The Adams had never farmed a day in their lives. They just knew they didn’t want to spend it all working for someone else. This is their inspiring story!
Cape Town, South Africa (29 September 2026) – A decade ago, Joe and Eugene Adams were living all the way in Boston, working hard and trying to climb out of debt.
Everyone around them seemed to be working for someone else, and after their first child was born, they knew that life would only get more expensive. They wanted something different that came with freedom and time to spend with their kids.
That search led them to the far deep South of Cape Town, to a small plot on the edge between Masiphumelele township and the suburbs. Neither of them had ever farmed. The land was little more than beach sand, overgrown with invasive Port Jackson that spreads fast and crowds out local plants.
Instead of tearing everything out, they turned to permaculture, a way of farming that works with nature rather than against it. Its guiding ideas are care of people, care of the earth, and returning the surplus.
Goats eventually cleared the Port Jackson. Year after year, Joe and Eugene layered organic waste on the sand. A friend who tested the soil later called it the best he had ever seen. They named their farm and nursery Heart and Soil, because they are putting their hearts into the soil.
Heart and Soil does a number of things very well. It turns city waste into food. It educates, welcoming visitors and showing young people from the community that farming is not old-fashioned, but a good way to live in South Africa. And it explores what is possible on a small piece of land. They have also started an ‘agroecology’ hub, a place that shares knowledge and supplies for organic, nature-friendly growing.
Small farms, not big ones, have historically fed most of the world. Their value is easy to overlook because much of the food is eaten where it is grown, and not often sold. But growing your own food means you need far less money to live well, which is why Joe and Eugene see small-scale farming as a real way out of poverty.
It also shapes a healthy family life. The Adams children are up at 6 a.m., caring for animals and working with the soil. The farm has grown alongside their family, and the kids have watched their parents keep trying, learning and improving.
This way of life feeds into an entire community. Lochiel is known for families from different backgrounds living side by side, turning waste into food and creating jobs. As we reported in October last year, residents have been fighting to protect that after the City of Cape Town’s planning framework proposed acquiring several properties for housing. They made their case with a song and a petition.
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Jamie Drove Sick Stranger's Sandwich Route for Three Weeks to Save Their Small BusinessIn the short film below, made by Stuart Hablutzel, Joe and Eugene share their story in their own words.
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