Nothile Ndwandwe is an intern at the Durban University of Technology Innobiz (Agri-hub).  We had a chat with Nothile to see how her apprenticeship is going, and get an idea of what she's learned so far on her NSF funded apprenticeship:

DUT has given us the chance to utilize all the knowledge and experience we have on their farm so that we can produce high-quality produce. We have the privilege of overseeing the entire production cycle, from production of seedling to transplanting and harvesting the end product.

I've noticed that farming isn't for lazy people; every day we face new challenges like different pests and diseases that affect our crops. At the same time, we're dealing with customers since some crops are being harvested, so we're selling while also handling the maintenance of crop production.

The main lesson I've learned is that a production plan is important in farming. You can't just plant any crops because you want to, especially if you're planting in fields rather than tunnels. It's important to plant crops according to their planting seasons and market demand so that it will be sustainable. Planting without a market isn't good either because it can lead to selling high quality products at low prices just to prevent them from rotting unsold! Planning is key.