I have sold 85% of my egg business to my staff

This is no joke. Today is a massive day for us. The start of a black owned regenerative agriculture business. The picture above is of the shareholders and directors of Farmer Angus Eggs (FAE).

One of the great tragedies of the new South Africa is that the government is not, to put it mildly, supportive of black farmers (or any farmer for that matter). There are no effective programs in place to help farmers whether they obtained their land from a land claim or not.

So what are we doing to make sure that FAE is going to be a success? In other words, continuing to deliver you the most nutrient dense eggs in the land. Click here if you don’t believe that claim.

First, we are keeping the Farmer Angus brand. This has been built up over almost 11 years. Our clients have been reassured that this is not changing. As we reprint the egg boxes the photo of me will  change to that above. There is a slight modification of the logo too.

Second, I am vendor financing this. In other words I am the bank and so I need to sell as many eggs as possible to get my money out. In banker parlance I have skin in the game.

Third, I have worked with my colleagues for a long time. They are hungry for their own business. I completely trust them and their desire for success. I have known 4 of them since they were born on the farm in KZN where I grew up.

Fourth, apart from the new company name on the invoice everything else remains the same. Same hens, same Glyphosate free food, same water, same Eggmobiles, same staff on the land, same carbon sequestering rotational grazing method, Thobelani continues doing deliveries, Madeleine continues administering sales and they graze on the same pastures on Spier Wine Farm. We have started conversations with the Stellenbosch Municipality about leasing municipal land and although this process has been stalled thanks to lockdown things look promising.

Fifth, each director has been given specific responsibilities (see below) so that we can share the load and keep each other focused.

We would really like new clients as we have lost 60% of our egg business thanks to the Coronavirus panic and ensuing lockdown which I maintain is a terrible mistake.

Mawethu is a director. He is responsible for the record keeping on our portal, maintenance and vaccines (we vaccinate for Newcastle disease and IB via a spray). Neliswa, his wife, is a 17% shareholder.

Thabani is a director. He is responsible for packaging and liquid eggs. Some eggs are too small and are cracked and these are turned into either whole whisked eggs, or yolks or whites. Read here. Zanele, his wife, is a 17% shareholder.

Thobelani and I prefer not wearing caps but Phello is determined to keep hers on.

Thobelani is a director and is responsible for staff and deliveries. Phello, his wife, is a 17% shareholder.

That leaves Mbhekiseni (front right), myself and Menzi (3rd from left at back). Mbhekiseni is a director and 17% shareholder. His responsibilities are drinking water for the birds and irrigation. Menzi is a director and 17% shareholder. His responsibilities are food and the weighing of birds and eggs. I am a 15% shareholder and have responsibilities for sales as well as new and cull hens.

The first invoices that went out today. You can see the new logo which is part of the existing logo. As always the great Eddie Lomas does our design work. You can email him here.

Herewith the new labels.

Thank you for supporting regenerative agriculture.

Angus

1 April 2020.