The aerial view of T Koperfontein on Google Earth's summer-bronzed satellite image - and Mapcarta's green winter image shows a cluster of silos and a smattering of houses, crammed in between the railway line and the R45 provincial route that connects Saldanha with Villiersdorp via Vredenburg, Malmesbury and Paarl.
It resembles one of those one-horse towns, perhaps a ramshackle railway station, that you'd miss if you sneezed as you drove past. And that was indeed the case for yonks, especially after the modern R45 was built that no longer ran through Koperfontein (or its larger neighbouring town, Hopefield).
Now look a bit closer at those satellite images and see whether you can spot a strange group of fine little white lines that lie roughly in the shape of a horseshoe from west to east, on either side of the road, above this small hamlet. In December 2012, construction began on 37 enormous Vestas wind turbine generators, and just more than a year later it started to supply green electricity to the national grid. Known as Umoya Energy Wind Farm, it achieved its commercial operations date on 1 February 2014, the first commercial wind farm in the country to reach this milestone.
They may not look like much on Google Earth, but these wind turbines absolutely dominate the landscape around Koperfontein.
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Denne historien er fra Winter 2022-utgaven av go! Platteland.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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The art of small talk
In the city, a glib smile suffices when it comes to interaction with any stranger that crosses her path. Yet a visit to Struisbaai taught Elizabeth Wasserman that small talk is no small matter
From food scraps to compost in a jiffy: We test the iCompost
If turning kitchen waste into compost could be done at the touch of a button, more people would take it up, and much less waste would end up in landfills. That’s what Himkaar Singh, the man behind the innovative iCompost, believes. Platteland was keen to put this innovative appliance to the test
Find wisdom in the forest: It all starts with soil
A tree is an investment in any garden, even though patience is required to pluck the (figurative) fruit. When you plant several trees together to create your own forest, the reward is much greater. They offer shade, they support life… and they improve your soil. We spent time reflecting in our white karee“forest”– and learnt a lot
Ohrigstad's tiny big farmer
Agriculture courses through the veins of the Els family, who have been farming in the Ohrigstad valley in Limpopo since the 1930s. And they are getting younger and younger: Grandfather Jan Els was 36 when he set out, father Dewald 27… and littleWaldo got behind the wheel of massive machines at the age of 6!
The head hen who lays the golden eggs
The Country Chic is a delightful specialty store in the Swartland where small farmer and entrepreneur Suzanne Smit sells the organic free-range chicken eggs and poultry meat she produces – straight from her farm to the shelves of her own store
On mountains and moments
On a trip in the southern Drakensberg, a torrential downpour and a field of prickly thistles got acclaimed photographer Obie Oberholzer thinking about the power of perspective
Ballad of the butter farmer
High up in the Italian Alps, Maria van Zyl learnt to make the tastiest butter in South Africa. Then she started a clever “subscription farming business” delivering dairy products to households in the Cape on a weekly basis, which is how she could afford to buy the first five cows for her micro-dairy. Meet the (bio)dynamic small-scale farmer with big plans
Spring on a stick
Expand your braai repertoire by serving a side dish of flavourful spring-vegetable kebabs cooked to perfection over the coals.
A puzzle of nostalgia
Ride a fat bike through the town where you grew up - an abiding landmark in your life - and behold the picture that reveals itself.
Let's braai!
Celebrate Heritage Day on 24 September with this braai menu, which Platteland put together from Martelize Brink's recently published second cookbook, Oor die Kole.