Lucentlands Podcast | Harvesting Agriculture Knowledge

In Episode 68 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie welcome Christo van der Rheede, the former Executive Director of AgriSA. Christo shares his unique perspective on leadership in South Africa’s agricultural sector, the challenges the industry faces, and his experiences working at the helm of one of South Africa's most influential agricultural organizations. This episo...

In Episode 67 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie are joined by Peter Dall, a highly respected horticultural consultant with decades of experience in the deciduous fruit industry. Peter shares his journey, from growing up in a family that influenced his love for agriculture to his involvement in devel oping key fruit varieties like Pink Lady apples. Peter’s consultan...

In Episode 66 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Earle van der Watt, CEO of EVDW and a seasoned agri-finance expert. Earle shares his journey in the agri-finance sector and explains the crucial role financial management plays in the success of farming operations. His company provides customized CFO services to farmers across South Africa and beyond, he...

In Episode 65 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie are joined by Jaime Zacarias from the Spanish National Research Council. Jaime shares his fascinating research on pigmented oranges, specifically pink oranges, and their remarkable health benefits. As one of the leading researchers in this field, Jaime sheds light on how these special varieties of oranges contain high...

In Episode 64 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Zylon McGaffin, Executive Director at Du Roi Nurseries, part of ANB Investments (Pty) Ltd. Zylon discusses Du Roi's long-standing presence in the agricultural sector, from being a key player in the citrus industry to expanding into new crops like blueberries, avocados, and macadamias. This episode delves...

In Episode 63 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie are joined by Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers' Association (CGA). With more than two decades at the helm of the CGA, Justin shares his deep insights into the citrus industry, from trade agreements and market access to the future of citrus farming in Southern Africa. This episode covers a broad range of...

In Episode 62 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Robynne Oosthuizen, the visionary behind Luna Hounds. Robynne shares her fascinating journey into the world of canine detection, specifically using dogs to help combat a major issue in citrus farming: the false codling moth (FCM). In this engaging episode, Robynne explains how her passion for wildlife co...

In this insightful episode of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Kallie Schoeman, the CEO of Schoeman Group and a third-generation farmer with 50 years of experience in agriculture. Kallie shares his unique perspective on what it takes to run a multi-generational farming business, the importance of diversification, and the future of farming in South Afric...

The Lucentlands Team, Louise and Dewald, attended the 2024 IFPA Southern Africa Conference, held from 5-6 August 2024 Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town. Here they took the opportunity to have insightful short podcast interviews with very interesting people within the agricultural and fresh produce community. The set of nine interviews include: • Charl du Bois – Capespan • Matome Ramokgopa...

In this insightful episode of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Abs van Rooyen, Independent Director at ANB Investments, to explore the journey of one of South Africa’s most influential agricultural leaders. Abs shares his experiences and insights from over 35 years in the industry, highlighting the evolution of agriculture, the challenges, and the innov...

In this captivating episode of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Liaan Janse van Vuuren, the Head Agronomist at Aerobotics, an innovative South African AgTech company. Liaan shares his inspiring journey from a childhood in Nelspruit, close to the Kruger National Park, to leading agricultural technology advancements on a global scale. Liaan delves into Ae...

In this exclusive podcast, we sit down with David Marguleas, CEO of Sun World International, the California-based fruit breeding and licensing company, to discuss the groundbreaking acquisition of Biogold and Citrogold. This merger marks a significant milestone in the fruit industry, combining Sun World International's expertise in deciduous fruits with Biogold's and Citrogold’s strengths...

In this insightful episode of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Sam Louw, the newly minted engagement manager at the Citrus Academy. Join us as Sam delves into the Citrus Academy's pivotal role in the citrus industry's skills development and stakeholder engagement. Sam shares his journey and responsibilities within the Citrus Academy, highlightin...

In this insightful episode of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Adam Formica, the Chief Science Officer at Sensonomic, a leading Norwegian AgTech company. Adam shares his unique journey from studying geography at the University of Oxford to becoming a pivotal figure in agricultural technology. Adam provides a comprehensive overview of Sensonomic's mi...

In Episode 54 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Jeanne de Waal, a passionate entomologist and author of the acclaimed field guide series "Scout." Jeanne shares her inspiring journey from aspiring human doctor to a renowned expert in agricultural pest management. Jeanne de Waal's love for entomology began at Stellenbosch University, where...

Welcome to Episode 53 of the  @lucentlands  Podcast! In this episode, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Elsa Muller, the Variety Development Manager at SAPO Trust. Elsa shares her extensive journey in agriculture, starting from her early days as a technician to her current role at SAPO Trust. SAPO Trust is a plant improvement organization in South Africa that focuses on the prod...

Welcome to Episode 52 of the Lucentlands Podcast! In this episode, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Linda Nielsen, the Chief Executive Officer of the Horticultural Development Council (HDC) of Zimbabwe. Join us as Linda shares insights into the exciting developments and challenges within Zimbabwe's horticultural sector. Linda begins by introducing herself and the mission of...

In this solo episode of the Lucentlands Podcast, host Dewald Kirsten takes you on a captivating journey through Zimbabwe, sharing his experiences and insights from his recent trip. Join Dewald as he reflects on the vibrant landscapes, warm hospitality, and unique challenges he encountered while exploring this remarkable country. Episode Highlights: Arrival and First Impressions: Dewald recounts hi...

Episode 50: Leadership in Agriculture - A Conversation with Alk Brand In this landmark 50th episode of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Alk Brand, who recently stepped down from his role as Group CEO of Westfalia Fruit. With a career spanning decades and continents, Alk Brand's journey through the agricultural sector offers invaluable insights into...

Welcome to Episode 49 of the Lucentlands podcast! In this episode, host Dewald Kirsten sits down with Nick De Swardt, the CEO of CICADA, an innovative agricultural corporation in Zimbabwe. Join us for an enlightening conversation about sustainable farming practices, the challenges and opportunities in Zimbabwe's agricultural sector, and the intersection of finance and farming. Nick shares his...

Join hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie as they welcome special guest Julian May on an enlightening journey exploring the evolution of food systems. Dive deep into discussions about sustainable agriculture, urban planning, and international collaborations. Discover the impact of their research on community resilience and economic development. From innovative urban design concepts to leveraging...

Stephan Nel is a South African Table Grape specialist who emigrated to Australia a couple of years ago. Stephan now heads up the Grapa/ARRA Varieties team in Australia. At the 10th ITGS Symposium, we sat down with Stephan to catch up and we were keen to learn about the emigration process as many South Africans are emigrating to the land down under. It was a great conversation and please join us ag...

Join Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie from Lucentlands as they delve deep into the world of citrus with Suhanra Conradie from the Summer Citrus project in this insightful episode of the Lucentlands Podcast. From the intricate logistics of production and shipping to the challenges and opportunities in the US market, Suhanra shares valuable insights into the citrus industry. Learn about the importan...

In episode 45 of the Lucentlands Podcast, hosts Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie sit down with Alistair Moody, the second-generation leader of Fruitways, a prominent agricultural company in South Africa. The conversation delves into the rich legacy of Fruitways, spanning generations and now poised for transition to the third generation under Alistair's son. Alistair shares insights into the ch...

We are conducting a series of interviews with the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa, specifically regarding their Vision260 plan. In the upcoming interviews, we will be speaking with key stakeholders from the organization about the strategies they have in place for handling a large citrus crop. Our first interview is with Deon Joubert, Special Envoy for Market Access & EU Matters....