29 Nov January 2023 Newsletter

Paardekraal Produce January 2023

Compliments of the Season to you All.  And a HUGE Thank You for your support during 2022.

As always, I talk about the weather first as this governs our lives.  We have had the most marvellous rains with December being wet and me experiencing my first wet Christmas since coming to the farm.  In fact, just after New Year we had rain for 36 hours, the rivers were so swollen guests in the Onbedacht Cottage could not leave and guests coming in had to be accommodated in our house.  Now that the rains are over the heat has settled in with this week’s temperatures all in the 40C.

Farm life continues at a pace.  The cheese making happens daily, with the goats producing beautiful milk.  Georgina finally kidded with beautiful twins, one a boy and one a girl.  We were short staffed over the Christmas period and the goats needed milking, so I thought I would take the job in hand.  I have tried to milk before but unsuccessfully, well I tell you it is a skill.  After 3 hours and only 2 goats milked (there were another 6 to be done), my back gave in, and I was completely exhausted for the entire day. Luckily my milker pitched up the next day and helped to milk throughout the period as it was not a task I was relishing. I now have a range of cheese with new labels having been designed. The range is:

• Karoo Star – chevre
• Karoo Gold – marinated chevre
• Karoo Night – ash crotin
• Karoo Sun – camembert
• Karoo Day – feta

The pigs continue to enjoy the whey that is produced from the cheese making.  The sow gave birth to 11 piglets, unfortunately a few died so we are now down to 8.  We have started to slaughter some of the older pigs, all of which continues to be a learning curve.  Two pigs were sent to the abattoir and then 2 different butchers prepared the meat for me.  We have been extremely impressed with the meat.  As the animals were not castrated, we had to slaughter them at 90kg so that the testosterone doesn’t affect the flavour of the meat which happens as they grow older and bigger.  This has resulted in small chops with quite a bit of fat, but a very tasty chop indeed.  One butcher made a batch of sausage for us, and that is unlike any banger you have had before.

The veld remains beautiful with the cattle continuing to thrive on it. It is just such a pleasure to see these fat animals when they come into the kraals.  They have produced many calves as at, December with calving still to take place in January.

Lambing continues, with blue tongue and wire worm being a problem and as a result we have lost some to these diseases. The sheep get treated and are monitored but with the good rains other problems rear their heads with the increase in mosquitoes, midgies and what they carry.

Both the chickens and ducks are laying nicely.  The ongoing battle with the dwarf mongoose continues as they think this is the local KFC.  So, the yard fence is consistently being checked with netting wire raised to discourage the creature from entering.

The vegetable garden is producing the most amazing tomatoes (all different sizes), long green beans, courgettes, and spring onions.  All this produce is organic, and pesticide is not used.

For this month I have the following on offer:

• Free ranging farm Chicken eggs.
• Free ranging Duck eggs
• Karoo Star – chevre styled goats milk cheese.
• Karoo Gold – marinated chevre in olive oil, vinegar, and herbs
• Karoo Night – Ash crottin
• Karoo Sun – goats milk camembert
• Karoo Day – feta
• Courgette Soup
• Farm mutton green bean bredie with the beans from the vegetable garden.
• Cape Curry using farm mutton.
• Various fresh vegetables from the vegetable garden eg tomatoes, courgettes, long green beans
• Pork chops
• Pork bangers

All produce is made from free ranging animals.  We do not administer growth hormones or antibiotics on a routine basis.
Whilst every effort has been made to remove bones from the dishes, care should still be taken when consuming.
Dishes do not contain pork.

Many thanks for your continued support.