The Plan
– Phase 1: Production, product and patience
– Phase 2: Rhythm and retail
– Phase 3: Synergy and stacking
• Philosophy
– Broad scale permaculture
– Resilience through diversity (below ground, above ground and on the
shelves)
– Kick the door down
– Better not bigger (bigger plans, smaller tractors)
– Future Farmers

7. Lowerland overview
• ORGANIC CROPS (120ha)
– Grains – maize, wheat
– Pecans
– Wine grapes
– Pumpkins
– Diverse pastures – cattle, sheep, pigs

9. 2. Lowerland overview
•Our products
•Our practices
•Our challenges

10. Lowerland – Our organic products
• PRODUCTS
– Maize flour (polenta, corn flour, familiemeel)
– Teff
– Wheat flour
– Malt
– Wine (MCC)
– Pecans
– Pumpkins
– Organic meat

13. Lowerland – Our farming practices
PRACTICES
Organic
No-till + Green planting
Diversity
Mob grazing
Closed loop
PRODUCTION
Minimum intervention
Natural ferments, whole grains
Taste and nutrition

15. Lowerland – Our farming practices
PRACTISES
Organic
No-till + Green planting
Diversity
Mob grazing
Closed-loop
Future Farmers
PRODUCTION
Minimum intervention
Natural ferments, whole grains
Taste and nutrition

21. Organic maize 2018

22. Mob grazing / Cover crops 2017/18

23. Winter grains (intercropped)

24. Lowerland - Our Challenges
• Managing complexity
• Shifting everything at same time
• Securing multiple markets and distribution
• Partnerships and logistics
• Financial sustainability in conversion phase
• Paperwork
• Specialized equipment
• Educating the consumer

25. “The price of doing the same thing is
far higher than the price of change”

27. “Nature includes us, we are in it and a part of it… If it does not
thrive, we can not thrive” – Wendell Berry

28. Thank you!
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