Would you like to know how it would be to step out and live on your own smallholding with self-built houses made from natural materials and sell organic food to friendly visitors? Gaby and Mark from Leila's - did exactly this and are making a huge success of it! Read the charming story of how these two first met.

Gaby and Mark

GG: Tell us about yourselves

Mark is from KZN and grew up in Escourt and Colenzo. He has always loved the outdoors and spent his youth with his identical twin Andy, mostly fishing in dams and rivers in the countryside. He is a conservative person who follows rules and always does the right thing. He studied agriculture and has managed farms all over the country, at first in mainstream type farming and then started moving into unusual projects such as fish farming in Dulstroom and then research agriculture in KZN on the Mozambique border. This involved exploring particular methods in subsistence farming as well as integrating the political aspects of land use in government and private vs tribal land ownership.

View of the front of the main house

I am from Cape Town and grew up in a liberal family. Although I spent most of my teens in the city, growing up I was always outdoors; game parks, camping, beaches, rivers. My family has always been politically active, participating in change and freedom in South Africa. My tertiary field is education; children and adults.

We met when I was traveling in KZN after college in the early 80's with a friend of mine who knew Mark in Primary school. It always sounds a little shmarmy but Mark fell in love with me the moment I got out of the car. He courted me madly, like a teenager and I never went home. That was on a tomato farm outside Nelspruit on a very hot summers night. He offered my friend and I a beer and when I said I preferred mine in a glass to a bottle he was convinced he was going to marry this large girl with red cheeks. That was more than 25 years ago!

GG: How did you come up with the idea for Leilas?

Beautiful interior of the new cob cottage showcasing Mark's eye for detail

A combination of agriculture and left wing politics sort of equals permiculture. Mark's incredible skills of growing and building and fixing, combined with my strategizing and visioning and commitment to change resulted in a classical dream of a permiculture small holding. I think it's there in every one of us. We were brave enough to sacrifice main stream and go it alone.

We both needed to be near the sea; Mark to fish and me to walk and swim so it had to be along the coast. The Southern Cape was a compromise between Cape Town and KZN. George is large enough to include a variety of facilities and circles of people as well as opportunities to raise our children, but also small enough to enjoy old world values and peri urban communities.

Mark grew Hops for South African Breweries in George until we felt able to go it alone. That was about 14 years ago. He cashed in his pension and I had been left an inheritance from my maternal grandmother. This was enough to buy 7 hectares outside George and start up our project. After about 6 months the money ran out and idealism was our guide rather than daily practice. We both had to go to work and do permiculture part time.

GG: You have some really unusual buildings - how and where did you learn about green building?

On-site experimental cordwood wall

My Dad is an architect specializing in low cost housing within the context of housing all South Africans. He also did his university thesis in the 60's on an adobe village, so it has always been around as a concept. When paging through one of his journals we spotted strawbale and fell in love with the feel of it. Since then we have experimented with different techniques and have found cobbing to be more satisfying although Mark is currently very keen on sand bagging and cord wood.

 

GG: What would you say has been the most rewarding and what has been the most difficult part of alternative living and building with alternative materials?

The most rewarding is the daily appreciation of our beautiful home. I find it very aesthetically pleasing. It is also really much cheaper to live. Our cost of living is way less expensive than our contemporaries. Being your own boss is also a must for personal growth.

Gaby taking a well-deserved break on her innovative indoor/outdoor "pull-out" bed

GG: Tell us about the worms

These worms are specifically farmed. They are not found in the earth but are grown to produce plant food. You keep them in a barrel and feed them organic scraps. They eat these and poop out high quality plant food that make things grow like crazy.

GG: What do you enjoy most about your respective jobs?

Gaby: Talking to people every day, getting life simpler and simpler until I can spend most of it on myself. (NOTE not own, but self)

Mark: Building, creating exploring new ways of working with cob. Rushing around and keeping energy levels high.

GG: What is the most popular thing to do at Leila's?

EAT!

Springbok meal prepared in a solar cooker	Mouth-watering home-made organic sweet potato and spinach pies

GG: What is the most popular item on your menu?

Wonder Patat - a sweet potato topped with cream cheese, Spinach done in olive oil and a little garlic, creamy chicken curry, dates, fresh coriander and served with salad and crispy roast potatoes

GG: What is the most common question visitors ask you and what is your answer?

"Whats cob?" You know the answer

GG: If you could do everything over again, what would you do differently?

Nothing

GG: Where do you see Leila's in 10 years from now?

Four cob cottages built in the garden with a rental income for Mark and I to retire on. The children taking it to its next functioning level.

If you want to visit Leila's and enjoy their food contact Gaby. If you would like to participate in one of the courses of the Cob Building School contact Mark.