Neels Dreyer: Salt of the earth

Neels Dreyer: Salt of the earth

For a long time, Neels Dreyer has been growing specialty vegetables in the greenhouse on his property; he makes coleslaw, pickles small onions, and delivers baskets full of fresh produce to a home for the elderly. Whenever he has driven through Damaraland, he unloads sacks of semi-precious stones and sets up the polishing machine. Then a low hum fills the stone-working room until the most beautiful cut stones lie waiting on the workbench – but D…