Ariel Leaves

09/08/2023

Ariel's story...

In the winter of 2021, Hans Main dug a hole in his backyard. The hole was supposed to be the beginning of a garden bed. Instead, it looked like a grave.

Hans went online to see if he could find a better way to start a vegetable garden and came across a technique called no-dig.
He laid down cardboard and covered it with compost. At a nearby tip, he found an antique compost fork with bent teeth. He straightened out the fork, evened out the compost and planted lettuce. When summer rolled around, the garden produced crates filled with cos, butter, oak leaf and frilly leaves.

The leaves were far too much for him and his partner to eat. And so he decided to sell them. An ad for Ariel Leaves went up on the neighbourhood WhatsApp group. Five lettuce lovers responded. Then six, then nine. The Leaf Family was born.

Every Wednesday morning, straight after an early-morning harvest, Hans delivered organic leaves to the houses of the members of the Leaf Family. It became known as Leaf Day, with customers willing to come fetch their precious leaves from Hans’s house when they missed out on delivery. Business was booming, albeit on a scale too small for Ariel Leaves to be a viable business. Hans needed more space.

He turned his focus - momentarily - from growing lettuce to campaigning for the use of vacant residential plots for sustainable food production using organic growing techniques.

As for the name - Ariel was written on a sign by the gate of Hans’s grandfather’s smallholding outside Kimberley in South Africa’s Northern Cape. Hans was given the sign and, with it, received the goodwill of a name that has been in his family for three generations.

Donate today to support Hans and Ariel's mission to establish sustainable micro-farms in the Jeffreys Bay, St. Francis and Kabeljauws region.

08/08/2023

Do plants have emotions? It's an interesting question. We give you this. How many times have you looked at a plant - a lettuce perhaps - and thought to yourself, This plant does not look happy? And how many times have you looked at more that one plant - pot plants perhaps - and thought or said out loud, These plants sure look sad. The way we feel about plants may not be proof of their feelings. But few things look better than a happy plant. And few things make (most) people feel better.

07/08/2023

We have a dream to turn open urban space into growing space for organic salad leaves - and we need some help. If you're passionate about using and recycling abundant existing resources, please consider donating to Ariel Leaves. Your donation will go towards establishing our first site. Follow the link to make a contribution.

A fundraising landing page for donations to an organic sustainable farming cause to fight climate change.

20/02/2023

Our favorite tenant here at Ariel Leaves. A janitor of sorts, really, that cleans up unwanted eggs of nocturnal moths and other threats to our lovely lettuce. And cute as a button to boot!

16/02/2023

The average travel time for cos to your fridge is three days. That’s an age in leaf terms. Ariel’s cos reaches you in less than a day. And that’s why it keeps like no other cos can. Join the Ariel Leaf Family today. Whatsapp ‘add me’ to 060 663 8224

02/02/2023

27/01/2023

The home of delicious and crunchy organically grown lettuce leaves. Only R30 per bag. Free farm-to-door delivery each Wednesday.

27/01/2023

We're at the wonderful Glencairn Market today. A community initiative under the trees next to the Glencairn vlei. Come see what's on offer and buy delicious salad. Cos, butter and fristine leaves in the bags. A frill a minute:)

27/01/2023

New starfighter babies, which, despite their name, have tender and delicate leaves that taste great too!

27/01/2023

No added pesticides or GMOs. Only added people to our WhatsApp group. Join the Leaf Family today and be in the loop for salad specials (like extra rocket in your pocket).