FARM MANAGERS
Kobus and Erin have been managing Homtini Farm since 2026.
We are delighted to introduce ourselves as the new managers of Homtini Farm. Our journey to Rheenendal has been guided by a shared philosophy captured beautifully in the poem “Start Close In” by David Whyte.
The poem reminds us not to get lost in the “second or third step,” but to start with the first thing: the ground beneath our feet. For us, “starting close in” meant moving from the abstractions of the city to the tangible reality of the soil, localising our lives, and committing to the community right here.
While our backgrounds began in the worlds of Law, Economics, and Environmental Policy, we both independently realised that the world’s most pressing problems, justice, growth, and sustainability, mean very little if people cannot feed themselves from healthy land.
Kobus pivoted from law to product management to software development and now balances a formal digital job with building farm software to support farm systems. Tracking cow movement, animal feed, water lines, and farm fencing turns out to be a fascinating systems problem.
Erin followed a path from Environmental Science to policy work with organisations like Living Lands and ICLEI Africa. Her experience in ecological rehabilitation and community facilitation taught her how to navigate the complex relationship between people and the land. While she loves the impact of the policy work that she still does part-time with ICLEI Africa, she finds that she is most herself when her hands are in the earth.
The values of Homtini Farm align seamlessly with our own. Selling only locally, abiding by the honourable harvest, and using regenerative, organic principles allow us to practically follow through with our commitment to add value to the landscape closest to us.
Homtini’s ties with the Umthombo Trust are also an incredibly special way to ensure the farm and its beautiful offerings are shared with the local community.
Whether you are a local regular or a visitor discovering this magical area, we look forward to sharing our harvest, and our story, with you.
The poem reminds us not to get lost in the “second or third step,” but to start with the first thing: the ground beneath our feet. For us, “starting close in” meant moving from the abstractions of the city to the tangible reality of the soil, localising our lives, and committing to the community right here.
While our backgrounds began in the worlds of Law, Economics, and Environmental Policy, we both independently realised that the world’s most pressing problems, justice, growth, and sustainability, mean very little if people cannot feed themselves from healthy land.
Kobus pivoted from law to product management to software development and now balances a formal digital job with building farm software to support farm systems. Tracking cow movement, animal feed, water lines, and farm fencing turns out to be a fascinating systems problem.
Erin followed a path from Environmental Science to policy work with organisations like Living Lands and ICLEI Africa. Her experience in ecological rehabilitation and community facilitation taught her how to navigate the complex relationship between people and the land. While she loves the impact of the policy work that she still does part-time with ICLEI Africa, she finds that she is most herself when her hands are in the earth.
Our “Close In” Step at Homtini
Moving from Cape Town to Rheenendal has been a fruitful leap toward our goal of localising our food sources as much as possible. The benefit of living in a farming area means that when we aren’t growing it ourselves, we can look to our neighbours.The values of Homtini Farm align seamlessly with our own. Selling only locally, abiding by the honourable harvest, and using regenerative, organic principles allow us to practically follow through with our commitment to add value to the landscape closest to us.
Homtini’s ties with the Umthombo Trust are also an incredibly special way to ensure the farm and its beautiful offerings are shared with the local community.
Whether you are a local regular or a visitor discovering this magical area, we look forward to sharing our harvest, and our story, with you.