Here, at Vergenoegd Löw we talk of farming with, rather than against, nature. What do we mean? For us, it means working in harmony with natural ecosystems, rather than trying to assume control and override nature’s inherent rhythms, cycles and processes.
Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Yet for much of the 20th century farmers in many parts of the world were intent on overcoming food insecurity caused by war and famine. They focused on maximising land productivity. To ensure the highest yields possible, they relied heavily on chemical inputs such as artificial fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and more.
We’ve learned that such farming depletes the soils, exacerbating vulnerability to climate change while inhibiting the vitality and nutritional levels in foods grown.
Way back in 1984, when our previous owner, John Faure, introduced Indian Runner ducks to the farm as a way of managing vineyard pests while naturally fertilizing the soils, it became clear that by learning from and imitating nature, it was possible to cultivate more eco-sustainably.
John’s thinking inspired us to take an altogether more holistic approach that involved even more biomimicry. Recognising the benefits of the complex and interrelated systems that occur in nature as a way of sustaining life in good balance, we began following regenerative, agro-ecological principles on the estate. Through mixed farming, introduced over the past decade, our aim has been to cultivate crops and support our livestock (cattle, sheep and poultry) in ways that build and maintain healthy soils, encourage biodiversity, promote climate resilience and reduce our reliance on external inputs.
At Vergenoegd Löw, the name we adopted after the estate was acquired by German philanthropist, historian and entrepreneur Prof Dr Dr Peter Löw in 2015, we started our regenerative pursuit literally from the ground up. Our first priority was to bring the soil more fully back to life. Healthy soil, we understood, would yield healthy crops and sustain healthy eco-grazing livestock.
That is why when you visit or see images of our vineyards, you will encounter a diverse mix of cover crops growing between the vines. Generally, these are low-maintenance plants, requiring little water. Some of them are indigenous. Many of them are aromatic, attracting bees to promote pollination while repelling insects that might otherwise feed on the vines. They cool down the soil in summer, warm it in winter and encourage climate resilience. They also provide grazing for our ruminants (Dexter cattle and Dohne Merino sheep) as well as for our diverse range of poultry, from our iconic Indian Runner ducks to geese and chickens.
Each crop species we plant is selected for a reason, whether to capture and store carbon in the soil, to fix nitrogen, attract beneficial insects, suppress weeds or because it has the potential to develop strong tap roots that can help ensure healthy soil structure.
We use crop mixes well-suited to our local conditions here in Stellenbosch, less than 4 km from the sea. They range from legumes such as vetch, clover and fava beans to grasses and cereals such as oats, rye triticale, and even brassicae like cabbage, broccoli, mustard, turnip and radish. These mixes are often interplanted with flowering plants and herbs. Collectively, they attract pollinators that promote biodiversity or because they are natural predators, helping to take care of ants, aphids, wasps, caterpillars and so on.
Some of these crops also provide grazing for the cattle and sheep that in turn naturally fertilize the soils. Others, like herbs and the vegetables from the cabbage family, eventually find their way onto the plates of our diners at both our farm-to-table restaurants Geuwels and Clara’s Barn.
Specifically, the legumes capture nitrogen from the atmosphere and release it into the soil. More nitrogen in the soil means no or low quantities of fertilizer are required. Grasses and cereals create organic matter that in turn enhances microbial activity and helps to balance pH levels in the soil. These crops also protect the surface of the soil, a function that helps to retain moisture. Less evaporation calls for less watering. Brassicae are biofumigants. They naturally control soilborne diseases, pests and nematodes.
Our cover crop mixes also include lavender and rosemary as well as the indigenous kooigoed/imphepho (Helichrysum petiolare) and African wormwood, wilde-als (Artemisia Afra), buchu (Agathosma renulata) and confetti bush (Coleonema pulchellum).
The international Savory Institute that promotes holistic farming, tells us that a 1% increase in soil organic matter allows 1 acre (0,405 ha) to store an additional 20 000 gallons (over 75 000 litres). Increasing what it calls the “amount of water cycling through a landscape” provides water reserves for times of drought but, as importantly, provides increased capacity to absorb flash floods.
During spring, like now, we roll cover crops flat or mulch them, creating a nutrient-rich covering atop the surface of the soil, building organic matter, suppressing weeds and enhancing water-holding capacity.
We are, in effect, mimicking nature. Is that flattery? We think it’s more an acknowledgement that nature knows so much more than we do!
