Vergenoegd Löw has recently donated 25 of their renowned Indian Runner ducks to several wine farms practicing regenerative agriculture, including Hartenberg, Rustenberg, Remhoogte, and Klipvlei. This initiative aims to promote the wider adoption of natural pest control methods in vineyards across South Africa's wine industry. By using these ducks, the farms can reduce their reliance on chemical pesticides and enhance their sustainability practices.
“Our ducks do an exceptional job, and we’re thrilled to see some of our high-quality non-breeding birds go to farms that, like us, embrace holistic mixed farming,” says Christiaan Cloete, the Stellenbosch estate’s farm manager.
“This is our way of spreading and sharing our love for regenerative agriculture, and contributing to our broader community.”
Indian Runner ducks are famed for their superior foraging abilities. “They excel at finding pests, insects, slugs, and snails in the vineyards and that helps protect the vines. They also eat weeds on land and in water. By eating aquatic weeds, they help to keep the vlei clean. Understandably, they are central to our integrated pest management programme,” Cloete states.
“Twice a day they are taken to the vineyards. And, on the job, they naturally fertilize and enrich the soil – good for our vines, and our wines.”
Vergenoegd Löw is one of South Africa’s oldest working farms, dating from 1696. From past ways of farming to Cape Dutch architecture, cooking traditions and welcoming hospitality, there’s a rich heritage here, the team believes well worth preserving.
One recent tradition is duck farming started by previous owner John Faure. When he began with his first group of Indian Runner ducks on the farm in 1984, he could hardly have known just how much visitors would come to love these long-necked, webbed waddlers. Daily, people flock from far and wide to see these birds at work. To Vergenoegd Löw, they are vital members of staff. Cloete describes them as “soldiers of the vineyards”.
Faure still assists with the farm’s highly regarded breeding programme and keeping the flock at a high standard. Breeding criteria focus on walking and foraging prowess as well as health and resilience. A hardy breed, the ducks are well-adjusted to the local climate. They love swimming and diving in the vlei, where they come to groom their feathers and to mate.
Vergenoegd Löw’s top breeding ducks compete in leading poultry shows annually. This is to ensure they continue to conform both genetically and physically to the Indian Runner duck breed standard. But it’s also a good way of benchmarking their birds against competitors.
The farms that received ducks from Vergenoegd Löw were also gifted some geese, which serve as “policemen” to deter predators while the ducks work in the vineyards.
Visitors to Vergenoegd Löw, located about 40 minutes from Cape Town, can witness the farm’s Indian Runner ducks daily at 09h00 and 12h00, when they pass through the farmstead werf on their way to and from the vineyards or the vlei.
To find out more about Vergenoegd Löw and its various sustainability measures, visit www.vergenoegd.co.za.