For years I wanted a veggie garden, this dream became more and more urgent as we grew older and as we started thinking about the type of food we consume from supermarkets, I found myself asking questions like why is this apple that has been in my fridge for 6 months not rotting? Why do tomatoes totally suck? No flavour, no satisfaction.
I did a small garden in the sandy backyard, but it proved so much work that eventually we abandoned it. But the questions never went away. Finally, my husband came up with the idea that we should do container gardening, we can then control what goes into the soil, it’s less work (well that is what we thought initially) and we don’t need to deal with the sandy soil in Brackenfell.
And so, the journey began…
Small space, abundant grace
It began with a handful of containers in our Brackenfell backyard, a simple desire to grow our own food and become a little less dependent on the marketplace. Looking back now, I smile at how little we knew. We had no formal training, no grand plan, just a conviction that we needed to start growing. That first season was equal parts fun and daunting.
The First Harvest
That inaugural harvest was, if I’m being honest, mediocre. But oh, how rewarding it felt to eat something we had grown with our own hands! There’s something deeply satisfying about biting into a tomato still warm from the sun, knowing you planted the seed, watered it through the hot Cape Town summer, and watched it ripen day by day.
It didn’t take long before those few containers multiplied. What started as a modest experiment quickly became an obsession, the good kind. Soon, every square meter of our garden was claimed by crops. Wherever there was a sunny spot, there was a pot. Where there was a bare patch, there was a seedling waiting to go in.
The Pandemic: A Turning Point
When the world slowed down during the pandemic, we learned in. Our garden became our sanctuary, our classroom, our place of peace. We got serious, forever experimenting, redesigning and expanding. We tried new growing methods, failed spectacularly at some, celebrated small victories in others. We learned that gardening is as much about patience and humility as it is about soil and seeds.
It was also during this season that we turned back to the Lord and got serious about our faith. The garden became more than a source of food; it became a place of worship. Early mornings with coffee and Scripture, hands in the soil, hearts lifted in gratitude. We started to see God’s provision in every harvest, His faithfulness in every season.
Our harvests became bigger, and I had to get creative in preserving our precious harvests, we felt it when we had to discard rotten veggies and so my journey with experiments on preserving started and soon, I started playing with shelf stable recipes and methods other than just freezing our produce.
A Word from the Lord
Then one day, sitting in church, the Holy Spirit prompted me with the strangest instruction: “Start a business. Frankincense, Myrrh and Barley.” Barley? I sat with that word for months, puzzling over it. We all know the gifts of the wise men were gold, frankincense, and myrrh, definitely not barley.
But I couldn’t shake it, so I started researching. What I discovered changed everything.
Barley was a first fruit, the very first grain the Israelites offered as a tithe to the Lord. It ripened before the wheat, was harvested first, and was a major component of the Feast of First Fruits. In offering their barley, God’s people were acknowledging that everything they had comes from His hand.
Then it clicked: Jesus Himself is described as a kind of first fruit; “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). The frankincense and myrrh, those kingly gifts offered to a baby in a manger, suddenly wove together with the humility of barley into something beautiful. The name of our business was born:Â First Fruits.
Where We Are Today
What started as a few containers in a Brackenfell backyard has blossomed into an urban homestead dedicated to wholesome, handcrafted products for our community. We’re a family of four: a husband with green thumbs who works the soil with dedication, a wife who transforms the harvest into preserves and seasonings, and two children who serve as our cheerleaders and (sometimes reluctant) taste-testers.
Together, guided by faith and inspired by Scripture, we are building a business that honours God in every aspect. Every jar we fill, every label we write, it all flows from that initial prompting in church and those first humble containers in our garden.
The Vision Ahead
God has planted a dream in our hearts: to one day transform First Fruits from an urban homestead into a destination farm experience, complete with a farm-to-table coffee shop, farm stall, and spaces for workshops and community gatherings. But for now, we’re faithfully stewarding what He has given us, our small growing space, our recipes, our customers, and every opportunity to serve.
As Proverbs 31:16-17 reminds us:Â “She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.”
We may not have the field yet, but we have the faith. And in God’s economy, that’s where every harvest begins.
Want to taste the harvest? Visit our Shop to explore our range of preserves, pickles, chilli sauces, and spice blends—each one rooted in faith and grown with love.
Follow our journey on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes glimpses of homestead life, new product launches, and the daily rhythms of faith-filled farming.
Scripture Reflection:Â “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” – Proverbs 3:9-10
You are reaping what you sow. I not only see the fruits in your garden, but also the Fruit of the Spirit, embedded in your hearts. A Spirit filled family.
Step by step, like your faith, this little homestead garden, will grow into the business God intended for you.
What a blessing it is to be part of this family.