In 2009 Pedro & Ana travelled all the way from Huambo in Angola, approximately 200Km from the Namibian border to Paarl to come and buy 75 milk goats. The 200km trip to the border took them 12 hours due to the road that was wash away and the fear of landmines if they strayed off the road.
After they committed themselves to buying the goats, the export process began and Donald Mouton (farm and goat manager) exclaims; “I’ll never forget the day when the person from the Angolan Attaché arrived here to value the “MILK COATS” we were exporting to Angola. I took him to the goats and he was totally confused and insisted he wanted to see the COATS not goats.” After some investigation by Donald, it was noted that someone erroneously wrote “coats” instead of “goats” on the documentation. With that sorted he valued the goats.
Since that initial meeting with Pedro and his wife, he has kept Donald up to date with the trials and tribulations they have had in Angola, with excessive rains etc. But our goats survived and increased in numbers and as you read on,more goats have been distributed to families.
Pedro had headed up several projects in the town of Etunda.
One very important one, was to ensure that the children of the village received their ID documents. Before Pedro and his wife started on this project, there were 64 children that had no birth certificates or ID documents. He and his wife took it upon themselves to ensure that this was rectified.
They took the children to from the village to the Bureau of Identification in the city. After much waiting and anxiety, they were informed by the officer present, that he would try and get copies of the 64 children’s birth certificates and issue them with their ID cards.
Pedro informed us, that with great joy, they were visited personally by the Secretary General of the Baptist Convention of Angola, who distributed 12 of the official ID cards to the children. Pedro states: “It was an unforgettable day in the life of those 12 children – and ours!” Although 52 children had still not yet received their documentations, they were informed by the Secretary General, that they will be receiving these in due course.
As the task that Pedro and his wife had set for themselves was well underway and soon to be completed, they started to make their way back to Portugal, but not before doing something special.
On the Sunday before leaving, the couple ensured that every family with children who attended their Sunday School during the past year, received a goat or kid. Each goat was accompanied by a joke about the name of its family, and was taken to its new home.
This was a gift that the families were not expecting.
The families have been living with the goats around their houses, but always in the know that these goats belonged to Pedro and Ana. Now one of these goats who have been part of their community, became a family member.
Pedro and Ana ensured that all parties involved were accurately trained in the rearing and caregiving of the goats. “We left with the feeling that after several setbacks, the goats (and their milk:) finally arrived to whom they were intended – children of Etunda!”
With full intentions to return back to Africa and continue their great work, with very heavy hearts leaving friends that have been as good as family to them, Pedro and Ana have set off back to Portugal to celebrate and embrace the arrival of their first child in January.
They will keep us informed of all their new developments.
We wish you well Pedro and Ana
The Fairview team
Over the weekend, the second annual La Capra Goatrun was presented by Fairview.
This year the race organizers outdid themselves. There were 400 entrants in the race. Sadly 50 of those thought the weather looked a little ominous, and turned back. Either that, or their alarms couldn’t get them up for the VERY early morning start.
This afternoon, Fairview was treated to a surprise visit by some rather distinguished guests (in title and in attire) .
A few members of the Italian national army were spotted in the tasting room enjoying some of our Sauvignon Blanc 2011. Although the white wine didn’t really suit the cold weather of the day, they were very excited about the refreshing tropical taste the wine had to offer.
A member of the Italian consulate in Cape Town showed the group around the tasting room during their tasting, before they posed with their tasting host on the steps to the tasting room for a picture.
The military group consisted of a three-star General and several of his lower ranking officers.
Thanks for the visit. ”Vi salutiamo” – We salute you.
Charles Back was recently interviewed by a journalist of Stockholm Krog magazine. The article has recently been published. For our fans, we have attached the article on Charles and Fairview from the magazine Stockholm Krog.
For your enjoyment, we have put the English translation below Read the rest of this entry »
Baby Blue Crane with his parents on either side
The Fairview wildlife family has grown a little more. Our resident Blue Cranes have produced a beautiful little chick. Read the rest of this entry »
The path to becoming Carbon Neutral is a long one but Fairview Cheese Company has made some incredible progress toward this goal.
The journey began in September 2009 when Promethium, a company specializing in managing the effects of climate change on businesses, started assessing the total amount of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) that are emitted into the atmosphere each year by the cheese factory. A greenhouse gas life cycle assessment, which includes not only the carbon emissions of the factory itself but also the carbon emissions of the suppliers to the cheese factory, was initiated. Through this assessment Fairview Cheese factory was able to determine their Carbon Footprint and begin making the necessary adjustments to the running of the company to start reducing carbon emissions and working towards Carbon Neutrality. Read the rest of this entry »
In 2009 Fairview began an exciting exchange program in conjunction with FK Norway and Mr Finn Erik, owner of Ekeby Farm in Norway. Every year employees from both companies are chosen to take part in the exchange program which sets out to promote reciprocal learning as well as encouraging the personal growth and development of each individual. Applicants for the exchange program undergo a series of interviews before final selections are made.
“The objective is for both farms to learn from each other, while also giving our employees an exciting opportunity to travel.” Charles Back, owner Fairview Wine and Cheese Read the rest of this entry »
The Saarlander Choir
Guests and staff at Fairview were treated to an impromptu performance by visiting German choir group, Saarlander Choir, today. After enjoying a tasting of the Fairview range of wines and cheeses the choir gathered in the garden outside the tasting room and began singing. Their beautiful voices carried through the gardens at Fairview and within a few minutes a group of guests and staff had gathered to enjoy the performance. Read the rest of this entry »
Pernilla Brodin with Charles Back and Josefine Talja
At a recent tasting in Stockholm hosted by Fondberg, Fairview’s agents in Norway, Charles, who was serving wine to guests, heard a woman shriek. He quickly went to enquire if all was well and the young lady shyly admitted that it was a shriek of pure pleasure. She then went on to show Charles how she was covered in tiny goose bumps, an involuntary response to the delight she experienced when tasting the wine. She told Charles that it was the first time in her life that she had such an overwhelming response to a wine. She said it was the most delicious wine she had ever tasted! Read the rest of this entry »
“Grenache - the grape you know, you just don’t know it.”
Friday 23 September 2011 is International Grenache Day.
The Grenache Symposium, a non profit association, created in June 2010 has set out to put Grenache on the map by increasing recognition and appreciation for the varietal and promoting “the grape you know, you just don’t know it.” Read the rest of this entry »
