Marthinus Colesky
Marthinus Colesky has a longstanding connection with the GIB. Not only is he a member of the board, but his grandfather, Frans worked at the GIB as a water control officer, and his wife, Rienette is the financial and human resources manager of the GIB.
For the past 20 years he farms on his farm Fairview and Skone Uitsig at Kwagga near Patensie with citrus. He also leases some farmland where he cultivates and packs pattypans, baby marrows and squashes.
“I am the happiest when I am on the farm amongst the orchards,” he says.
Marthinus was in Uys Primary School at Kwagga where his father, Pieter, was headmaster. Then they moved to Rocklands where his father was headmaster of Ankervas Primary school till he was 16 when his father started farming on the family farm.
After Marthinus matriculated at Brandwag High School in Uitenhage, he followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a teacher and then moving on to farming. He studied senior primary education at the Teachers Training College in Port Elizabeth and was a teacher at Albertyn Primary school in Uitenhage for four years before he started farming.
“I always had two passions in my life: education and farming. I love it to work with children, but I enjoy it more to be a farmer. Being a teacher prepared me for all the paper work that goes along with farming, and I learnt very good people skills,” he says.
He enjoys it to give Sunday school for grades 6, 7, and 8, and is Gamtoos Primary School’s judo teacher.
Marthinus boasts with great Judo accolades which include gold and silver medals from the 2008 Common Wealth Games in Mauritius.
He was also chosen as Agri Eastern Cape’s Young Farmer of the year in 2004 and 2005.
To relax he spends time with his family. He enjoys fishing and hunting with his two boys, Pieter (16) who is in Daniel Pienaar Technical High School in Uitenhage, and Braam (13) who is head boy at Gamtoos Primary in Patensie.
Marthinus is very positive about farming and enjoys to be part of the GIB. “I use a computer system to regulate my irrigation on the farm. It makes a big difference not to over irrigate the trees.”
“There will always be a future for farming. People must eat,” he says.
Marthinus Colesky het baie bande met die Gamtoos Besproeiingsraad. Nie net is hy ‘n raadslid nie, maar was sy oupa, Frans jare gelede ‘n waterfiskaal by die GBR, en sy vrou, Rienette, is die GBR se finansiële en menslike hulpbron bestuurder.
Hy boer die jaar 20 jaar op sy plaas Skone Uitsig op Kwagga buite Patensie met sitrus. Hy huur ook grond en verbou en verpak blompampoentjies, skorsies en murgpampoentjies hier.
“Ek is op my gelukkigste tussen die bome op die plaas,” sê hy.
Marthinus was eers in Laerskool Uys op Kwagga waar sy pa, Pieter, skoolhoof was. Daarna in Laerskool Ankervas op Rocklands toe sy pa daar skoolhoof was en toe hy 16 was, het sy pa begin boer op die familieplaas. Nadat Marthinus aan Hoërskool Brandwag op Uitenhage gematrikuleer het, het hy in sy pa se voetspore gevolg om eers onderwyser te raak voor hy gaan boer het. Hy het Senior primêr onderwys studeer by die Onderwys Kollege in Port Elizabeth. Hy was 4 jaar onderwyser by Laerskool Albertyn op Uitenhage.
“Ek het altyd twee liefdes gehad: Onderwys en Boerdery. Dis vir my lekker om met kinders te werk, maar dis lekkerder om te boer. Die onderwys het my wel voorberei vir die baie papierwerk wat gepaard gaan met boerdery, en om met mense te werk.”
Hy geniet dit om Sondagskool aan te bied vir graad 6, 7 en 8, en is Laerskool Gamtoosvallei se Judo-afrigter.
Marthinus spog met ‘n string Judo prestasies. Tot goud en silwer medaljes wat hy by die Statebondspele in Mauritius in 2008 verwerf het.
Hy het ook in 2004 en 2005 die Agri Oos-Kaap se Jong Boer van die Jaar toekenning ontvang.
Om te ontspan spandeer hy tyd saam met sy gesin. Hy geniet dit om vis te vang en te jag saam met sy twee seuns, Pieter (16) in Hoër Tegniese skool Daniel Pienaar op Uitenhage, en Braam (13) hoofseun van Laerskool Gamtoosvallei.
Marthinus is baie positief oor die boerdery en geniet dit om deel te wees van die GBR. “Ek gebruik ‘n rekenaarsisteem om my besproeiing te beheer. Dit maak ‘n groot verskil om nie oor te besproei nie. Die bome is gesonder en die vrugte is beter.”
“Daar sal altyd ‘n toekoms vir boedery wees. Mense moet eet,” sê hy.