Young, gorgeous, and talented is how to describe Rutendo Chakanetsa driving force behind a thriving farming business, Tendo’s Green Produce. She is an aspiring motivational speaker who understands the value of hard work. She is a farmer who, through the sale of her fresh produce, has won the hearts of many. She has been successful in distributing her goods throughout Zimbabwe. From planting in her backyard to more than two hectares of land, social media marketing has significantly aided in the growth of her business. She enjoys selling her goods and creating furniture for her own use, such as stands, tables, and picture frames. She adheres to the adage “sacrifice what you are for what you will become”.
As a young person what inspired you to start farming?
I wanted to defy all odds against women being able to do anything that men can do. Surprisingly I actually wanted to do fashion and modelling but realised that I would always be judged by my appearance. l ventured into five different business enterprise in one year before l finally decided to do something that could prove to myself and other people of my age that young millennials are capable too.
Besides farming what else do you do?
I’m also a fashion designer I have such a creative mind. Most of the clothes I wear are handmade by yours truly.
What do you grow and how much acreage do you farm?
I specialise in horticultural vegetables but l mainly specialise in producing lettuce as my main crop .I’m currently farming on a 1ha farm in Shawasha Hills and rent out a two hectare piece of land in Chinhoyi for our cabbage and onion production.
How has internet selling boosted your business
Many people are unaware of social media’s influence. I have never paid for marketing services. Instagram and Facebook assist me in generating revenue. Social Media has really helped me to massively grow my business, I get orders from people around the world to deliver to their families here in Zimbabwe which is something that traditional marketing would not have been able to do for me.
Describe your typical daily routine
My day kicks off with bulk deliveries in the morning, followed by lessons with potential farmers that come through at our demo garden. From 2-6pm l start working on our farm
How has your business evolved overtime since you started
Honestly so much has changed since I started. To begin with, I know more about farming because I started with no agricultural background and had to learn through out the process .When I started it was just me and our back yard but I have managed to hire help now, I have a plot and have branched into animal husbandry. I now have chickens and a few rabbits.l have started a flower, seedling nursery and opened an Academy for potential farmers who want to learn more about farming
How have you managed to sell yourself as a brand and your produce
Social Media has been my most useful tool on selling myself and produce brand. I invest so much on the posts I make on social media. Every post is consciously thought through. I pride on quality on everything even in the details of my marketing posts. I also network with other millennial farmers and that has really helped in rapidly growing my brand. l often do farm visits to help introduce my brand to other farmers
What are some of the milestones you have achieved to date
As a newcomer to the farming industry, I struggled to find a market for my goods and lost two thousand plants in my first two months but with the use of social media, determination and persistence that has all changed, demand is actually exceeding our production. At the moment I’m supplying some of The biggest shops in Harare ,individuals and restaurants. My major expense was transportation because l had to transport my produce from one place to another but with the growth of the brand people are now aware of my produce and have started coming to our farm to acquire them.
What do you hope to achieve in the future
My main aim is to become the biggest supplier of lettuce in Africa.l have traveled in some of the farming towns in Zimbabwe and have noticed they usually travel kilometers to acquire Seedlings in Harare. As a result, I plan on opening nurseries in most of the farming town in Zimbabwe.
