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It may at first seem unlikely that a city like Joburg is the kind of place where you’ll find spaces for soothing the soul by connecting with nature. But we did some digging and found plenty. From foraging for herbs, berries, and vegetables, to picking edible blooms, here's our guide.
BERRY PICKING
FIELD BERRY FARM
Pack the car with friends or family and take a drive in the warmer months to Field Berry Farm, a charming property 30 minutes out of Joburg in Walkerville with fields of raspberry bushes ripe for the picking. You pay for the berries you picked by weight and when you’re done, there's a covered seating area with plenty of space to hang out and a good selection of food vendors offering everything from prawns and chips to tasty burgers.
Field Berry Farm is open Jan – May on weekends only. Entrance is R50 per adult and R40 for kids and pensioners. Children under two enter free. Berries are priced according to what you pick.
MAC FRESH DELI & BERRY FARM
Tucked away into a quiet corner of Benoni is Mac Fresh Deli & Berry Farm where an abundance of strawberries and blueberries are yours for the picking. With an extensive network of tunnels which are opened and closed at specific intervals to ensure a good harvest while in season, you're not likely to be disappointed at the plump, juicy berries awaiting the snip of your scissors. The main attraction is the berry-picking but a close second is the smoke house on the property. Come for breakfast and make your way to the tunnels or start early before the heat sets in and reward yourself with a relaxing lunch and drinks to wrap up your foray of foraging while the kids enjoy the play area or ceramic painting.
Mac Fresh Deli & Berry Farm offers year-round berry picking. Entrance is free. Pick what you want – just don't mix the types – and pay according to weight.
FLOWER PICKING
AKANAKA BLOOMS
Akanaka Blooms is a rustic micro-farm in Meyerton in the south of Joburg, where you’ll find a selection of seasonal flowers available for picking. You can pick flowers such as dahlias, ranunculus, sunflowers, and anemones on Sat mornings in season (Oct – end Apr) at Pick Your Own Flowers events. You are encouraged to bring your own bucket and sheers to partake (they are also available at an extra cost). As of Sat, Feb 17, a picnic space to relax after picking will be available, allowing you to take in all that nature has to offer.
Entrance is R70 per adult and R50 for children under seven and pensioners. In addition, Pick Your Own Flowers events usually cost R350 p.p, but depends on the event.
FEMME PÉTALE FLOWER FARM
Situated in Dinokeng, under an hour-and-a-half drive from the north of Joburg, is Intundla Game Lodge where foragers convene for the love of flowers at Femme Pétale Flower Farm. Here, a range of blooms such as dahlias, hydrangeas, and carnations grow in a mini-garden of Eden. On their Open Farm Days, you can wander through the gardens and pick up to 30 stems. They also offer workshops where you can forage and arrange your flowers or learn the art of creating a well-crafted bouquet. When you need to take a break, refreshments and cool drinks, seeds, dry flowers, bespoke items, and trinkets – floral themed of course – are available at the on-site shop. For heartier meals, there is a restaurant at the lodge.
Dates for Farm Days and workshops get added to their website monthly. Entrance to Open Farm Days is R50 p.p. and picking flowers is R450 p.p. for a bucket of 30 stems.
PICOGRO
PicoGro in Midrand is the place where foodies, mixologists, bakers, and nature lovers who appreciate flowers come to find joy. All manner of common and not-so-common edible flowers and plants grow in greenhouses where they are carefully tended as the perfect additions to desserts, cocktails, savoury dishes, salads – anything edible and delicious. The bulk of their business comes from supplying local and international markets but they offer group packages for tours which cater to the general public and students. On Sat, Mar 2 they will host their first open day where anyone can join a tour and fill a punnet with edible flowers of their choice.
Keep an eye on PicoGrow's Instagram for upcoming open days and workshops. An open-day tour is R55 p.p. for the farm tour only and R75 p.p. for a tour and container to fill with your pickings.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
BUYUK CHAMLIJA SOCIO ECO TECHNO VILLAGE
Buyuk Chamlija Socio Eco Techno Village is an unusual find in Centurion. A Turkish eco-park and farm, it's home to a coffee shop and restaurant, a Turkish-inspired market store, and the Tadinda restaurant which serves authentic Turkish cuisine. You can take a stroll through the grounds, enjoy the Bird Park and Sanctuary, or join one of the seasonal village market festivals dedicated to harvesting cherries and berries, pomegranates, and figs and olives.
The pomegranate festival takes place from Thu, Feb 15 – Sat, Feb 17 and entrance is R50 for adults and R25 for children. Keep an eye on their website for details of upcoming festivals.
FARMHOUSE58
A weekend at Farmhouse58 is the perfect way to hit the reset button. Short of this, a drive out to the rustic retreat in the Cradle of Humankind will prove rewarding if you just want to take a walk through their regenerative gardens or get your hands dirty with a foraging experience. You don’t need to be a guest to book – as long as you do so in advance. The experience includes a guided walk through the farm where you’ll have the opportunity to pick vegetables of your choice.
The experience costs R350 per box to take home plus an additional conservation fee of R120. It's available year-round to pick seasonal produce.
GANICO ORGANIC ESTATE
Ganico Organic Estate is a certified organic pomegranate farm located in the heart of Muldersdrift that is run by first-generation farmers Laiken and Jason Cullen. The space regularly hosts hands-on events like farm tours and foraging workshops which provide the opportunity to pick seasonal fruits and vegetables grown organically on the farm. You can also book a private tour of the farm for a minimum of 15 people by special arrangement.
Prices range from R140 to R350 p.p. depending on the type of tour or workshop. Keep an eye on their website for upcoming events.
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