09 Jun June 2022 Newsletter

Paardekraal Produce June 2022

Life on a farm is never quiet no matter the seasons. We have had remarkable sightings of a Black Eagle sitting on the koppie outside the kitchen door on several mornings, Geoff sighted a Black Harrier Hawk and heard a commotion early one morning (when it was still dark) of baboons going crazy. Now the only thing that would upset a troop of baboons that early in the morning is a leopard, so we suspect the chap or chapess was around again. We have also had a large flock of wild guinea fowl eating the chicken seed outside the kitchen door several times. Ginea Fowl were a rare sight a few years ago, as they were hunted, but with good season they have bred up and have gotten used to not being targeted.

We had a great rain again with very cold conditions and are expecting freezing weather next week. The sheep are lambing at a pace and as they lamb, they are brought into the camps around the house. Upon my return from Cape Town, I luckily found a lamb (a few days old) who had gotten himself stuck in a whole made by a root of a tree. He had been there for a few hours and his mother (with the rest of the maternity flock) got moved into a shelter as the cold wet weather was descending upon us. I took this boy into the house and warmed him up next to the fireplace. I also had to get milk into him as he was very weak and couldn’t stand (as his back legs were in the hole). He was not taking the bottle as this is foreign to him, so I tubed him (put a tube down his throat into his stomach) and gave him milk that way. After a couple of times of doing this, he started gaining strength and could eventually stand and walk. The next step was to get him to bond with his mom again as he had been apart from her for a few days by now. We knew who she was and luckily, she accepted him and he her. So, it was a happy ending for both.

A not so happy ending was the cow that came in from the veld, that I mentioned in the previous newsletter. She looked like she was making progress as I saw her standing on the number of times, I went to visit her in the kraal. Then when in Cape Town I got the news that she had died. It really is quite disheartening when this happens as you try your best and its not to be.
Another disappointment is the Georgina (the milk goat) aborted, and what was even more upsetting is that she had triplets. She is doing ok now, and she too needed some medical treatment.

As I mentioned life on a farm is not a quiet place.

We also attended the annual Stoep Tasting in Graaff Reinet that takes place end of May, where we had a stand selling Paardekraal Produce. We sold cheese (chevre and marinated cheese), chicken eggs, Geoffs Thai Chillies and Malaga Birds Eye as well as pink peppercorns (Schinus Molle).

The chillies I have on the product list this month are grown in the vegetable patch on the farm. The pink peppercorns are grown in the district and on Onbedacht. They are rather labour tensive as each berry is picked by hand. These peppercorns are quite exceptional and are different to the ones bought in the shops which have their shells broken and mostly they are not intact. The hand picking avoids this leaving the berries whole. They have a subtle flavour and although they are classed as a peppercorn, they are not, as they grown on a tree. They will be great in a dark chocolate desert, a cream sauce for pasta, pork dishes as well as in your Gin and Tonic.

All produce is made from free ranging animals. We do not administer growth hormones or antibiotics on a routine basis.
The green beans used in the bredie are from the garden as are the carrots and tomatoes in the curry.

Whilst every effort has been made to remove bones from the pies and dishes, care should still be taken when consuming.

Dishes do not contain pork.

Many thanks for your continued support.

June 2022 Paardekraal Produce price list:
12 x chicken eggs R40
Large Mutton Green Bean Bredie R150
Large Mutton Cape Curry R150
Chevre style goats milk cheese R60
Marinated goats milk cheese (olive oil, vinegar, fresh herbs) R85
Bottled Thai Chillies R70
Bottled Malaga Birds Eye Chillies R95
Pink Peppercorns R95

Please note:
The bredie & curry are frozen.
Portion sizes are minimum: large 600gram of meat.
Whilst every effort has been made to remove bones from the pies and dishes, care should still be taken when consuming.
Should you be interested please message me separately.
Delivery can be arranged.
Thank you for your support!