Highlights

• Get thoroughly acquainted with all practical aspects of dairy farming management plus the added value learning about the processing and sale of dairy products. 
• Enjoy hands-on involvement in a wholesale and retail horticultural nursery.
• Participate in the daily activities of a busy and highly successful farm stall, coffee-shop and bakery selling local artisanal products plus bakes and visitor refreshments.
• Experience the many naturally beautiful areas in the immediate Plettenberg Bay area and broader Garden Route region.
• Choose from a long list of adventure activities to add to your experience – including the world’s highest bridge bungy, swimming with seals, marine safaris, river-rafting, sky-diving and many more.
• Enjoy a comfortable, busy yet supportive home-stay environment (with all needed mod-cons) surrounded by open agricultural pastures and indigenous forests away from the usual routine of urban living.
• Make new friends from all over the world.

Information about the farm

The farm is a family established, owned and managed dairy farming business that has successfully grown from its original mixed-agriculture and milk production activities to its current operations that now includes the processing of milk for cheese, yoghurt, butter and ice-cream; a highly popular farm-stall and coffee shop (with in-house bakery) offering a wide assortment of produce for retail and in-house consumption, plus an established horticultural seedling and plant retail nursery. There are a significant number of the operation’s diverse functions that the volunteer can get involved with to expand their personal knowledge and horizons; from behind-the-scenes routine farming activities such as pasture and livestock management, or involvement with horticultural plants from seedling stage onwards through to interfacing with the general public at retail outlets.

The farm owners are known throughout the broader community of the region as being folk who have a track record of extending skills development and advancement opportunities to their staff, the bulk of whom are resident in the historically disadvantaged Kurland Village.

Central to their agricultural interests is their dairy herd – from insemination, pregnancy caring, calving, weaning and feeding  through to milking – a 24/7 responsibility throughout the year with routine daily milking sessions in the early morning and early afternoon. Outside of this, there’s the long list of small but essential items associated with farming – including water management issues, pasture growing and harvesting, supplementary feeding, veterinary care, paddock and fencing maintenance, invasive alien vegetation control, fire-breaks, infrastructural building and equipment maintenance and repair.

A further aspect of their operation is the established Windmill Nursery, in itself an interesting business which includes the usual retail front while behind the scenes are all the steps and processes involved in running the nursery – composting, seeds, seedling stimulation, potting, nutrition and care of garden display and nutritional plants – blossoms, fruit and vegetables.  While work with plants is seasonal, there is always something to do to prepare beds and plants for the future.

Your role

You will generally work five days per week with the option of weekends off but may, due to personal interest and seasonal demand, discuss the options of working part- or full-weekends and public holidays on a roster system by agreement with management. Given the hands-on nature of exposure to all facets of this business’ activities, you will undoubtedly have plenty of scope to not only make your contribution but expand your general exposure and skills acquisition for the future.

Monday to Friday work could include:

• From 07.00: Breakfast.
• 07.45 – 07.50: Transfer from your accommodation to the project.
• 08.00 – 13.00: Participation in morning routine activities according to the programme – a mix of dairy farm, nursery and/or farm-stall.
• 13.00 – 14.00: Lunch break – flexible and varied.
• 14.00 – 17.00: Afternoon programme (could possibly include milking). After your work transfer from the project to your accommodation.
• 17.00 onwards: Leisure time.
• 19.00 – 19.30: Dinner with the team and leisure time.

Weekends:

• Friday evenings: Traditionally, a braai (BBQ) takes place on Fridays with the meal served around 20.00. The outdoor hot tub is fired up for this evening. You are also free to make arrangements to head into Plettenberg Bay if your wish to enjoy the nightlife there.
• Saturdays: Generally, this is a free day so open to individual choice. You are welcome to sleep late, make your own cooked breakfast and make plans to visit Plettenberg Bay (please note shops, but not supermarkets, close at 13.00 on Saturday and Sunday) for personal pursuits and/or enjoy some of the many local attractions – whether going to the beach, hiking or doing more adrenalin-filled activities.
• Sundays: As on Saturdays, you can enjoy free time. Please note that most shops are closed.

Any public holidays, whether falling on weekdays or weekends, will follow the Saturday/Sunday routine.

It is important to note that this description serves as an example only. The daily tasks and challenges depend on the volunteer, the time of year and the work that needs to be done. The final job description can therefore vary substantially from the above.

Accommodation

You will stay in a backpackers’ based in The Crags, a rural suburb of greater Plettenberg Bay. The backpackers’ is set in a 5-hectare small-holding amidst indigenous forest and open grazing pastures. You are accommodated in shared rooms and/or in under-cover luxury Safari bow-tents that come fully equipped with carpets, beds, linen, electric blankets, lights etc. You will, where required, be sharing with one or two other volunteers. There are numerous bathrooms for communal access and use. The main homestead is equipped with an office, TV lounge, two kitchens plus a large verandah, with a residents’ bar, and two fire-hearths for those chilly nights. It is here that guests and hosts gather for social interaction and where evening meals are served for all to enjoy. Immediately adjacent is an outdoor braai (BBQ) area, while close by, is a combination plunge pool/hot-tub (the latter fired up for Fridays) plus a golf practice putting green and a proper boule/petanque track where guests soon get to know their co-guests. Bedding and towels are provided and your laundry will be regularly done on a wash-and-fold basis by the housekeeper. Free WiFi is available at the main homestead area only.