About Us
Elangeni translates from Zulu to mean, "a place in the sun". That is what our little farm is, here amidst the gently rolling hills of Johnson County, Iowa.
The name is special to us, it is a reminder of the home we left some twenty-five years ago and although quite different from South Africa, we have come to cherish this farm just as intimately.
Here at Elangeni we strive for environmental stewardship and sustainability, and we achieve these goals by utilizing organic farming techniques and by rewilding the land. Since we purchased Elangeni in 2008 we have planted over three thousand trees, constructed ponds, restored woodland, and reestablished approximately six acres of prairie. Wildlife on our farm has flourished ever since. Avian populations have soared and diversified, migratory waterfowl find sanctuary on our ponds, and woodland creatures thrive amidst our prairies and forests.
While establishing a haven for nature we also work alongside it. We have ten acres of organic aronia berry bushes as our main crop. We also have a small flock of sheep and several bee hives. Details on each of these can be found in the links here or in the pages following. We feel our organic focus is essential in a state so heavily dependent on large scale, non organic agriculture.
As we enter a new season at Elangeni we are hoping to create a space for people to come out and celebrate planned events, to enjoy nature, and to learn more about what it is we do here. We’ll be providing more information about our event space and the type of events we wish to host in the future.
Events Space
In the future we hope to host events in an outdoor venue, featuring a pond and gazebo alongside a spring fed stream that can create opportunities for various event types and photographic opportunities.
This will likely accommodate parties of up to one hundred people. As we work with the county to officially establish this space we will know more of our limitations and allowances, but we hope to make this a permanent feature at Elangeni.
Future Ventures
We have optimistic hopes for what we can offer at Elangeni. Aside from a space for eventing opportunities we hope to provide farm tours, potential lodging, and perhaps even a farm stall. The more we get established in the community the more apparent it will be to us whether or not we can achieve these goals.
We are proud to be a member of Agri-Culture Iowa, a conglomerate of like-minded farms around Johnson County that are invested in agritourism and local agricultural awareness.
More about what our farm produces
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