For one of our last development classes we went to GreenSpot organic farm in Okahandja. Manjo Smith, who runs the farm, gave us a thorough tour of the property before serving us a delicious organic breakfast cooked on their very own solar stove.

It was really refreshing to see how all aspects of nature work together in an efficient, self-sustaining farm that is still able to make a profit each year. With no prior experience in farming, Smith jumped right in to organic farming for over 8 years and though she has studied farming since then, she has really learned the most through trial and error over the years. Her passion and commitment to the farm are really an inspiration – if a former private sector employee can turn a plot of land into one of the country’s most successful organic farms, then surely I can attempt to grow a small garden once I get back to the states!

Some of Smith’s tricks for farming seem so clever..but then again they are more like common sense when you actually think about it. Seeing how the farm functions without the use of pesticides and GMOs like in big commercial farms was really great. The chickens on the farm eat up all the insects and weeds as they rotate throughout different pieces of land. They allow the chickens to naturally hatch the number of chickens they choose while keeping the extra eggs for consumption. The chicks grow up with a mother hen, which has proven to produce better quality meat and eggs. Smith is still trying to build up the chicken population on the farm, so right now they do not have enough eggs or chicken meat to sell, but in a few years they hope to have the chicken coup up to full capacity.

The cat and dog take care of snake and rodent issues around the farm. And the calf is allowed to graze openly in certain plots. Smith explained the importance of rotating crops each season as certain crops take away nitrogen and other infuse nitrogen back into the soil. This way no chemicals are needed to maintain the quality of the soil. Each year the farmers throw small red-painted rocks into the strawberry fields right before harvest so that when the berries are actually ripe, the birds will not eat them because they’ll associate the strawberries with the hard rocks. Smith is also trying to grow squash next to the corn this year since the height differences in the plants are believed to distract the fruit flies.

I was so impressed by the farm’s ability to produce such delicious produce without any pesticides or GMOs. Smith is a strong advocate against GMOs, especially genetically-modified corn, since Namibia and South Africa are the two main countries that eat corn as a staple food – much of the subsidized GMO corn in the U.S. is used for bio-fuel and not consumption. Smith’s organic farm also has their own bee hives, which have not been affected in the slightest by the mysterious colony collapse disorder that has swept the United States and is believed by some to be linked to Monsanto GMO crops.

South Africa recently opened their borders to Monsanto’s GMO seeds, and the backlash from environmental activists has been enormous. The strain of corn being used in South Africa contains one of the two active ingredients in the infamous Agent Orange, also a product of Monsanto. The Green Times reports that exposure to 2,4-D corn has been linked to non-Hodgkins lymphoma and has been shown in studies to cause birth defects, neurological damage, and interference with reproductive organs. Unfortunately anti-GMO activists have had difficulty actually proving the link between Monsanto GMOs and cancer.

Either way, the thought of eating food infused and/or sprayed with chemicals that were based off of the chemicals used in Nazi gas chambers is not appealing. Thankfully Namibia has not yet allowed GMO seeds into the country. Imported food in the grocery stores is not exempt though.

South African activists are pushing petitions to ban Monsanto GMOs in the country. In spite of their efforts, Monsanto maintains a worldwide monopoly on the agriculture industry. Big money means big power and big influence in politics as we’ve seen year after year through Monsanto’s powerful lobbyists and lawyers. I agree with Smith though, the power to the change the system lies in the hands of the consumers. Slowly, but surely, I think consumers will open their eyes to the damage of Monsanto’s chemicals and change the demand “back to basics” and the innovative technology that organic farming entails.