30 Nov August 2023 Newsletter

Posted at 18:20h in Newsletter by

Paardekraal Produce August 2023

I trust you have been keeping warm through this exceptionally cold winter.  We have had several days when the temperature was a single digit for the day and, in the mornings, there was severe frost with water bowls frozen. Needless to say, the chillies frosted but the lime tree is still surviving.

The vegetable garden has been planted with the winter vegetables, and despite the cold and frost the spinach seems to have been fine and is growing at a pace. Geoff has turnips, kale, rocket, spinach, cabbages, peas, garlic and carrots.  He is also wanting to increase the size of the garden in the spring.

We were lucky this year with the goats kidding, as they all kidded by the middle of July with no Hansies (orphans) therefore no bottle feeding of kids, which is time consuming.  We started to milk those that kidded earlier to relieve the udders a bit as the kids weren’t keeping up with the milk supply.  And so, the cheese making got going. With full production taking place towards the last week of July.  We are now milking 11 goats and there are 15 kids. Normally nature works out that 50% should be male kids and 50% female kids in anyone kidding / lambing season.  I have decided that you get a male year and a female year.  This year we have 9 rams and 6 ewes. Definitely a male year!

I continue the practice of keeping the kids with their moms and removing them at night from the age of 3 weeks.  We milk only once a day and that is in the mornings, keeping milk back for the kids.  So, with that in mind I am getting 18 litres of milk per day when we remove the kids.  On weekends we don’t milk so we leave the kids with their moms for the full time and that way we are able to get away with not milking.  Cows are a different story as they need to be milked every day regardless otherwise, they get mastitis.

With all this milk I have been making a Tomme on a weekly basis which will be ready towards the end of September and the rest of cheese such as chevre, marinated chevre, ash crottin and camembert is now available.

The pigs continue to grow at a quickly.  I send one off to the abattoir as he injured himself, and I decided to rather turn him into bacon than to treat him as he was at the correct weight.  Geoff and I worked the pig ourselves, which was an interesting learning experience but hard work.  Currently I have made bacon and coppa which will be ready from September onwards.  I made coppa from a previous pig which is currently curing, and this will be available towards the end of this month.

The poultry continue to thrive, with the goose laying eggs (seems a bit early in the season) and quite a few hens are sitting. We slaughtered another 15 roosters and I duly made chicken pies which are on offer this month.

I have been more active in the kraals this last while going through the sheep and goats myself.  Several ewes have lambed and one Hansie Persian lambed in freezing weather with a sweetest little Persian ewe lamb.  Unfortunately, the mom Emily (a first time mom) did not know how to feed her lamb. Luckily, we got to the lamb in time as she was on her way out from not having had any food.  I immediately tubbed her (put a tube into her stomach) and got Emilys milk (had to milk her ourselves) into her.  It was amazing to see the response from this lamb.  Her name is Poppy and I decided to keep her with us in the house as Emily just didn’t know how to feed.  Poppy sleeps in front of the fireplace has travelled everywhere with me to make feeding easier.

My pop up stand is generating lots of interest with other stall holders also on the Stoep of Lot44.  This is creating a lovely buzz and environment for locals and others to come together.  This stand takes place on the first and last Friday of every month.

For this month I have the following on offer:

  • Free ranging farm Chicken eggs.
  • Free ranging duck eggs
  • Creamy carrot soup made from the organic vegetables from the garden (vegetarian)
  • Tomato soup made from the organic vegetables from the garden
  • Chicken Pie
  • Chicken lasagna
  • Duck Pie
  • Marias Camdeboo Blend ground coffee 250g
  • Goat Milk soap

 

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.
Goat milk soap is both exfoliating and nourishing at the same time. It is handmade and excludes parabins and other nasty stuff.
The cheese boards are made from wild olive trees in the Camdeboo. Each piece is unique and has its own beauty. Because the stumps are not wide the boards could not be made in a large chopping board format as one piece of wood is used per board therefore the boards are not lamented or glued together.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Paarderkraal Produce August 2023 Price List

  • Chicken eggs (per 12 eggs) – R50.00
  • Duck eggs (per 6 eggs) – R30.00
  • Creamy carrot soup (600ml) – R50.00
  • Oven Roasted Tomato soup (600ml) – R50.00
  • Chicken Pie with homemade butter puff pastry
    – Small 300g – R80.00
    – Large 600g – R160.00
  • Farm reared chicken lasagna (600g) – R160.00
  • Duck Pie (600g) with homemade butter puff pastry – R180.00
  • Marias Camdeboo Blend ground coffee – R110.00
  • Goat milk soap – R80.00
  • Wild olive wooden cheese boards – R450


Please note:

  • All meals are frozen.
  • The dishes contain no pork and do not include rice.
  • Whilst every effort has been made to remove bones, care should be taken when consuming.
  • The bredie & pies are frozen.
  • Portion sizes are minimum: large 600gram of meat.

 

Thank you for your support!