Oom (Uncle) Barend was a legend and I'm glad we got to know him - a little. When he first met me, he called me Mevrou - madam! It took a while for him to not do that! At that stage he'd had a couple of strokes and was compelled (by family) to use a walker. He'd chuck it in the back of his truck and tear around the village visiting his lady friends. Quite the philanderer! Lot's of talk from his children about his legacy on the farm, including starting one of the largest protea export businesses in the country. And they are the largest exporter of the Blushing Bride - in the country and in the world. And you wouldn't have an inkling unless you were told. Anyhow, he had five children, and there are sixteen grandchildren and about eight grandchildren.
There's a picture of them in this post - most of the pictures taken outside the village are on what was his land. And the little white houses - he built with his bare hands https://www.fionasfavourites.net/2018/07/09/the-week-that-was/ TMI. Sorry.
We are privileged to have small scale and large scale farmers around here - will I suppose it makes sense because of where we live. It does mean that we can support the little people and we benefit from the surplus and factory rejects from the big boys. Who, actually, by some standards are not that big, at all.
And yes, there is something literally grounding about getting your hands dirty and eating the fruits of one's own labour.
Forgive the blethering....
Fiona