Historically, farming and good health were on a continuum for the Xhosa people of South Africa. Over time, however, the food and farming systems in the Eastern Cape province have been deeply scarred by the ongoing legacies of colonialism and apartheid. Busisiwe Mgangxela and Xolelwa Koncoshe – agroecological farmers and Xhosa community leaders who earlier trained and worked as nurses – share some insights in this dialogue.