A New Beginning For Those At Camphill
There is a lot going on at Camphill, found up in the beautiful Hemel en Aarde Valley. Busy hands and big hearts are hard at work creating, crafting and growing amazing things that very few of us locals down here in town know about. From heavenly ice creams to tasty cheeses and more, the Camphill Farm is becoming the deli of choice when looking for free range, natural products.
For those of us who are unsure of what Camphill is, we will break it down for you.
How it all began…
Mrs May Redman, a mother of a boy named Robert, who was severely handicapped made a plea to the Dr Karl Konig, founder of Camphill in Aberdeen U.K. Sadly, Robert was to frail to undergo the long trip to Europe as well as not being able to manage in the unsettling weather. The good doctor however encouraged Mrs Redman to find like minded parents with children who had disabilities to consider creating a school in South Africa, just like the one they dreamed of sending their children too overseas. Once that seed was planted, Mrs Redman purchased Dawn Farm and began building what is to be now, a gateway for those who are handicapped to live a fulfilling, joyous life.
Camphill started in 1952 as a care facility, with the addition of houses and a school those who where older and had outgrown the school could focus their efforts on farming, gardening and more. By 1978 the Camphill Farming Community were up and running at full steam.
Their approach at Camphill is a simple one, everybody regardless of age, gender, race or disability is treated equally. At Camphill, everyone’s potential to be something is discovered and encouraged.
Camphill Farm provides homes and supported work to intellectually disabled adults. Depending on the needs and capacity of the individual, the level of care ranges from very hands-on to semi-independent. Each member of the community is tasked with a job, no matter how small and meagre those chores might seem to us, each individual is contributing towards the greater good of the community and it shows.
So what’s potting on the farm?
The farming operations have always centred on the creation of work opportunity for the residents, while providing good nutrients for the homes and then selling the excess to help cover costs.
Us locals would be happy to know that delicious, heavenly goods are being made on the farm, ready for our enjoyment.
Herbs
A short amble up a few steps and around the corner of one of the work rooms one will find a bevy colourful herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables, it would put any farmers garden to shame!
Over a hundred varieties are grown in the herb garden. Many culinary, medicinal and therapeutic herbs are grown, dried or supplied fresh to herbalists.
Greenways sells the sunflowers and they can also be found at the Hermanus Country Market on Saturdays.
Some of the tasks in the garden area and work room range from tending, planting, picking, washing, drying, sorting and packing. One resident who heads up the garden was particularly proud of his pepper-dews, I have to commend him on his efforts, talking with him you can easily gauge how proud he is of his little slice of heaven.
To buy herbs visitors are welcome to visit the herb garden by prior arrangement.
Flowers
In that same garden grows the finest, tallest sunflowers, all neatly planted in a row. What happens with the flowers apart from selling them is unique. The finest, handcrafted teas are made using blends of dried flowers.
Lemon verbena, rose, bergamot, blue corn flowers, red clover, sunflower petals, calendula, rose geranium and ecinacea can all be found in the the healing blends.
Some of the properties found in the tea’s are, supporting good cholesterol (red clover) beating depression and anxiety (rose) as well as rich in antioxidants (bergamont).
To buy the herbal tea’s visitors are welcome to visit the herb garden by prior arrangement.
Farming operations have been organic and ethical from day one!
To understand the dairy aspect of all the smooth and creamy products being made on the farm like cheeses and ice creams, it is important to understand what process the Camphill Farm makes use of and stands by.
There are currently 30 jersey cows in the milking herd on the farm. There is also a herd of calves. They don’t kill or separate their calves in 3 days like most commercial dairy farms. After 3 months of free ranging everyday with their mamas, the calves join the calf herd.
The Camphill cows are not fed grain, grain is not very good for a cow’s digestive systems. They were made to eat grass and they do best on it, live happily and longer when they do. Camphill gets less milk but of the best quality because their cows graze on a variety of grasses in the beyond-organic biodynamic pastures.
Milk doesn’t retail in Hermanus at the moment but does in Stellenbosch. Locals will be pleased to know that Camphill Milk can be found in the best coffees in town and they are at the Beanery and Eatery. They support Camphill’s ethical farming practices even though their milk is more expensive because the cafés are absolutely passionate about serving the best quality.
Cheeses
Camphill makes some of the yummiest cheeses like, Boerenkaas (traditional gouda made from raw milk and aged at least 2 months), Cheddar mild (3-4 months), Cheddar mature (6-9 months), 1 year old Boerenkaas, Herb Gouda, 1 year old Herb Gouda – Mmmmm…so tasty!
Their cheeses are all made from raw milk from their own pasture fed cows. As their cows don’t eat any grain, they produce less milk but it makes the tastiest cheese that is very high in vitamins.
For example VIT K2 can only be found in cheese from pasture fed cows. The colour is naturally, quite yellow, so they don’t need to add colourants. They have also recently started maturing cheeses with a natural rind.
If you are interested in purchasing some of the cheeses mentioned you will be happy to know you can find them at, Greenways Health Store, at the Village Stall, Fruit n Veg, every Saturday at the Hermanus Country Market, Stellenbosch Green Road and The Ethical Co-op in Cape Town.
Ice Cream
If you haven’t tried the ice cream you are missing out on one of the most amazing, food memories you will ever have. It is heaven on a spoon, melt in your mouth flavours that you have never had before, trust us when we say it is the best we have ever had!
The delicious flavours are vanilla pod, Belgian chocolate, banana, cheesecake frozen yoghurt and whenever they get hold of some seasonal ingredients they make a special batch – the past week they made granadilla frozen yoghurt. The ice cream is made with their organic milk, cream and free range eggs.
They serve ice cream at the Hermanus Country Market every Saturday and hope to get ahead of the demand in order to sell at retail outlets soon.
Eggs
There are about 250 hens in the fields where they free range and eat a wide selection of grains, fruit, kitchen scraps, whey, earthworms and other goggas.
They have about 70 chicks of various ages that live with the broody mamas.
It is a low-density system, so they don’t get such a high egg yield as commercial farms that keep 2 chickens per A4 space and boost their egg production with hormones.
Eggs can be purchased at the Hermanus Country Market every Saturday!
Breads
If there is anything just as tasty as the cheeses then it is Camphill’s breads. Nothings suits their cheese more than the hearty breads and bakes being made in their kitchen.
There are a variety of sour dough base rye breads, rye and wheat, spelt oats, seed loaf, etc. Also chocolate buns, hazelnut tarts and apple tarts.
Buy your bread at Greenways Health Store and every Saturday at the Hermanus Country Market
Whoever you are, wherever you are, support the Camphill Farm community. Pop in at the Hermanus Country Market, make an appointment to see the farm, or stop by any one of the other stores mentioned. You will be uplifting OUR community and the belief that whoever you are, you have the chance to be somebody!
Eat healthy, buy their products, support their cause and live well!
Source: Camphill Hermanus, Mada Morkel
Website: www.camphill-hermanus.org.za
Contact: 021 200 2230
Email: info@camphill-hermanus.org.za