Have you seen our Spur-winged visitors at the dam yet? The Spur-Winged Goose is the largest waterfowl found in Africa, they are part of the Anatidae family. It’s called a goose because of its large size, but it is, in fact, a type of duck. Because of this, it has its own “subfamily”, Plectropterinae. It […]
Winter is definitely here, and we have been experiencing some icy mornings. Just because it’s cold, it doesn’t mean that we can’t plant fruit and veggies. We are fortunate to have beautiful Winter days with clear skies and warmth in the sunlight. This time of year is the best time to plant new rose bushes […]
Beekeeping is one of the most rewarding activities you can do, not to mention that bees are also a very interesting species. With Fairview being a farm there are many benefits for orchards that we discussed in our previous article Beehives in orchards. In South Africa bees are under threat due to lack of pollen, […]
It’s always a treat to see these beautiful birds, whether you are a birder of not. There are 10 species of Kingfishers in Southern Africa and they are small to medium sized and are usually bright in colour. They have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails – it’s hard to […]
A few farmers have already put hives on their property in the Estate and we have been lucky enough to have our first batch of Homegrown Fairview Estates honey, “Beeloved” from the Venter’s. Pollination is necessary for most plants to reproduce and continue the cycle to produce future generations of plants. Pollination also produces seeds […]
We are so fortunate at Fairview Estates to be home to the endangered Crowned Crane and they can often be seen grazing near the horse paddocks or in the wetlands on the left hand side just before you enter Fairview Estates through the Strawberry gate. Growing up to about 1m and having a wingspan of […]
There are many benefits of gardening with chickens. The two main ones being pest control and production of free-range organic eggs. Garden chickens have a greedy appetite for slugs and love to scratch around and “help” out in the garden. They’re great at tilling up the soil with their feet as they cluck around, which […]
Porcupines are one of the largest rodents in Africa and are best known for their coat of sharp spines, or quills. They are not aggressive animals and will only attack if they feel threatened. If you are lucky enough to come across a porcupine on Fairview Estates (and not just one of their beautiful quills), […]
Sustainable living is a popular topic amongst people lately. Everyone is trying to do their bit and coming up with great ways to reduce waste and make the most of what we have with minimal impact to the environment. Growing your own produce at home for self-consumption has many benefits, some of these being: Growing […]
Spring is fast approaching, and that means mosquito season is starting up again. Did you know that mosquitoes aren’t actually “out to get and bite us”? In fact, male mosquitoes don’t ever bite, it’s just the female ones, and they are doing this in support of developing their eggs. Adult mosquitoes feed on plant sugar, […]