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From farm to table, Waterkloof’s golden thread of sustainability runs right through every aspect, from our bio-dynamic vineyards to our magnificently appointed ‘restaurant in the sky’. To uphold our responsibility to protect and conserve the environment, we makes use of the principles of biodynamic and sustainable farming, and our actions are guided by these values. Recently, when filming The Waterkloof Story, we also filmed a number of our biodynamic practices in action.
Narrated by Farm Manager Christiaan Loots, each clip provides a valuable and interesting insight into what biodynamics at Waterkloof is all about. To view each video, simply click on the titles.
Permaculture
Waterkloof’s vegetable garden, which provides the restaurant with fresh produce, is designed with the principles of permaculture in mind, and companion planting is employed.
Nursery
We have established a nursery on the property, where we grow a variety of plant species (including Comfrey) which we then use in an extract form to spray onto the vines, as opposed to chemical sprays.
Horses
Each of our Percheron horses is capable of covering 8 hectares of the farm, drawing a specially-designed cart that has attachments for ploughing, carrying compost and containers for grapes during harvest.
Earthworm Farming
We have developed our own earthworm farm using old wine barrels, so that we can use earthworm tea on our vegetable and herb garden and occasionally in the vineyard.
Cattle
Our farming team also includes some Dexter cattle, all the way from Sutherland, who provide the manure to fill cow horns.
Composting
We make our own bacterial and fungal orientated compost to put life back into the soil. This assists the vines with absorption of nutrients and also helps with water retention in the soil.
Chickens
Housed in moveable “chicken mobiles”, our chickens run free throughout the vines and lay their eggs in their warm, straw-filled nests in the chicken mobiles. Apart from providing the restaurant with delicious, fresh and organic eggs, these ladies can also spot a vine weevil a mile away and enjoy snacking on these pests whilst pecking and scratching their way through the vines.
For more videos from Waterkloof, please visit our YouTube channel.