For us, it means working in harmony with natural ecosystems, rather than trying to assume control and override nature’s inherent rhythms, cycles, and processes.
Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Yet for much of the 20th century, farmers were intent on overcoming food insecurity caused by war and famine. They focused on maximising land productivity. To ensure the highest yields possible, they relied heavily on chemical inputs such as artificial fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
We've learned that such farming depletes the soil, exacerbating vulnerability to climate change while inhibiting the vitality and nutritional levels in produce.
Way back in 1984, when our previous owner, John Faure, introduced Indian Runner ducks to the farm as a way of managing vineyard pests while naturally fertilizing the soils, it became clear that by learning from and imitating nature, it was possible to cultivate more eco-sustainably.
John’s thinking inspired us to take an altogether more holistic approach that involved even more biomimicry. Recognising the benefits of the complex systems that occur in nature as a way of sustaining life in good balance, we began following regenerative principles on the estate. Through mixed farming introduced over the past decade on the estate, we've aimed to grow crops and support our livestock in ways that build and maintain healthy soils, encourage biodiversity, promote climate resilience, and reduce our reliance on external inputs.
At Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate, the name we adopted after the estate was acquired by German philanthropist, historian, and entrepreneur Prof Dr Dr Peter Löw in 2015, we started our regenerative pursuit literally from the ground up. First off, we wanted to revive the soil. Healthy soil, we understood, would yield healthy crops and sustain healthy eco-grazing livestock.
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