Indholdsfortegnelse for Autumn 2017 i go! Platteland

Your feature on Hartbeespoort in Platteland #13 (Summer 2016/17) took me back 32 years to the time when my parents lived on a plot above the rail crossing on the Broederstroom side of the mountains overlooking the dam. My uncle, who owned the plot, worked for Pelindaba. The butchery in Broederstroom had the best boerewors, and I remember the tomatoes on the farm on the river’s edge. Your article brought back many memories, as all parties are deceased. (But we still visit Tan’ Malie se Winkel when in the area.) Elize le Grange, CAPE TOWN…

Flour from Moffett Milling & Malting and Lowerland (as well as bread and other products made with it) are available from the following places: • Moffett Milling flour JOHANNESBURG Jackson’s Wholefood Market, The Organic Emporium; FICKSBURG B+G Butchery; SOMERSET WEST Santa Anna’s • Lowerland flour and polenta JOHANNESBURG Jackson’s Wholefood Market; BLOEMFONTEIN Jack and Jill Food Co.; FICKSBURG B+G Butchery; CAPE TOWN Organic Zone; SOMERSET WEST Go Natural ( gonatural.co.za), Santa Anna’s (corn crisps and tortillas); STELLENBOSCH Spek & Bone, Joostenberg Deli & Bistro • Khorasan, white maize & sorghum SOMERSET WEST Go Natural (order online at gonatural.co.za) • Bread, cakes and pastries POLOKWANE Grin Court Private Nature Reserve; DURBAN Glenwood Bakery; BLOEMFONTEIN Jack and Jill Food Co.; CLOCOLAN-LADYBRAND The Cabin between Clocolan and Ladybrand; STELLENBOSCH Schoon; FRANSCHHOEK Boschendal, Leeu…

We all know the best-tasting tomatoes are the juicy sun-ripened fruit you grow in your own back garden, but in times of need it’s always good to know there are new types available in the shops, such as the ZZ2 Medley Mix (in a 600g punnet), which contains six varieties of red, brown, yellow, orange and pink tomatoes; and the ZZ2 175g snack cup of Spanish Santé tomatoes – both great for salads or to satisfy hunger pangs that strike while you’re at your desk. ZZ2 marketing manager Clive Garrett says these two new products meet the growing demand worldwide for bitesized fruit, although the classic round tomato remains a nutritional staple to the majority of people in Africa. Platteland also likes the company’s Nature Farming concept (a registered trademark).…

SEASONAL GARDENING Eiden Griffin, an experienced designer and maker of gardens, offers seasonal gardening courses at Fordoun, Nottingham Road, KwaZulu- Natal. He promises to balance the practical aspects with fun. The courses cost R300 each. • 11 March | AUTUMN PLANTING Increase your garden production with plants that prefer cooler weather and learn about their particular needs. • 22 April | PREPARE FOR WINTER Master a few skills to make sure your vegetables, herbs and fruit trees stay healthy right through winter. Bookings plantabundance. wordpress.com 083 429 2867 MAKE MONEY WITH GEESE • 13 & 14 May | GEESE FARMING Top-quality goose down is in great demand. George Craven from Noorspoort Guest Farm near Steytlerville presents a two-day course covering everything you need to know about farming with geese. Bookings…

Berry and Lavender Jelly R50 Dalewood Fromage dalewood.co.za 021 200 2580 Variety of pots and vases R449–R699 Rialheim rialheim.co.za Vyevreugde Figfun Fig Preserve in Brandy (160g) R48 Checkers checkers.co.za (selected stores); Vyevreugde Figfun figfun.co.za 083 320 7389 Dinner plate R25 Side plate R15 Checkers checkers.co.za 021 980 4000 (head office) Large wicker basket R428 Agrimark kaapagri.co.za Garden Master hedge shears (500mm) R198 Builders builders.co.za 0860 284 533 Hand-made messenger bag (made of denim and cotton; medium) R250 Hot Pink Frog Designs Hot Pink Frog Designs 082 888 3262 Peacock cushion R150 Builders builders.co.za 0860 284 533 SHOPPING Croquis sketchbook from Japan R180 Waza wazashop.co.za Cat play park (height 1,2m) about R1 750 Absolute Pets absolutepets.com 021 510 0897 Geco Clean Living Prozyme Drain Maintenance Cleaner (1 litre) R66 Agrimark kaapagri.co.za…

The current deputy chairperson, Marietha Mentz (No 19) is a former home-economics teacher. She was once widely known for her nastergal jam, but today she focuses on baking. She and her husband, Hein, also have four greenhouse tunnels full of spinach on their farm. Her dream is to publish a Tuiskoop cookbook one day. The jolly Cobus de Vos (No 29), the only man on the board of directors, has been farming near Ermelo since 2001 with cattle, chickens, maize and soya beans. He supplies Tuiskoop with baked goods and maize cobs (firelighters), and his wife, Joe, covers clothes hangers. (Apologies for the closed eyes, Cobus, but your eyes were only open in one of the photos we took – see opposite! – Eds.) The chairperson for the past 12…

At the end of summer, the Swartland can look quite bleak. After months of scorching temperatures and not a drop of rain, the veld and the fields of wheat stubble are dry and drab. Every living thing appears tired, especially when the southeaster sweeps through on its mission to blow decent rainfall to the north of the country. (It’s also the southeaster that deposits a thick layer of smoke here when the Boland is burning.) This is not, however, the case on the Malmesbury side of the Riebeek Valley. Here, at the hem of Kasteelberg with its belly full of water, the world still has colour. The grapes have been harvested and the vines are starting to develop a rusty hue. The olive trees, their branches heavy with fruit, glimmer…

The worst thing about Kasteel, says Eve Thompson of Eve’s Eatery in the Short Street development, is the children begging on the streets. “That’s why, last August, Sam Rogers and I started the Beggars CAN be Choosers project, which involves us entertaining and feeding the children from 15:00 on Friday afternoons. Since then, more helpers have come on board and we are now feeding about 25 children every week.” They also assist the children with maths, offer drawing classes and play soccer with them. But there’s one condition: they have to go to school. “We know everyone in town,” says Eve, “and if I see someone on the street during school hours, I warn them that they won’t be playing with us on Friday. Yes, they will receive food, but…

• 25 March Go-Kart Derby – the theme this year is… wait for it… The Great Gatsby! Riebeek Valley Go-Kart Derby • 6 & 7 May 2017 Olive Festival – the major event on the Riebeek calendar. Then you almost can’t move in the valley. riebeekvalleyolivefestival.co.za • 5 August PPC Mountain Marathon – known as the Comrades of the Boland ppc.co.za • 11-13 August Solo Studios – The works of 13 local artists will be exhibited. solostudios.co.za klaus@solostudios. co.za (Klaus Piprek) • For a list of events, visit riebeekvalley.info/ riebeek-valley-events.htm…

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise,” warns the Book of Proverbs. And indeed, if you were to stretch your telepathic feelers and listen carefully to what ants and other animals have to say, you could get more than just a lesson in work ethics. Worldwide, a growing number of people are communicating telepathically with animals and other living beings, and so-called pet psychics get great exposure on television. In 2013, millions of viewers sat glued to their screens watching the documentary The Animal Communicator about controversial Cape animal communicator Anna Breytenbach and her interaction with wild animals. A tall tale? A ruse? No, say the people within this field: communicating with animals is a natural, innate ability that modern humans, in our artificial environment,…

“We found large boulders when we dug our home’s foundations in 2009. Naturally the rocks spoke to me, as I was born in Namibia. Right there, I decided to start a rock garden – a piece of Namibia in the Boland. It grew to such an extent that my whole front yard soon became a succulent garden. As a substitute for the Namibian camelthorn tree, I planted a fever tree and further decorated the garden with different kinds of desert roses, sour figs, grasses and a tree aloe. The garden is striking, it requires little attention and water, and I think it was cheaper to establish than a “traditional” garden. It’s lovely when your neighbour comes across to tell you your garden looks so pretty, even though it’s very dry…

• BECOME A MEMBER Join the Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Southern Africa (BDAASA), which offers courses and sells biodynamic preparations, books and an annual lunar and planting calendar. bdaasa.org.za info@bdaasa.org.za 021 881 3628 • DO A COURSE The BDAASA offers one- and two-year courses as well as workshops and lectures on subjects such as bio dynamic compost, biodynamic preparations and bee farming. training@bdaasa.org.za • READ A BOOK The BDAASA sells various books. My favourites are Rudolf Steiner’s The Philosophy of Freedom and his original Agriculture Course (R180 for members, R210 for non-members). I think Frenchman Nicolas Joly is the best modern writer on this form of agriculture. Phone 021 881 3740 or send an email to angusm@ spier.co.za to buy his wonderful book Biodynamic Wine Demystified. • SEARCH THE INTERNET…

LIGHT & FRUITY DESSERT Granadilla cheesecake with yoghurt and pomegranate seeds This light cake looks like the lid of a jewel box, and the tartness of the granadilla helps tone down the sweetness. The Lemon Cream biscuits make a delicious crust. Serves 6-8 Preparation time 20 minutes Refrigeration time 4 hours or overnight You need FOR THE CRUST • 5 Lemon Cream biscuits, crushed • 2 tablespoons (30ml) melted butter FOR THE CHEESECAKE • ¾ cup (180ml) cold tap water • 1 x 250g Ina Paarman’s Lemon Flavour Cheesecake • 1 cup (250ml) fresh cream • ¼ cup (60ml) granadilla pulp, fresh or tinned FOR THE TOPPING • 1 cup (250ml) Greek-style double-cream yoghurt • 2 tablespoons (30ml) granadilla pulp • ¼ cup (60ml) pomegranate seeds This is how Line…

Write to us and tell us about your move to the platteland, the characters in your town, festivals and bazaars you love, things that bother you, your garden, animals and clever ideas... Send an email to letters@goplatteland.co.za or post it to Platteland Letters, PO Box 740, Cape Town 8000. We give preference to letters of fewer than 300 words. Remember to include your name and surname and, very importantly, the town where you live. Platteland reserves the right to edit and shorten letters at our discretion.…

As a plattelander, I’m really very pleased that we finally have our own magazine – one that fills everyone who reads it with nostalgia. We live in Breyten, Mpumalanga, near the source of the Vaal River, but the cows and chickens that scramble out of the way of cars here are more of a nuisance for us handful of gardeners, as they damage our gardens! Nothing around here looks quite as romantic as the spreads in Platteland, except when Ben and Winnie Oelofse put up their Christmas lights every year… We do, however, have the most beautiful sunsets and one of the most beautiful landscapes in South Africa, but it is difficult to open it up to the public, as so many people don’t respect your property. For a long…

In Platteland #11 (Winter 2016) you published a letter with my tips to save water. My one son, who lives in Copenhagen, tells us that the people there, despite having no water shortages, are very aware of water conservation. He says the showers at the public pools are all equipped with a system that removes the bacteria from the used water so that the next person can shower in the same water. Here in Paarl, even in winter, we use large buckets to catch our shower water and use it to flush the toilets. I add a few drops of bleach to the water while it’s standing to prevent the formation of bacteria (this, of course, won’t do for house holds where little kids crawl around). I really don’t want…

I grew up on a farm near Steytlerville, a town you wrote about in Platteland #8 (Spring 2015), but I’ve since been studying in Stellenbosch and am currently home for the holidays. My parents had to leave the farm about four years ago and moved to town. As I cycled on the dirt road this morning, I thought of how Platteland depicts rural life. You do a great job of capturing its beauty and truth in the little stories and attractions, but there is a hardship to rural life that I think you’re conveniently avoiding. Towns in the platteland are traditionally maintained and upheld by the farmers of the district. Yes, more recently tourism is playing an increasingly important role in certain towns and I am sincerely grateful for the…

After reading the story about composting toilets in Platteland #13 (Summer 2016/17), I realised my whole lifestyle is based on three Ds: when you decide at an advanced age to convert a piece of land in a pine plantation into a self-sustaining dwelling, you simply have to be dumb and daring. Add to that a limited budget, and the whole affair becomes desperate too. • Now that I have only a solar panel and generator, I cannot believe how much electricity and water I used to waste while still living in “civilisation”. You realise how little lighting and electrical appliances you actually need, and you manage quite well in the half-light of sunsets and early mornings. • You can’t tell me anything about saving water, because when you have to…

GAUTENG Succulent Society Autumn Show, Emmarentia 11 & 12 March Admire prize-winning plants on show and spoil yourself with a beautiful succulent from South Africa, Madagascar or the rest of Africa. Then walk through the botanical garden and enjoy a picnic or take the weight off your feet in the tea garden. Where? Floreum Hall, Johannesburg Botanical Garden Time From 09:00 Cost Free Contact jhbss.info@gmail.com or rauschanthony@gmail.com MPUMALANGA Wakkerstroom Music Festival 17-21 March The peace and quiet for which Wakkerstroom is renowned will, for the eighth consecutive year, be replaced with classical music shows to raise funds for promising music students who want to further their studies. Visit the website for the full programme, bookings and accommodation options. Where? Several venues in and around town Contact wmfestival.co.za info@wmfestival.co.za WESTERN CAPE…

Probably the only thing more mouthwatering than a syrupy-sweet fresh fig is an entire festival devoted to the fruit. At the third annual XTN Fig Festival you can not only sample fresh figs but also try fig bread, jam, salad dressing, chutney and beer – yes, the festival boasts the country’s first fig beer, which will only be available to taste on the farm on 1 and 2 April. For the past few months, the Eksteen Family Farm has been following biological farming methods and making its own compost. The profits of the festival will go towards establishing a youth-andcommunity development centre on the farm that will offer extramural, computer and kitchen facilities to staff. Here are a few festival highlights: Pick and taste figs Tractors and trailers will transport…

COOKBOOKS Super Clean Super Foods by Fiona Hunter and Caroline Bretherton Overwhelmed by all the clean eating advice out there? This book is the ultimate nutritional guide to more than 90 superfoods. Learn how to prepare unfamiliar ingredients and which ingredients to mix with tips for 200 tasty ways to prepare your superfoods. R340 Penguin Random House penguinrandomhouse.co.za 011 327 3550 WIN 1: Super Feast with Sababa: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean by Tal Smith with photography by Russell Smith Deli owner Tal Smith again delivers a recipe book filled with uncomplicated, wholesome dishes – with a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean twist. It’s the kind of healthy affordable food everyone would love to cook at home. R310 Jacana Media jacana.co.za 011 628 3200 WIN 1: Sababa Plentiful: The Big Book of…

Distance from the big city? Only 55km from the Johannesburg CBD and 70km from Sandton Services The new Heidelberg Mall means the town stocks everything you might need. Most banks have branches in town, as do many car dealerships. Nearest hospital The Life Suikerbosrand Hospital in Heidelberg has an emergency unit and good doctors, and is visited by specialists on a weekly basis. lifehealthcare.co.za 016 342 9200 Nearest retirement development Riversands Lifestyle & Retirement Estate is a neat, safe complex. riversands retirement.co.za 082 552 2775 Schools Volkskool Primary laervolkskool.co.za, AG Visser Primary agvisser.co.za and Volkskool High School volkiesh.co.za Nearest Woolies In the Heidelberg Mall! (Goodbye, Sandton. – Eds.) Municipality Heidelberg is the seat of the Lesedi Local Municipality, which also includes the towns of Devon, Nigel and Vischkuil and falls…

R790 000 Three-bedroomed house in Rensburg with two bathrooms, an openplan living area and a lovely garden. Property Park propertypark.co.za 016 349 6215 R1,9 million A beautiful old house with a veranda, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a separate cottage and a pool. Aloe Realtors aloerealtors.co.za 016 341 6115 R2,14 million Spacious three-bedroom in a sought-after complex with two bathrooms, braai room and double garage. Carin Howell, Access Property Group 083 454 6011 R950 000 Four-bedroomed house on a 2 356m² smallholding on the banks of the Poortspruit. There’s also a one-bedroomed cottage with a separate entrance. Property Park 016 349 6215 R1,995 million A modern three-bedroom with dining, living and sitting rooms, two bathrooms, a study, a pool and a lapa. Heidi van Niekerk, Access Property Group 083 658 9701…

“Grace – all pure grace,” says Ona Enslin about the fact that she and the women who work for her make about 500kg-550kg of pies each month for Tuiskoop and a restaurant in Dullstroom. She used the money to put her own children through school and university, as well as the grandson of her domestic worker, Tryphina Mtambo – Piet is now a teacher. What’s more, here on the farm – a stone’s throw from Chrissiesmeer – baking isn’t limited to the sought-after beef, mince-and-veg, chicken-and-sherry, pepper-steak, ham-and-cheese, game, lamb and bobotie pies they produce. There is also a variety of biscuits, apple-andpineapple tartlets, cheese-and-onion biscuits, fruit cubes, chicken-andbeef meat rolls, cupcakes… Then, they also make the peachand- banana chutney used for the sausage roll filling. And don’t forget the…

CHRISTINE HANEKOM PIP is an initiative by Capetonian Janine Greyling that keeps senior women in the valley busy knitting and crocheting. Janine supplies the wool and orders, and people like Tannie Christine, who turns 77 in April, crochet blankets, scarves and other items. In her flat in Humanitas, part of the ACVV retirement facility in West, Tannie Christine’s fingers fly as she works the wool with her crochet needle. “I crochet for a minimum of six hours per day, because once I get an order it must be finished. Luckily my hands are still very healthy; I have no complaints. “One square takes me half an hour, and the large blankets about three weeks at the most. I spend evenings crocheting in front of the TV – I don’t have…

The name of the actual instigator, says Barend, the instigator’s son, is Ben Coetzer, a system specialist (electronic engineer) of Moreleta Park, Pretoria. And Ben loves playing around with stuff, says his wife, Este. And experimenting. And reading. Especially reading. A number of years ago, she tells us, Ben decided to bake some sourdough bread on a whim. Not with commercial yeast – with a wild yeast starter. His first attempt – a pain au levain (a basic sourdough bread) – turned out significantly better than those the Coetzers used to buy at the supermarket back then. And, just like that, the shop lost a loyal bread buyer. Ben continued devouring books and carried on baking like nobody’s business in-between. In 2009, the Coetzers paid a visit to Este’s sister…

T he grey folds of the Kleinrivier Mountain. Butterflies. A hasty tortoise. Pincushions that bloom orange-red. You experience all this just on the walk from Fernkloof Nature Reserve’s parking lot to the Fernkloof Indigenous Nursery located inside the reserve. Jack and Kathy Bold, who’ve been running the nursery for the past 17 years, are usually both occupied with customers, because although the nursery is small, it gets very busy. Here you’ll find more than 300 indigenous plant species that can withstand the coastal wind and weather – from proteas and ericas and restios to gazanias, pelargoniums and agapanthus – and the prices are reasonable. “I love indigenous plants,” Kathy says. “They offer endless possibilities.” Jack grows all the plants from seeds and cuttings himself, but sometimes business is so brisk…

Zigi says… • This project is really not as difficult as it seems, as long as you concentrate when doing the angles and sawing – of which there is a lot! • Browse hardware stores for a wheelbarrow wheel with an axle. It could cost up to R600, but we found a sturdy wheel at Builders for R200. You many even have an old wheel lying about that you can use. Get everything ready SHOPPING LIST • 6 lengths (1,8m) treated pine lap boards, 13mm x 100mm • 2 lengths (1,8m) treated pine beams, 38mm x 38mm • 50 wood screws (8mm x 30mm) • 3 lengths (1,8m) treated pine beams, 38mm x 76mm • 2 round-headed bolts (8mm x 90mm) with lock nuts • wheelbarrow wheel with axle •…

STARTER Soufflé with mushrooms and Gruyère This dish is like a soufflé that doesn’t rise, so you don’t have to worry about it flopping. But do serve it immediately, as it’s at its best straight from the oven. Serve it with a bowl of bitter green leaves with some bite, such as rocket, baby spinach or radicchio. Serves 6 Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes You need • 2 tablespoons (30ml) butter • ½ onion, finely chopped • 500g mushrooms, chopped into bite-sized pieces • ½ teaspoon (2,5ml) salt • 1/3 cup (80ml) dry sherry • 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh thyme leaves • rocket, baby spinach or radicchio, to serve FOR THE BATTER • 3 eggs • ½ teaspoon (2,5ml) salt • 1½ cups (375ml) milk • 2/3…

By now we know Platteland readers are people who like making plans, making things and learning new skills. Because in the platteland you may have fresh air and sunshine and great people, but not all the conveniences of the city. It’s no surprise that the workshops we held in 2015 and 2016 were so popular. This year we’re doing it again. And it’s two old acquaintances who’ll be showing you the ropes once more. In Hartbeespoort and Paarl, Annelien Pienaar (below left) will be teaching readers how to make mozzarella and feta, as well as labneh, a yoghurt cheese, while at the same time launching her first cookbook, Boerekos met ’n Twist. And in Bloemfontein, Marcelle Botha (below right) takes her bread-making course of last year up a few notches:…

At the checkout she digs in her wallet for money and sighs: “Where are the good old days? I grew up in the platteland, you know, and those were such cheap times.” The woman reminds me a little of my grand mother, but my grandmother certainly didn’t long for days gone by, because, while there were indeed good and beautiful things, it was definitely not all sunshine and roses: dung floors, drawing water in a bucket from the furrow, the slop bucket, chamber pots and the long drop… a life with few amenities and appliances. Think back to the world of the quack and midwife, miscarriages and infant deaths, home remedies, superstitions and fear. What do you know about laundry starch, paraffin lamps, tallow candles and snuffers, dung-fuelled fires and…

What a joy it was to see Antie Bettagoed on Platteland’s cover. Through Betta’s eyes, lifestyle and artist’s soul, you see the Kalahari in a completely new way. Yet she has not only helped the Bushmen produce exclusive handmade products but has also helped Zulu women in the rural areas of KZN to make handmade products, sold under the name Zimele. It’s an absolute privilege to see Francoise and her blue bus in “her” environment, to know what she is doing and how close she’s living to the earth. Here is a woman who makes a big difference with the smaller things in life. Hessie Bormann, FAIRLAND, JOHANNESBURG…

Many of us have a nostalgic yearning for the platteland because of our earliest childhood memories. Those youthful impressions may often be sentimental, but their sweetness lingers on. No one would describe Stellenbosch today as being a platteland town. But when I was a small boy growing up there in the 1950s, I remember it as a sleepy dorp far from the city. We used to go barefoot down to the Eerste River to collect birds’ eggs – small and speckled – none of which ever hatched. We had budgies in a big chicken-wire cage. We shot acorns from our ketties. Sometimes my dad brought us tortoises he had found crossing a farm road. We tickled their backs and fed them cabbage leaves, but they always disappeared after a few…

We are writing to congratulate you on producing such an excellent magazine. We have just returned to the UK after a three-week visit, staying with friends just north of Plettenberg Bay. They are honey producers who live in De Vlugt – a small dorp consisting of a scattering of a dozen small farms on the R339 in the middle of Prince Alfred’s Pass, halfway between the coast and Uniondale. On the bedside table in the guest room was a copy of Platteland #13 (Summer 2016/17), which we read from cover to cover. We then discovered a hoard of three years’ worth of back issues and these magazines provided us with inspirational reading throughout the holiday. We particularly like the “Town, people and things” features, your “no-nonsense/tell it like it is”…

Taste the terroir… in the flour! Terroir – the French word winemakers use to refer to the natural environment and factors such as soil, climate and topography that influence their wine – is also cropping up in the world of flour production. James and Vanessa Moffett have been farming organically for a quarter of a century on the farm Kirklington near Ficksburg in the Free State. They farm with a variety of crops for the local and European markets, and have learnt, often the hard way, that differences in soil, micro climate and location on one farm can make a big difference to the quality and baking properties of a single wheat variety. Farming practices therefore play an important role in the complexity and variations in flavour and properties of…

Ceramics, beadwork, wirework, wood work, jewellery, paper art, fabric painting and printing, leather work, quilting, glass work, embroidery… Are you someone who expresses their cultural heritage through contemporary craft work? Then you should act fast and enter the inaugural National Craft Competition, announced by the Innibos Laeveld Nasionale Kunstefees, before 31 March. The winner, who will be chosen by the creative management team of the festival and an expert judging panel, will receive R50 000, the runner-up R30 000 and the second runner-up R15 000. There will also be merit awards for the best up-and-coming craft artists. • To enter, submit a photo of your work, taken with a standard-size matchbox next to it to help the judges assess scale. Send your photo, name, surname and contact details by email…

I cried for the first time in 2003. Working in South Africa’s smallest and most threatened vegetation type (Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos) at the height of the expansion boom in Gordon’s Bay was an emotional roller coaster, with the cart mostly hurtling downhill. I was documenting the incredible variety of beautiful fynbos while it was being chipped away by rapacious developers who had figured out that it was cheaper to bulldoze their plots illegally than proceed through an environmental authorisation process with an uncertain result. As I returned from another tense meeting to see tractor-induced dust plumes rising from a plot next to Harmony Flats Nature Reserve, that sunny December afternoon had just proved to be too much. They say you need to know something before you love it and, having…

Heidelberg holds many stories – far more than most other South African towns. (Turn to “From way back to Nelson Mandela’s presidency” on page 29 for a brief history.) Even now, you can get a sense of what life was like during those crossroads days. Heidelberg is a bustling place that hosts large industries such as Eskort and British American Tobacco; the Karan Beef Feedlot, the largest one in Africa, is just 20km south of town; and the N3, the main highway between Johannesburg and Durban, skirts its eastern edge. Heidelberg is also know for its scenic beauty. Admittedly, as in many other platteland towns, the historical town centre has been some what neglected and a number of buildings are vacant, but on the face of it the streets are…

Hannes Kotzé Owner of an IT business “My children are the fourth generation to go to Volkskool. I used to work in Sandton, but there’s no way I would ever live there. No, I’d rather spend more on petrol. And the time spent on the road offers a good space to relax.” Nirvana Naidoo Floor manager at Eskort Butchery “I am one of the people who drive to Heidelberg to come to work. Seven years ago we moved from Durban to a smallholding near Nigel. I’ve worked at Eskort for five years and really enjoy it. There’s so much potential for growth. And I’ve learnt to speak Afrikaans.” Theo Etchell Owner of a construction company “It was great to be in charge of the restoration work at the railway station…

Don’t bother trying to sound out the 56 “members” – or rather, the official owners – of Tuiskoop about their nearly 47 abundant years. The “secret to their success” is quite clearly spelled out on an A4 sheet in the shop: “Those who make cakes are not just selling a product. They are selling their time, attention, talent and creativity. Support handmade.” There’s never been a shortage of the last two – talent and creativity – in South Africa, but the 24/7 merry-goround on which the middle class finds itself means that time and attention are scarce resources. And this is the problem that has been addressed here, on the corner of Joubert and Jan van Riebeeck streets in Ermelo, since 1 October 1970. On this day a handful of…

Eagle’s view A light aircraft offers you one of the best and fastest ways to see a large part of Namibia. With my brother, Henk, piloting a Jabiru aircraft, I went on a tour of the country a few years ago. For a landscape photographer, this is a great treat. In some cases the landing strips belong to the establishments where you’ll be overnighting, or to a local flying club. The pilots always do a fly-by first: they scan the length of the runway to see whether it’s okay to land there and to make sure there aren’t any animals you wouldn’t want to meet quite like that. If it’s level and the rocks have been scraped away, you can land – like Francois Snyders of Namibia Wildlife here with…

RIEBEEK-KASTEEL Hello Tuck Owner Angela Tuck and assistant Andre Aggenbach are more colourful than their wares: homeware, designer handbags and hats given new life by Andre. Everything is handmade, retro or upcycled. Short Street. Hello Tuck handsondesign@iafrica.com 022 448 1513 The Wine Kollective If you can drink it and it’s made from grapes grown in the Swartland, you will find it here. And yes, they deliver countrywide at cellar-door prices. thewinekollective. co.za anton@thewinekollective.co.za 022 448 1008 Crisp Market Fresh local produce, meat and cheeses, and imported foods you sometimes struggle to find in the city. Short Street. orders@ crispfineproduce.co.za 022 448 1769 Still Pure Fragrant products in all colours and aromas: essential oils, soaps, air fresheners, body creams… and mosquito repellent that won’t send your guests packing (it’s also not…

RIEBEEK-WEST Smuts House Statesman General Jan Christian Smuts was born on his grandfather’s farm, Bovenplaats, at Ongegund on 24 May 1870. In 1946 the farm was bought by cement company PPC and in 1975 the house was declared a National Monument. Gawie and Gwen Fagan oversaw the renovation and the house was officially opened by FW de Klerk, then the Minister of National Education, on 20 May 1986. It’s a wonderfully cool house with furniture from that era and, yes, wooden and dung floors. 022 461 8000 Riebeek Valley Garden Centre Owners André Beaurain and Corné Pretorius sell indigenous plants, orchids, succulents and bonsais, as well as compost and other gardening products. And they design gardens. Their new garden centre, two plots further along, should be ready by the end…

O ne moment you think you’re in the middle of nowhere. Veld all around you. Maize fields. Here and there a copse of eucalyptus trees. Everything is dry. A ruin in the veld that was once a farmhouse. You’re still thinking about Coligny, about 50km behind you – is that where Hestrie (then Storbeck) Els’s future lay once upon a time? On either side of the N14 you see the effect of the 2016 drought on the maize. Even the eucalyptus trees look a little dusty, windswept and thirsty. But there is a promise in the air: clouds are gathering dramatically in the sky. And yes, there’s a cloud with a silver lining. Is it your imagination, or is that the smell of rain blowing across the plains? Then you…

Meet Mr Waterwise Have a plant or a plant-related problem that’s puzzling you? Writer and horticulturist Ernst van Jaarsveld is sure to have the answer. Ernst van Jaarsveld spent four decades as horticulturist at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, has penned several books, including Wonderful Waterwise Gardening, and is well known for gardening columns. Ernst works handin- hand-with nature and is currently creating a succulent garden on the farm Babylonstoren outside Franschhoek. Are people more interested in watersaving gardens than when your book on the subject was first published 16 years ago? South Africa is very dry. This makes people look for ways to reduce their water needs. It’s noteworthy that many gardens today have smaller lawns than before. Gardeners also make greater use of organic and inorganic soil blankets.…

“Organic” has been a buzzword in food, agriculture and health circles for a long time, and just about every third product you come across these days boasts a contemporary (and usually more expensive) “organic” label. Increasing numbers of consumers think they understand what the term encompasses, yet not many people can say the same about the more esoteric word “biodynamic”. The correct translation from the German – life-force farming – contains the key to understanding how it differs from organic (and conventional) farming, but first there’s a story from long ago that has to be told… Agriculture then and now Since agriculture began – and up to 1910 – every farmer on the planet was an organic farmer. Rivers were still pristine and clear, but today most river water is…

Once upon a time almost every garden had a pomegranate tree. It was a childhood delight to break open the fruit and wolf down the arils that would stain your hands and clothes. Suddenly, sometime in the 1970s, when you opened the fruit, instead of being ruby red, they would be spoiled and often had what looked like a worm inside them. And so the old pomegranate trees were cut down. Pomegranate culture all but disappeared in South Africa and we even forgot how to open and whack out the ruby red arils (we show you how on page 106). The reason: a pest called false codling moth. But, like Ouma’s old dress, things have a way of coming around again. Over the past 16 years a pomegranate renaissance has…

EASY LUNCH Pork and pomegranate pilaf This delicious rice dish will transport you straight to the exotic East. Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes You need • 1kg pork fillet • ¼ cup (60ml) cake flour • 3 tablespoons (45ml) sesame oil • ¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce • ½ cup (125ml) pomegranate juice (see the tip on page 106) • 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice • 2 tablespoons (30ml) honey • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 teaspoon (15ml) chilli sauce • 1 cup (250ml) broccoli florets • 250g mushrooms, chopped • ¼ cup (60ml) sesame seeds • ½ cup (125ml) pomegranate seeds • 50g almond flakes FOR THE RICE • 3 tablespoons (45ml) coconut oil • 1 cup (250ml) brown rice • a 2cm…

When and where? We’re heading north again, to Hartbeespoort and Bloemfontein, but Capetonians need not despair: Annelien’s bringing the cheese-making course to the Cape, too. Cheese-making course Saturday, 8 July 2017 at Rhebokskloof in Paarl, and Saturday, 2 September 2017 at Van Gaalen Kaasmakerij in Hartbeespoort. Advanced bread-making course Saturday, 9 September 2017 at Demo-Den in Bloemfontein. Price R1 370 per person. This includes the workshop, recipes, all the ingredients, coffee, tea and snacks, and lunch with a glass of Warwick wine. Plus you leave with everything you’ve made, as well as a lovely gift pack with all sorts of surprises, including a Platteland apron and a six-month digital subscription to Platteland. BOOK NOW Email Donvé Myburgh at donve. myburgh@media24.com or call her on 021 443 9830. Remember, we only…

“Is one never allowed to actually use old furniture?” My housemate’s hand hovered at half-mast, holding the ice-cold beer he had intended placing on the bare table top. Indignant. Because the second I had noticed the droplets of condensation on the outside of the glass, I had placed a coaster directly under the bottle. Lightning fast. “These are antiques,” I said sternly. The yellowwood dough box. The desk. The kitchen table that, on the farm, had been covered by both a sheet and tablecloth to protect its surface. These pieces have lasted 50 years, my face tells him. They aren’t easy to find. Don’t mess with them now. Our farm was on the dry side of Albertinia, near the bridge across the Gourits River, where a giant of a woman…