Experience the Organic Agriculture Revolution with Joseph's Dream

From Rugby Captain to Organic Farming Innovator

Jacques Naude was born and educated in South Africa, before embarking on a professional rugby career in France. During these tough, competitive sports times, he learnt valuable leadership lessons:
 

• You may be the captain, but the team – each playing to his strengths - is key to success.

• Unplanned set-backs like injuries, fostered a sense of resilience or “vasbyt” in his native Afrikaans language.

• Things may not go according to the original game-plan and quick adaptation is the difference between lose or win.

• Networks are invaluable sources to enhance synergy and build a career.

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After his successful sports career, he decided to find purpose in a life of voluntary simplicity, sharing,  and sustainability. With this in mind, he partnered with family  investors in 2017 to buy the first tract of abandoned farm-land in the middle of Portugal.

After failed attempts at growing vegetables and other businesses, he ventured into organic almond and walnut farming.

Without any previous experience or knowledge, Jacques – with his natural inquisitive mind - set out to master the science and practice of organic farming. Adding Portuguese and Spanish to his Afrikaans, English, French, (limited) Dutch and German language skills, he quickly built a network of business partners locally and abroad. 

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Vision of Refuge and Sustainability

Jacques projected his small but growing enterprise as creating “a place of refuge” where like-minded investors and families could join in a solid long-term business according to values of simplicity, excellence and sustainability.

  

Two associates bought the two adjacent pieces of land, providing a total of 30 hectares for the initial planting in 2019.  Two further pieces of land of 17 and 24ha were added before the first serious investors from Canada, Belgium and South Africa signed up as clients but also as friends and families, sharing the same vision of an alternate life-style. Some have already physically moved to Portugal whilst others aim to create a passive income for the future.

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All of them testified that they were drawn to the project by Jacques’ infectious enthusiasm; superb networks with banks, nurseries, cooperatives and subsidy funding in Portugal, Spain and the broader EU, as well as solid, transparent professional services by his team. By the time of writing, Jacques who started off with very little capital, has registered a number of companies, provides both local and international employment, and manages close on 400ha of land to be fully irrigated and EU organically certified.

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Inspired by "Joseph's Dream"

The core vision that drives Jacques forward is encapsulated in the name of the key company, “Joseph’s Dream”. The biblical story tells of  Joseph who was originally sold by his jealous brothers to a foreign land where he rose to second in command of the king’s administration in Egypt. And when famine struck his homeland, he dreamt of providing a place of refuge for his extended family. This he did successfully and gathered around him those in need of a new vision and a new life.

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These are still early days, but Jacques,  the founder and CEO of the group of companies, has shown that he has learnt life’s lessons early on: It is the team – carefully selected -  that matters; unplanned setbacks are to be overcome; adjusting the business plan is uncomfortable but normal; and it is the networks that carry you through in the end.             

 The story has just started…