Our story 

Ploughman's Pantry is a hub of nutrient-dense, locally reared, sustainable produce and products. It was born from Overberg Pastures, our small regenerative farm in the Overberg, committed to pasture-raised, ethically produced food.

Overberg Pastures was born out of love for the land and a belief that animals should be raised with care and respect.

Jannie grew up on his family’s dairy farm, where the rhythms of farming, working with animals and the land were part of everyday life. Rachel was also raised close to the land and shared the same goals and mission. Together, they spent years travelling and working in Malawi.

When COVID reared its head and brought them back home unexpectedly, they found themselves at a crossroads. While waiting for “normal” to return, they turned to the mountainside and dug in. Jannie planted a garden with a fun and incredibly difficult goal: to feed his family solely from the garden for 100 days. Chickens soon followed, initially for fertiliser and a reliable source of protein.

Because chicks could only be bought in batches, there were suddenly more chickens than the family needed. They began processing them themselves and selling the surplus once a month from the back of their bakkie at 22 Morton Street, Stanford. Word spread quickly. People noticed the difference, larger, healthier, better-tasting chickens. Without any grand plan, Overberg Pastures quietly came to life.

The journey has not been without challenges. Farming regeneratively takes patience, resilience, and a willingness to keep going when conditions are tough. But through every setback, Jannie and Rachel have stayed committed to what they believe is right: raising animals outdoors, on pasture, in sunshine and fresh air, where they can forage, roam, and behave like animals are meant to.

Today, Overberg Pastures is home to lots of happy pigs, ducks, and baby Kasper, growing up among it all. We now supply over 800 families (and counting) with pasture-raised pork, duck eggs and a thoughtfully curated selection of ethically produced meat and goods from local farmers and artisans.

Rachel dedicates a good amount of her time to sourcing products that align with our values - food made with integrity, respect for the land, and care for people and animals alike. Everything we offer is something we believe in and feed our own family with.

At its heart, Ploughman's Pantry is about choosing a more purposeful way of farming, doing business and living. It’s about regeneration and doing things properly, even when it’s harder.

Through regenerative farming and the curation of products we believe in, we aim to leave the land, and perhaps our collective psyche, healthier for our next generation.