Alan Rosenberg Work Biography

 

Born Johannesburg SA 1953. Matriculated and received a Diploma in general Agriculture from Glen Agricultural College in 1973.

1974 was spent in Israel in Kibbutz Ma-agan Michael working in a dairy with a herd of 250 milking cows.

Late 1974 and early ‘75 was spent at the then Kanheim Feedlot outside Middleburg with 38 600 head of beef.

1975 was spent in Delmas / Leslie area, Mpumalanga, co managing a mixed commercial farm of 1200 ha. Working with dairy, beef, sheep, poultry, dry land crops, irrigated vegetables, and some fruit.

1976 was spent again in Israel working in community with vegetables for industrial processing as well as vegetables for seed production

1977 – 81 was spent in Swaziland with the Ministry of Education. 1977 teaching agriculture to upper school children. 1978 – 81 establishing a training program for teachers of Primary School to become specialised agricultural teachers. This involved structuring the course, creating curriculum and establishing a demonstration model smallholding on 4 ha. The training institute still operates to date and is the Centre of Schools Agriculture in Swaziland.

1982/3 was spent at Emerson College, Sussex, England studying Biodynamic agriculture with Prof. Koepf

1984 was spent on the Emerson College 250 acre biodynamic farm. Mixed farming, cereals, poultry,woodlot, vegetables and a beef herd.

1985 – 88 was spent at the Tobias Art College, Sussex, England growing seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruit to feed the 45 students

1989 – 96 was spent developing a smallholding in Cresset House, Midrand, a village catering to people in need of special care. The enterprise supplying seasonal vegetables, herbs, fruit, milk, meat, eggs as well as pastures for the animals and field crops. The produce was used to feed the 70 resident people  as well as generating income from excess produce sold on the open market. Alan was on the Board of Directors for four years.

1997 – 98 was spent developing an organic/biodynamic farm (2500ha) in the Bronkhorstspruit / Witbank area. 110 Nguni cattle, composting enterprise, 7000 peach and nectarine trees and irrigated vegetables.

1999 -  2000 was spent working with Midrand Eco-city on community projects in the surrounding informal settlements. This involved about 600 people working through 5 registered co-operatives focusing on household food security and commercial vegetable production.

2001 to date Initiated Lindros Whole Earth Consultants and still working with “LINDROS”

 

EDUCATION

1973    General Diploma from Glen Agriculture College, Free State, SA.

1973   Merino Wool Classers Diploma Glen Agriculture College, Free State, SA

1982/3 Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Emerson College, Sussex, UK

1997   Permaculture Design Course, Wildrocke farm, Johannesburg, SA

1999   Holistic Resource Management, Telperion Farm, Mpumalanga SA

2007   Decentralised Waste Water Treatment Systems, TED – BORDA Maseru, Lesotho

2007   Master Mentor National Department of Agriculture, SA

 

Alan initiated and wrote and published the first “Organic Agriculture A Handbook” for South Africa (with collaboration from Thomas Linders and Stephen Barrow).

Alan also wrote “Global Health in Crisis, The Answer lies in the Soil”.

Alan recently wrote and published “Biodynamic Agriculture, A Conscious Choice”

All books available through Lindros

 

Alan

Was member of the board of directors for the Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Southern Africa.  1992 – 1996 Was a part of the founding members, director of the Biodynamic and Organic Certifying Authority. (BDOCA). Member of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association of S. A. (BDAASA)) Member of the Organic Agricultural Association of S.A. (OAASA) now Organics SA Was a board member of Ecohope a registered NGO, 2000 to 2006 Founding member of NECOFA SA(Network of Ecological Farmers in Africa – South African branch) Founding member of SACODAS (South African Council for Organic Development and Sustainability) Voted personality of the month, May 2007 by Organics South Africa. ICOFE, NAFU and BDAASA (through Alan Rosenberg’s mandate from BDAASA in 2006) have motivated the conduct of the FRIDGE Study (2008 – 2009) to the DTI, NEDLAC and the IDC.  This study was to establish the organic produce and agroecology practices as a recognized economic sector in South Africa Module leader for  Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture for a Programme in Sustainable Development, School of Public Management and Planning , University of Stellenbosch and Sustainability Institute, RSA Alan is a member of SAOSO (South African Organic Sectors Organization) a joint venture between DAFF/ the DTI agro-processing and stakeholders from the various constituencies interested in the OPAP (Organic Produce and Agro-ecology Practices).