“One of the things we pride ourselves on is the vibe created by our interactive meals – the smells, the sights, the conversations.”

From the back of a safari vehicle on a sweltering October morning, one hand at my brow to shade my eyes, I took in the view. I wasn’t gazing at zebras or snoozing lions or lanky, slow-moving giraffes – I was admiring what felt like countless rows of plants and fruit-laden trees.

“Welcome to The Farm,” said Suzyo, my guide, as he cut the 4×4’s engine.

Simply yet aptly named, The Farm is a 21-hectare produce farm in Mfuwe, Zambia. It sits just 30 minutes from the entrance to South Luangwa National Park, growing fruits and vegetables to supply all nine properties operated by The Bushcamp Company. A team of 17 people tends these sprawling gardens, cultivating more than 30 species of plants – including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, pumpkins, an array of greens, and six varieties of mango.

Regenerative Practices at Work

Suzyo introduced me to Bruno, an assistant manager at The Farm, and we set off for a tour. Seconds later, Bruno paused, pointing at two rows of burgeoning butternut squash.

“See all that straw?” he asked. “We put that down to help keep moisture in the soil.”

A necessity in the blistering Zambian sun for sure – it was only 7:30 in the morning and I was already sweating – but regenerative agricultural practices like this are what make The Farm’s regular harvests so successful. Practicing crop diversity is another. Instead of having all the butternut squash in one particular area, all the eggplant in another, and so on, crops are mixed and matched throughout The Farm’s many growing areas. This diversity keeps the soil healthy while offering the added benefit of a staggered yield. In combination with Zambia’s long growing season, nearly all the produce used in Bushcamp’s menus is available throughout the year.

Natural Methods for Thriving Crops

“Everything we use here is natural,” said Bruno as we approached a large shade net. He held back a flap as I walked in. The space was like a greenhouse but with the opposite effect. “Notice how it feels a little cooler?”

Indeed, the huge swath of shade netting that covered the top and sides of this section of crops was doing its job. I felt ever-so-slightly less melty than I had a few steps ago.

“It’s about five degrees cooler under here,” confirmed Bruno. “Some plants prefer the lower temperatures, and we also experiment by growing some of the same plants under the net and some in the direct sun.”

Another benefit of the shade netting is that it helps protect tender crops from being “sampled” by birds and insects – which are otherwise combated with an all-natural spray derived from the neem tree. “Everything natural,” Bruno said again.

From Idea to Impact

I asked about the origins of The Farm – I’ve seen other safari lodges growing some of their own produce, but not at this scale.

“Bushcamp decided to start the farm about five years ago,” Suzyo told me.

While nearby Mfuwe Lodge – an 18-room lodge that is semi-famous for the elephants who saunter through the open reception each year to enjoy wild mango trees – serves as Bushcamp’s home base, all of its properties, including the remote, four-tent bush camps, have long since composted organic waste. That compost was given to people in the local village who would then use it to fertilize their own gardens and sell surplus produce back to Bushcamp, but the company’s demand was often higher than the supply. Most fruits and vegetables had to be brought in by plane or vehicle from the capital city of Lusaka, resulting in a minimum of three to four days between harvest and receipt.

Now, though, Bushcamp has a steady – and local – supply for its camps and lodges. The Farm is a success story not only on the sustainability front, it’s also a win for community support through employment and training opportunities.

Dining in Harmony with the Land

Back at the lodge with a plate of grilled chicken, vegetable quiche, and crunchy salad for lunch – a meal I wouldn’t repeat during my week with Bushcamp since menus are synced across properties – I took pleasure in knowing exactly where these vegetables had come from. Wildlife may be the obvious focus of a safari, but in my experience, there’s usually an abundance of food to match. How often does the average guest think about the culinary supply chain in the bush?

Whether they planned it this way or not, the Bushcamp Company does bring increased awareness to guests by frequently involving them in the meal-making process. My own favorite example was a bush pizza lunch, where everyone had to take a ball of dough, roll it out, and then add toppings to their own pizza before a chef would heave it into a hot oven in the middle of a tree-flanked clearing.

“People seem to really like our interactive meals, especially ones where they get to meet and engage with the Bushcamp chefs,” says Bushcamp co-founder Andy Hogg. “One of the things we pride ourselves on is the vibe created by those interactive meals – the smells, the sights, the conversations.”

It’s certainly a far cry from sitting down and having food brought out from a tucked-away kitchen. And when these interactions pique the interest of guests who then ask to visit The Farm, the Bushcamp crew is only too happy to oblige.

“We think it’s important for folks to understand what we’re doing to reduce our carbon footprint, create employment in the local community, and provide as tasty and fresh a selection for our guests as possible,” says Hogg. “Having fresh produce is critical.”