This June, five students and I from the University of St. Thomas have traveled to Cape Town South Africa to study urban agriculture and the local food system. Our work will weave together several themes, including problems facing global agriculture, challenges and opportunities associated with urbanization (including urban agriculture), and the cultural complexity of Cape Town and (more generally) South Africa.
The students on this course are all biology majors, but they are at different points in their career (sophomores to seniors). None have previously traveled to South Africa or any place similar.
Our first two days were spent trying to familiarize ourselves with the cultural history and current conditions in Cape Town. We realize that we won’t be able to understand the complexities, but we hope that we can learn something that will inform our work back in Minnesota.
To start, we toured a beautiful urban farm, Oranjezicht City Farm, created in 2012 at the site of the Oranjezicht Farmstead that was initially established in the early 1700s. The farmstead was a colonial farm that provisioned ships traveling around the Cape of Good Hope. Today, the farm provides educational experiences, has a thriving CSA program, and supports a wonderful market in the waterfront district.
We also had the opportunity to climb to the top of Lions Head and visit the District 6 Museum, which is dedicated to the memories of the forced removal of residents during the apartheid era.
Here are some of the students’ reflections on some of their first impressions of Cape Town after these experiences:
“Something I have always thought about, but am thinking more about here since this place is new is the beauty of our Earth. Hiking the mountains, I felt a great sense of love and awe. I think that in today’s world, we don’t appreciate the beauty of the Earth and throughout our story on Earth, humans have exploited resources. I see this in Cape Town and it pangs my heart but visiting places, like the mountains, the farm, gardens, gives me hope.” – Sophie Brown
Steven, Adam, Mallory, Maggie, Zach, Sophie, and Karl on Lions Head
“At the District Six Museum, I smelled a bit of tomato. When I came around a corner too tightly, I was met by its owner- a shorter, older woman of color. She was tapping her foot to an overhead speaker that was softly playing a tune relevant to the exhibit, carving away at the red fruit. She was really into it, the carving and the tapping. I might have even taken her by surprise- it’s hard to say because she didn’t seem startled by my abrupt (large) arrival. Regardless, I gave her an ‘ope, soooorry’ like anyone who grew up within spitting distance from the St. Croix River would. She looked up at me (quite a long ways), smiled, and asked me if I would like some of the tomato she had been preparing to eat. And it was genuine- I know that she would have given me the largest slab. She didn’t stop carving. Or tapping.
Display in the District 6 Museum
We were in the District Six Museum- among many symbols, a reminder of the injustices thrust upon people of color through forced removals and apartheid by European colonization. Things that leave deep, deep scars in individuals, families, and communities. I was already feeling so many things walking around the space: shame, anger, guilt, sadness (honestly, a bit of hunger). I was reminded yet again of the taking that people that look like me did to people that look like her.
She offered me a slab of her tomato. Something sweet in a place of sour. I felt overwhelmed by her warmth.And I was supposed to take some of her tomato?
This was my first true impression of Cape Town. Of how the deep scars of apartheid are worn with grace as they cannot be forgotten or powdered over, how these scars are smiled through and are not seen as reason to shy away from openness or generosity. I wish I would have had a bit of bacon and lettuce, so that we could have split a BLT.” – Karl Buttel
“The first major impression I’ve gotten is that the people of Cape Town still have a long way to go in healing from the apartheid that ended over 20 years ago. Visiting the District 6 museum gave a glimpse into the psychological trauma that the people endured when they were forced to move out of their homes. And sure, there are no longer laws in place to keep people separated by race, but the townships still exist and the people in those townships don’t have the economical option to leave. The divide between the rich and the poor in this city is so large, and it’s physically apparent as you travel from town to town. My second impression of this city is that it’s more culturally and religiously tolerant than I expected, which came as sort of a surprise given the historical context.” – Mallory Hedden
Faizel, Mallory, Maggie, Sophie, and Sinesipho
“I am just beginning to gain some sort of insight on the history of South Africa and I am eager to learn more. Next week we will begin our work in the township and I will get to experience the harsher conditions of Cape Town. After my first two days I could not be more excited to attack the challenges ahead as we go through this program. I have heard of many great people who work in townships and I am thrilled to meet them. Cape Town, so far, has exceeded my expectations and I have no doubt that the following weeks will be even better.” – Steven Plouffe
The Oranjezicht City Farm with Table Mountain in the background
“Being here and witnessing how these issues have played out in such drastic ways feels like simultaneously looking into the past and the potential future of my own country; speaking with so many generous and insightful individuals here makes me think more and more about what my role may be going forward. I am realizing that things matter to me in different ways and to different degrees than I previously thought they did or should and that I am being equipped with the scientific and social knowledge to really do something about them.” – Maggie Schmaltz
Maggie atop Lions Head
We’ll share more about our adventures in the coming weeks…
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