DU PLESSIS OF ROODEKOPPIES
Grandpa Koos and Grandma Anna moved to Roodekoppies in 1955. Grandpa was a born farmer and Grandma Anna was a teacher at Brits High school. Chrisjan loved the farm and spent every possible moment with his Father. Anna and Koos wanted an easier life for Chrisjan and Engineering was their first choice for him. Like most boys, he was plotting his own plans on the side.
Chrisjan completed his 2 year compulsory military service in the Parachute Battalion and completed his diploma in Agriculture at TUT in 1988. He then worked as a farm manager at “Herman Farming” before he decided to join his Dad in 1991.
They mainly focused on vegetable farming and gradually moved to grain. The business boomed and they had to purchase two more farms to accommodate the demand. The farm is situated on the shore of the Crocodile River just outside Brits in a lovely area with plenty of water and vegetation.
Chrisjan officially bought the farm and took over from his Dad in 2000. He specializes in grain and mostly plants corn, beans and lusern. He also built up a Bonsmara herd through the years. The duel farming complements one another as they can use the field for grazing after the fields are harvested. Farming is a challenging career choice especially in difficult economic times.
JCT Du Plessis farming was no exception during Covid-19; they had their fair share of challenges. Like so many other farmers they too had major difficulty transporting workers. They also had problems with the availability of seed, pesticides and fertilizer. They had to supply their workers with masks and sanitizer. They also sanitize all the vehicles and equipment every morning before they start the day. The workers come from communities that are exposed and there is a lot of uncertainty and fear. The Du Plessis have to motivate and educate the workers continuously. They are also extremely conscious of the worker’s nutrition and therefore supply them fresh fruit and vegetables on a weekly basis to keep their immune systems intact.