The free range cattle on Oak Valley graze on 583 hectares open pastures that are established to a
combination of clovers and grasses, mainly ryegrass. The clovers have their
origins in Australia and the seed is imported from that country.
The clover plants provide the nitrogen required to feed the grasses and the process is
self-sustaining.
The climate in the Western Cape is Mediterranean and in November annually the
pastures dry off before the start of summer and regenerate in the autumn with the
advent of the opening rains.
The animals graze on the green grasses and clovers during the wet months whilst
the dried off pasture seeds provide the source of protein in the summer. This is
supplemented with oat hay which is also grown on the farm and which is cut and baled.
Apple pomace from the juice plant is an important supplementary foodstuff for the
animals and is also a by-product of our orchard business.
Thus it is that the food the cattle eat is homegrown in a perfectly natural way,
giving rise to tender and flavoursome beef.
During late 2007 Oak Valley imported the first pedigreed Wagyu embryos from Australia. Wagyu is the beef breed that produces the famous Japanese Kobe beef. The first Wagyu claves were born on Oak Valley during September 2008, and will form the nucleus of a planned breed of programme which will ultimately lead to the production of this internationally sought after beef. The beef is renowned for its intense marbling, which in turn give rise to delicious flavours.
For the past two years Oak Valley Gourmet Meats has been experimenting with the production of hams and related products made from acorn-fed free range pigs. The source of the acorns is the 4000 plus ancient oak trees grown on the farm.
The acorn diet is the key to both the texture and the rich flavours of the pork, as an enzyme in the acorn influences the intramuscular fat, which contains a high proportion of oleic acid. Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. Health food at its best!
The production process, which originated in Spain more than 2000 years ago, is artisanal and the hams are salt cured without the use of harmful nitrites.
If these trials are successful a processing and curing faculty will be built on the farm in due course, and design work has already commenced.
A free range piggery unit is being constructed with the arrival of of the acorn season in February 2009.
For Oak Valley this project symbolizes a return to our historic roots as the founder, Sir Antonie Viljoen, farmed in the 1900's with pigs which were raised on the acorns from the oak forest on the farm.
