Newsletter Winter 2021

As I write this newsletter, sadly we are back to Level 4 lockdown… 

We are hoping that it won’t be for too long as we had to close La Fromagerie, our farm venue, as restaurants have yet again been told to close for sit downs. Our guests come for the views and the farm experience, and we cannot serve it as a take-away!

This year, the Zulu ladies were able to come back to the farm to cut grass to make their lovely brooms and mats. The same group of ladies has been coming each for 15 years (except for last year). Beauty was the lady in charge and now that she has sadly passed away, her daughter Pretty is in charge. They come in a truck all the way from the mountains around Bergville (KZN), stay for a couple of weeks on the farm, cutting as much water grass as possible along the Groot Spruit that runs through our farm. The truck then comes back with a trailer to load the bundles of grass and off they go…till next year.

As usual, the milk production has dropped with the cold, so production is a bit crazy to organize to make sure all our clients get their orders… This year we also have about 1/3 of the herd that is “dry”. This is when the cows get their 2 months holiday break before calving. Luckily the winter pasture is growing and should be ready in the next week or two.

One of the calves in the beef herd developed and abscess under the chin. The vet came to lance it and treat it. This little boy was so brave and kept his bandage all night as instructed by the vet! He and his mom are now back with the beef herd, doing what cattle do.

After many years of looking at it falling apart, we are finally redoing the roof on the old stone shed! The builders spent the first week cutting thatch grass on the farm, and making bundles. And the roof is now coming on nicely! Hopefully the Jerseys don’t think it is there for them to eat!

The Waffle House Deli in Ramsgate