Johan Furstenberg from Levubu proved to be ‘tough enough’ and was crowned Toyota’s Young Farmer of the Year for 2005 at a function held in Ermelo recently. The prize-giving took place in Ermelo because the 2004 winner hails from the district.

In a search to find South Africa’s top most fertile minds, young farmers (under 35 years of age) from around the country were invited to enter the Toyota/AgriTV Young Farmer of the Year competition. More than 70 farmers battled it out for the prestigious title as well as the main prize – a brand-new, Toyota Hilux 3.0 D-4D Raised Body Raider, worth over R200 000.

Agricultural organisations in each of the nine South African provinces selected their finalists and the final round of judging commenced in October, under leadership of Prof Carlu van der Westhuizen, Director of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the Central University for Technology in the Free State. He believes that the standard of the finalists for 2005 was exceptional.

“It is remarkable to visit these young farmers and see how innovative, committed and passionate they are about farming. With men like these, the future of farming in South Africa is definitely very positive,” says Prof Carlu.

Emerging as the cream of the crop, Johan Furstenberg firmly believes in farming with focused knowledge which he extracts from independent agricultural experts, the Internet, study groups, agricultural shows and specialist magazines.

“The face of farming in South Africa has undergone dramatic changes in the past decade and every day we are faced with new challenges and opportunities. By investing in yourself in terms of gaining knowledge and experience and truly living up to your potential, you can only go forward,” says Johan.

Johan hails from the farm Bridelia in Levubu and cultivates bananas, avocado pears, guavas and nuts. It is his declared vision to utilise sustainable agricultural practices in order to generate the highest possible income for all stakeholders. The training of his workforce is a priority, and they are regularly exposed to other production areas in the vicinity. He believes this varied training works wonders.

“Toyota South Africa is proud to be associated with the Young Farmer of the Year competition,” says Carel Volschenk, General Manager: Dealer Network at Toyota South Africa.

“Toyota South Africa views the agricultural community as one of our most important markets and will continue to support initiatives such as the Young Farmer of the Year Competition. We firmly believe it is imperative to continuously improve the intellectual capacity and development of the agricultural community,” says Volschenk