Yesterday my friend Jenny and I visited the new venue of the Oranjezicht City Farm Market in the V&A Waterfront, alongside Beach Road near the Grand Café on the Beach at Granger Bay. The new venue offers lots of space, all on the same level, and all under cover, which makes it more suitable for the Cape winter, with lots of parking.
I was overseas when the market moved to its new home in June, from the charming grounds of Premier Helen Zille’s official Leeuwenhof residence in Tamboerskloof. However, the venue was not ideal for the Cape winter, necessitating the new venue until October. Straw soaked up the aftermath of the heavy rainstorm of Friday when we visited on a beautiful sunny day, there being little effect of the rain on the market-goers. We arrived just 
after 13h00, and easily found parking outside on Beach Road. One can park at the nearby The Lookout for R10, or in one of the V&A parking garages. The Market marquees face the ocean, and seating on benches at tables is in the sun, where one can enjoy one’s food purchases.
New visitors to the Market will have to get used to which stall holders are in which marquee, one leading to the other. As one enters, there are flowers, oysters, and packaged foods, such as Martin Raubenheimer’s charcuterie, preserves, freshly squeezed juices, biltong, cheeses, breads, and more. Then comes the marquee with the vegetables and fruits, some coming from the Oranjezicht City Farm, and some from organic growers from Philippi, most of its produce (tomatoes, carrots, squash, cucumbers, melons, and more) having sold out by the time we arrived. Right at the end is the marquee with the food prepared by vendors in situ, or brought in ready-made, such as 
Martin Senekal’s beautiful cakes and tarts, as well as artisanal ice cream, tea, coffee
, juices, smoothies, as well as foods for special needs, including Banting, vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free.
The Oranjezicht City Farm wants to encourage urban farming amongst residents in the City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard, given the large amount of disused land in the city, and the experience that the Farm has built up in dealing with the red tape in starting a farm to benefit others. The Farm is encouraging volunteers to assist them, to help harvest and collect vegetables, wash and pack them for Market day, sell the products at the market, or to assist with educational tours, reports the Atlantic Sun. Financial contributions will be welcome too. Oranjezicht City Farm spokesperson Sheryl Ozinsky said that sustainability is important for the future of Cape Town, in respect of energy, water, waste, and climate change, the Oranjezicht City Farm being an ideal project to address sustainability in Cape Town. The Market has helped to change the habits of Capetonians, starting to recycle food waste to use as compost, growing their own herbs and vegetables at home, and walking in their neighbourhoods.
The V&A Waterfront CEO David Green welcomed the Oranjezicht City Farm Market, saying that it reaffirms ‘our commitment to growing small business. A fresh food market and organic foods will be a wonderful addition to our winter’.
The new venue for the Oranjezicht City Farm will take some getting used to. On beautiful sunny days like yesterday, the seating provided with a view on the Atlantic Ocean is ideal in keeping market visitors there for longer, catching up with friends to chat. The team behind the Oranjezicht City Farm Market is to be congratulated for its dedication in getting the market up and running every Saturday 
morning, come rain or shine!
Oranjezicht City Farm Market, Beach Road, Granger Bay, Cape Town. Tel 0836283426. www.ozcf.co.za. Twitter: @OzcFarm Saturday 9hoo – 14h00
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Tel (021) 433-2100, Twitter:@WhaleCottage Facebook: click here
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