Zantie Swanepoel - From Failure to a Global Empire: The John Deere Story of Faith and Perseverance
12 November 2025

Zantie Swanepoel - From Failure to a Global Empire: The John Deere Story of Faith and Perseverance

Cape Pulpit / Kaapse Kansel

About
This is the true story of John Deere, a man who faced complete financial ruin in 1837. At 33, his blacksmith shop was failing, creditors were at the door, and he had a family to feed. Instead of giving up, he moved west and discovered the key problem facing farmers: the rich, sticky soil of the Midwest clogged and broke traditional cast-iron plows. Using a broken steel sawmill blade, he forged and polished the first self-cleaning steel plow, a revolutionary invention that unlocked America's agricultural potential.