KRUISHOF FACTS

 

Location

Agter Groenbarg, Wellington, Western Cape, South Africa

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Farm size

355 hectares, North facing

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Characteristics

100 ha of arable land on slightly sloping grounds. 255 ha of natural habitat, mostly fynbos (Renosterbos), protea etc. Elevation of 700 m to the top of the Groenberg mountain.

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Water sources

Rain water collected in two big dams from a very large catchment area. Irrigation through gravity flow. Two bore holes can give supplementary water. The bore hole pumps are powered by solar panels.

 

Soil types

Predominantly decomposed Malmesbury shale, with distinctive variations in composition and aggregate size. Some finely decomposed granite and, at places, thin layers of loamy sand.

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Arable land

1.02 ha with Shiraz vines, trellized and and with drip irrigation. The block was planted in 2010 after careful soil evaluation and preparation. Richter root stock.

15 ha of pomegranates. Plantings from 2010.

About 80 ha of developed and natural pastures for grazing.

 

Cattle

A permanent herd of 35 brown Angus cows and 2 Brahman bulls

 

Olives 

 1 ha of 2 different varieties yield a high-quality cold pressed virgin oil. 

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Environmental

Kruishof is part of the Renosterveld Conservancy, an Association supported by Cape Nature and Land Care. There are about 20 farms from the area all sharing a passion for carefully preserving and restoring Nature. The Conservancy's logotype is the Critically endangered Geometric tortoise, which today probably only exists within the borders of the Conservancy farms.