Our environmental responsibility program:
One of our core values that made us farm organically, is our drive to produce fruit on a sustainable basis. We are developing a farming system that is robust, and where the quality of our soils improve every year. We are acutely aware of the need to farm in harmony with nature, and to always put back into our environment more than what we take out. 20% of our farms are conservation areas, and will remain so forever.
The more we build up our soils, the more we improve the quality of our fruit. We use compost and Lucerne (Medicago sativa) as a basis for our soil fertility program. A critical component of our compost - cattle manure -is sourced from our own organically fed herd.
By creating an ecologically balanced farm, many common pests and diseases are reducing in importance year by year. After years of farming organically, we see many signs that diversity is returning to our orchards - we see more earthworms in our soils, our dams are filled with frogs and orchards are alive with the hum of insects and the call of birds.
Organic Farming Cycle
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We continuously interact with scientific and research organizations to improve and understand our farming practices. A recent trial done by Rhodes University showed that in our soils, up to 90% of the larvae of a serious pest were destroyed by its natural enemies in the ground. We are reducing our carbon footprint in many ways. Old orchards, which used to be burnt, are now being chipped, and turned into compost. We are starting to plant Jatropha curcao, which we hope to develop into a renewable source of biodiesel in the future. |
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