Sheep and goats are available from time to time  for slaughter or breeding.  The animals are grassfed and are free from antibiotics.  Raw honey is always available.

Farming activities at Deelfontein

A few principles, taking into account the specific conditions here, determine the farming activities at Deelfontein. The Vredefort Dome in general has marginal agricultural land, and Deelfontein has little water and is mountainous. With a total area of only 170 hectares, the farm is not suited to large scale extensive agriculture.

With the judicious use of browsing and grazing, carefully adjusted to the size of the property and the vegetation, the land is maintained in an optimal condition and bush invasion is prevented. This grazing profile is achieved using a combination of cattle, sheep and goats. The division of the farm in nine camps further enables effective management and prevents overgrazing.  

The location of the farm in a world heritage site, and the use for tourism and educational seminars, obviously dictates the conservation of the land in as pristine a condition as possible. Therefore, large scale crop agriculture or even the planting of exotic pasture cannot be contemplated. However, on a small scale, fruit and vegetables as well as fodder plants are cultivated.

Using the indigenous animal breeds drastically reduces the necessity for using medicines and insecticides, since the animals have natural resistance. Birthing problems are unknown, and the good herding and mothering instincts limit the losses of young animals, since the herds stay together and females show aggressive protective behaviour, effectively fending off predators. The sheep and goats are held in secure paddocks at night. These measures allow for a harmony between the animal husbandry and the natural predators - jackals, lynxes and leopards - in the area.

Indigenous Goats

A herd of indigenous goats is held for the provision of milk and meat. With the long term goal of establishing an indigenous milk goat breed, they are actively selected for good milk production. The genetic material stems from the Skilder and Xhosa lob ear lines, resulting in a relatively large framed animal. 

Damara Sheep

Since 2012, a herd of Damara sheep is bred. The genetic material comes from the herd of Dawie du Toit at Prieska, forerunner in the establishment of the Damara as commercial sheep breed. The sheep provide in  own meat needs as well as for marketing stud and slaughter animals.

Nguni Cattle

A small herd of Nguni cattle is kept at Deelfontein as a joint venture with two neighbouring farmers. 

Beekeeping

With only 8 hives, the beekeeping at Deelfontein is a small scale venture. In line with the principles of environmental responsibility and sustainability, care is taken not to exceed the beekeeping capacity of the the area. Only local, wild swarms are used to prevent the spread of diseases and ensure resistance. Each hive produces on average 20kg of honey per year. The honey is extracted using muscle power and no heating or filtration techniques are used. The raw honey and beeswax are available year round.