Frankie's Friday Farm Facts: #4

Today's Fact:

THIS is how you change down-pipes on a pivot:

Looks like fun you say? Not for someone who is absolutely TERRIFIED of heights! And it doesn't help that the whole thing sways and moves about while you are trying to reattach said pipe at a very precarious angle above your head! I have visions of broken body parts and impaled limbs every time I do this...I know, I'm a pansy when it comes to heights. But if there's one thing you learn farming, it's that you've got to do what you've got to do. If that means getting over my fear of heights in an unusual way, then so be it!

Speaking of heights, the new pivots arrived this week! They are currently being installed and are looking rather fabulous and new and shiny! Even Frankie got excited when she saw them starting to go up. The guys who are installing them are so quick, everything should be up and ready by next week! Now all we need is the rain to fill the dams....

You have a delivery!

Frankie working hard, as usual

Hard at work putting in the new 8 tower pivot...

How cool to have a trenching machine! Trench anyone??

So it's all actually happening, and we are super excited for the new changes on the farm. No more towing of little pivots from one pasture to another - these bad boys are going to solve a lot of headaches and heartbreaks!

Now, let it rain, let it rain, let it Rrrrraaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnn!!!!

xxxxxxx

Frankie's Friday Farm Facts: #3

This weeks fact:

Cows are grass-processing factories

The daily dry-matter intake of your average dairy cow can be anything from 2-2.5% of their body weight. If you say our average cow weight is about 550kg, that translates to 11kg per cow per day. Doesn't sound like that much, you say? Well, that's a whopping 4730kg (4.7 tons) of grass a day for our entire milking herd!

Frankie measuring pastures...

So, as you would rightfully assume, we spend a lot of our time as farmers ensuring that there is enough food for the cows. This involves planting, fertilising and measuring pastures, as well as ensuring there is enough winter feed for when the grass stops growing. We plant mielies (that would be "maize" to the guys north of the equator, and "corn" to all the americans...) in Spring that we chop up in Autumn to feed over winter. So right now we have just finished planting all of our mielies, and we're starting to develop some parts of the farm to put in a new 70ha pivot of irrigated rye grass. It may sound like greek to you all, but we are super excited about getting some more grass planted!

 

Baby mielie plants arriving...

Before and after: Clearing brush to make way for the new pivot.

Pulling out hedges

 

Frankie checking out the new cables for the pivot

Exciting new changes coming for Kildare farms! Watch this space! 

Have an awesome weekend peeps xxx

 

Frankie's Friday Farm Facts: #2

Dale enjoys being on the farm. It was one of my biggest concerns when we decided to come back farming - taking him away from the sea to live in the rural midlands. But he loves it out here. So much so that he has invested in a small beef herd this Spring...

This week's fact:

Karkloof Farm has a beef herd!

These 30 little guys arrived last month and will be fattened up over the next few months, then sold before the Winter arrives. The idea is that they get fat on the veld and then we get more for them than what we paid when we sell them in Autumn. When it works, its hugely rewarding, but it can be a big gamble too! 

But they're so pretty to look at...

  

Frankie is not too sure about these little brown bovines though...she prefers stalking the heifers through the fence at home - much safer!

Frankie's Friday Farm Facts: # 1

Now that I am slowly weaning myself from social media (which has been surprisingly easy), I find that my excuse for visiting the computer at regular intervals has been removed. So, in order to force myself to sit down at least once a week and put "pen to paper", I thought it would be fun to introduce a weekly post to the blog.

A lot of you have mentioned that you miss the farm stories and posts on Facebook. Well, here is your chance to catch up on all the wholesome goodliness of farm life. As some of you will know, Frankie loves to come farming with me. If I leave her at home for whatever reason, she gives me the guilt-trip stare upon my return and then refuses to leave my side for the rest of the evening in fear that I will leave her behind again if I have to go somewhere. She is my constant companion and does a lot of farming as a result. So who better to update you all on farm life than this avid little farmer?!

We'll post some fun facts about farming every Friday, and some pics from the week to show you what we've been up to. We learn something new every day on the farm, and it is always entertaining to watch Frankie's reaction to a number of new experiences!

This week's fact:

Lightning is a force to be reckoned with!

Could you believe that a single lightning strike could make a huge oak tree literally explode?! Neither could Frankie...

Mother nature is pretty scary at times, especially when you work outside for most of the day. I remember one day walking through a paddock to check on cows and it was so misty that you couldn't see a metre ahead of you, and the next minute, all of my hair started to stand up with static electricity. Not a second later, a huge Pine tree next to me lit up with blue light and a deafening boom of thunder rattled my bones.
Needless to say, I dropped to the ground absolutely terrified, and once I had regained some composure (and checked that I hadn't actually shat in my pants...) then proceeded to sprint back to the truck and head for shelter!

In 2011 we lost 7 heifers in a thunderstorm - one bolt of lightning hit them as they were all huddled together under a tree together. In 2012, we lost a single heifer, and (touch wood) nothing since then. Battling the elements is a daily occurrence in farm life, but none are as freaky for me as those electrical bolts that can catch you unaware at any time.

And Frankie seems to agree. Every time there is a thunderstorm at home, she is on my lap seeking comfort and hiding from the bright flashes and alarming rumbles. Clever girl if you ask me...

To end off, how cute is the following picture of wild flowers growing in last Summer's tractor tracks? A splash of colour in the growing green grazing! Karkloof Farm is once again coming alive...

Farewell to my furry little friend

When the first great cause of things left man to evolve with time, he put a lesser body, a fragment of love divine, to give to the poorest beggar a love that would make him a king. To kiss the hand that is empty, when fortune and friends take wing. As a name for the small creature, reflecting the love of God, man spelled his creator backwards and called his small likeness DOG.
V.M Elgey (Thank you Graham)

I fell in love with my little golden doggy the first time I saw him eight and a half years ago. We met under dubious circumstances as I had just been burgled in my little flat in Stellenbosch, and feeling extremely violated and vulnerable, I rushed off to the SPCA to find myself a ferocious guard dog.

I came home with Luigi.

 

He chose me I think...I was caught off guard by the mass of golden curls. With no manners to speak of and gorgeous big brown eyes, he stole my heart from the word go. An unlikely choice for a guard dog, he actually surprised us all by being fiercely loyal and a companion that I knew would keep me safe as long as he lived.

Probably the most travelled pooch in the whole country, anyone who knew us during varsity days will know that he went almost everywhere with us; to the beach during study breaks, on wine tours, up the wild coast for weekends away - he was a remarkably adaptable traveller who never made any fuss about being in a car for long periods.

The great trek home from Stellenbosch to Nottingham Road was undertaken with ease, and the trip always felt a little bit shorter with him riding shotgun, his happy little head hanging out the window with his tongue flapping in the wind.

He crept into our hearts, and the hearts of all of our friends.

Always the happiest little dog, even to the end. You will be missed terribly my boy, I'm so sorry you are gone, but I hope that you are resting peacefully and in no more pain. May you finally be able to jump off balconies and fly after those annoying hadedas, and may your heaven be a big mud bath that never ends. Thank you for teaching Guinness and Frankie all about us and regaling them with your stories about your adventures - I'm sure they will miss you as much as we will.

Sleep well little dog. Good boy.

Hope when you take that jump
You don't feel the fall
Hope when the water rises
You built a wall
Hope when the crowd screams
They're screaming your name
Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

Hope that you fall in love
And it hurts so bad
The only way you can know
You gave it all you had
And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain
Hope when the moment comes,
You'll say

I, I, I
I did it all
I, I, I
I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah with every broken bone
I swear I lived

Hope that you spend your days
And they all add up
And when that sun goes down
Hope you raise your cup
Oh, oh oh
I wish that I could witness
All your joy
And all your pain
But until my moment comes
I'll say

I, I, I
I did it all
I, I, I
I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah with every broken bone
I swear I lived

With every broken bone
I swear I lived
With every broken bone
I swear I

I, I, I
I did it all
I, I, I
I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah with every broken bone
I swear I lived

 (One Republic - "I Lived")

Time to simplify

I feel like I have lost my humanity. I am a slave to technology, and will freely admit it. Technology has become something so ingrained in our society that we feel like we cannot live without it...but have we even tried?? Would you stop breathing if your TV died right now? Would you need to be rushed to the emergency room if you couldn't get Facebook to load on your i-phone/pad? Could you go a single day without using your phone or checking your email and not break out in hives because of it?

Is it just me or has the world gone completely mad?!

Something, somewhere, has gone terribly wrong...

Being a whole year and one day older than I was yesterday (which makes me sooooo much wiser...) has got me thinking about what I really want to do with my time left on this planet. Checking FB every hour or so to see what everyone else around the world is doing with their time just seems so backwards right now! When did we get so involved in each others' lives that we started to completely miss out on living our own?! Is it really more important to catch your TV series than to go out with friends and enjoy a meal together? Or even just sit at home and enjoy the company of your significant other?

Instead of buying ready-to-eat meals in the frozen section, to reheat in your microwave and watch in front of your favourite TV show, why not plant your own vegetable garden or visit the local market? You don't need to own a farm to grow your own produce or eat healthy. And you'll have plenty of free time if you get rid of your TV and turn off your phone after 5pm.

Instead of reaching for your phone to take a photo of the amazing sunset so that you can post in on Facebook later and feel all warm and fuzzy when everyone comments on it; why not reach for your glass of wine and simply savour the moment. The truth is, no-one really cares about your sunset -  they should be out enjoying their own!

If you want to know what John and Jill have been up to - instead of poking them on Facebook or sending them an abbreviated, hardly legible whatsap message - phone them and talk to them. Invite them to lunch/dinner. Get involved.

Have you ever stopped to think about what we did before Facebook/Twitter/Whatsap/Skype/Email...? People could actually have an intelligent and MEANINGFUL conversation with each other, because they didn't know when they were going to be in contact again. You could go out to dinner and not be interrupted by someone at the table answering their phone or checking to see how many "likes" their selfie got on FB.

(Source: http://mkalty.org/technology-quotes/)

My revelation has inspired me to simplify my life.

As of right now, I am going to commit to de-technologizing (new word) myself.

I don't think it is going to be easy - and I hope I am not coming across as a self-righteous hypocrite, because I know that I am a slave to technology myself - and going cold-turkey would not be wise. So I am going to wean myself slowly...starting by deleting the FB app off my phone, and deleting my Twitter account. Also, I think the TV can go...what is there to watch that is actually going to change my life? Really?

I think I will be able to survive checking FB once a day, on a computer. Maybe even get down to once a week (optimism!).


And no more phones/I-pads in bed. That's just counter productive, literally. I don't know how people can even have TV's in their bedrooms...its complete madness.

I want to get more involved in my life. ME. HUBBY. WINE... you know, all that important stuff. Get back in touch with the real, tangible world and stop the downward spiral into the fake world that has been created by technology...







PS: Please follow me on email (click the link on your right) if you would like to keep in touch with the Introspective Soliloquist! Facebook weaning is inevitable... and let me know what you think of the new look!



Beef, blooms and bonfires

 It has come to that time of the year again...the time to invest in some beef stock! Last year, Dale and Pops bought some beef animals together to try their hand at beef farming. Everything went so well that this year Dale has decided to do it again - this time on his own, with a small herd of 30 oxen! 

So on Thursday morning, before the blustery south easterly brought the refreshingly cool weather to quench the Midlands desert, we rounded up the staff and set off up the road to select our beef herd from the neighbour's fine young stock. Once sorted and weighed, we rounded them up and walked them the approximate 4km to Karkloof Farm, where Dale enjoyed his first experience of dealing with herding cattle - not the easiest task! 

But my oh my did they look like such a breath of fresh air against the barren post-winter-early-spring veld. There's nothing quite like watching your own animals arrive on the land to be fattened up and sold for a profit! Best investment ever... 

As we got the boys settled into their new home, the winds of change blew a misty breath over the Midlands and everything was covered with a white blanket of cloud. The cooler weather couldn't have come at a better time as we have been desperate for some moisture for a while now. Walking through the garden this evening, all the buds have started to come alive, and hopefully now with this little sprinkling of drizzle, Spring will finally arrive on the farm!

While we await the warmer weather, the cold front has inspired some fire building and mandatory couch lounging...with the obligatory glass of wine, of course! Finding dry wood today was an adventure, but one that definitely paid off as we are currently snuggling on the couch, surrounded by our furry family, staring into the flames like cavemen. 

Bliss....

Viticultural vindication

Those of you who have visited the Midlands will know that we do not have a very good history of successful wine ventures... There are a couple of lovely spots where one can buy a good bottle of Cape wine, or even an international vintage or two - but generally one would not associate the Midlands to be synonomous with Wine and viticulture in general. Our climate isn't Mediteranean, our soils are too loamy, our weather is too British, and vines simply will not grow here.

 

Or so I was always led to believe.

 

A mere 10 minutes down the road from our house is the eye-opening, myth-debunking, rather delightful Abingdon Wine Estate. The farm was bought in 2000 by owners and winemakers, Ian & Jane Smorthwaite, and the first vines were planted in 2004. All the wine they produce is with grapes from the Estate - nothing is brought in from the Cape or elsewhere. Abingdon's maiden vintage, the Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2007, was the first ever certified estate wine made in KwaZulu-Natal.

I couldn't believe that it had taken us so long to discover this delightful little gem. We had of course heard about the Estate, but always assumed that they were another Midlands Meander Tourist attraction that would only last a couple of years, and probably had all their wines made in the Cape and then marketed them in KZN under false pretences.

How wrong we were!

Arriving amidst the first of the Spring rains, on a blustery, misty Midlands Sunday, we were greeted by warm smiles and a glowing fire. The tasting room is so cosy and inviting, and we immediately felt right at home in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine in hand. Here we met Ian, Jane and their daughter Laurie, all of whom work on the farm and in the cellar to produce their delicious Estate wines. This family is so passionate about producing quality wines in the KZN Midlands - and I couldn't believe how good they were! There is a unique subtlety to their wines that is simply charming and sets them apart from anything we've ever had in the Cape. Whether you prefer whites or reds, there is something for everyone.

Who would have thought that you could make great wines in the Midlands?? I never thought we would ever be able to relive or student days just around the corner from where we are farming dairy cows!

Needless to say, a "quick midday tasting" turning into 3 bottles of red wine, a gorgeous meal of roasted pork belly for me and fresh Dargle trout for Dale, and a late evening somewhat not-so-sober saunter home on the back roads...

A great surprise for a lazy Sunday stopover. I would strongly recommend that everyone I know who loves wine should "maak 'n draai" at Abingdon.

You wont be disappointed.

And you had better invite us to come along too - this is one place we will definitely be frequenting on a regular basis!

On a final note; while we were busy quenching our insatiable thirst for good wine, the heavens finally opened and ended our drought! Good things can only happen where wine is involved! Bring on Summer!!

Throwback Thursday

Nostalgia. With me, often brought on by association with a bottle of fine South African wine...tonight being no exception.

Being throwback Thursday and all, I thought I'd delve back into the Stellenbosch/Durban/Port Elizabeth archives and dig up some beauties. So many amazing people and so many crazy times. If I had to go back and do this all again, my body would leave me. I'm surprised my husband didn't leave me!

These photies need no captions....

Love you guys xxxx