Pack Shed progression ladder
Six rungs from a back-garden plot to a large-scale farm, mapped onto the three Pack Shed sizes that the hub grows through.
Farmer ladder
- 1Pack —Ad-Hoc Back-GardenGrowing food at home, ad-hocScale1 householdOff-takeHome consumptionPractices
- Seed saving
- Hand watering
- Compost from kitchen scraps
- 2Pack —Systematic Back-GardenPlanned beds, simple recordsScale1 household + neighboursOff-takeSell surplus to neighboursPractices
- Bed rotation
- Drip lines
- Weekly harvest log
- 3Pack ShackSmall-Scale AgripreneurSelling consistently every weekScale300 agripreneurs (100% off-take)Off-takeLocal spaza / hub aggregationPractices
- Crop calendar
- Pack & label
- Basic food safety
- 4Pack ShedLeading FarmerMentoring others, supplying the hubScaleMentors ~10 agripreneursOff-takeHub off-take + informal retailPractices
- IPM
- Cold chain
- Trains new growers
- 5Pack ShedFreedom ProjectFull-time farmer with hub contractScale50 emerging farmersOff-takeWholesale / retail contractsPractices
- GAP basics
- Traceability
- Quality grading
- 6Pack HouseLarge-Scale FarmingExport / retailer-grade volumesScale0–50 large-scale farmersOff-takeExport, national retail, processorsPractices
- GlobalG.A.P.
- Mechanised ops
- Audited cold chain
Pack Shed variants
Pack Shack
Small (~40–80 m²)
Throughput
Up to ~5 t / week
Rooms
- Packaging lineSort → wash → pack on a U-shaped bench
- Farm storeCounter, till, fridge, signage
- GreywaterSimple settlement + reuse on non-edibles
- Employee bathroomToilet, sink, soap, towel
Pack Shed
Medium (150–250 m²)
Throughput
>50 t / week
Rooms
- EntrywayHandwash, uniforms (clean+dirty), cubbies
- OperationReceive → Sort → Wash → Pack → Cold → Load (U-shape)
- Cold storagePortable or built-in cold room
- Admin office3 desks, printer, whiteboards, AED, meeting room
- Tool storageRacks, work bench + vice, wheelbarrows, crates
- Utility closetFuse panel, pump, water heater, shut-offs
- BathroomsToilet, vanity, soap, towel, bin
- Employee break areaShaded, tables for 10, microwave, fridge, braai
- Farm storeCounter, fridges, shelving, pamphlets
- NurserySeedlings for farmer network
- Worm + compost farmOn-site organic inputs
- Secure loading bayTruck access, dispatch logs
Off-take partners
Unlimited GroupSparShopriteFruit & VegWestfaliaFresh StopUnilever
Pack House
Large (>400 m²)
Throughput
Retail / export grade
Rooms
- Full Pack Shed footprintAll Shed rooms, expanded
- Processing lineCut, mix, value-add (e.g. salad packs, pesto)
- QA labSampling, traceability records
- Multi-bay cold chainPre-cool + dispatch cold rooms
- Compliance officeAudits, certificates, recall protocols