“It started as a hobby in 2012, when we bought a few commercial Angus cows,” says Theuns Bruwer. His wife, Debbie, had been nagging him to spend less time in front of the TV and find a hobby. She had previously assisted Pierre Veldhoen and his wife, Nella, with their Friesian horse stud on their 80ha farm, Dagbreek, just outside Paarl.
Veldhoen and his wife immigrated to South Africa from the Netherlands a few years ago to breed Friesian horses. Due to economic difficulties, they scaled down operations, and no longer breed Friesians.
This presented Bruwer with the ideal opportunity to begin a cattle farming operation on the underutilised land, and Bruwer and Veldhoen now run an Angus stud on 60ha on the farm.
BUILDING THE HERD
“According to our research, the Angus breed is the most prevalent in the Cape. It is also renowned for its good temperament, easy calving and good calf-rearing ability,” says Bruwer.
He and Veldhoen initially bought a few commercial Angus cows. The following year, they bought red Angus embryos from a breeder in the Free State, and used their commercial cows as surrogates.
In 2013, they registered the Windmeul Angus stud. Initially running a commercial herd and the stud, they sold all their commercial animals in 2015, and now manage only the stud. It consists of 14 female Angus animals: nine red and five black. The stud is run on mainly natural veld. The farm is stocked at a carrying capacity of 1 MLU/8ha.
“We have really good grazing for about three to four months of the year. The rest of the year, grazing is scant, but the animals are not stressed at any point,” says Bruwer.
Denne historien er fra January 17, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 17, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
