Editor’s note
‘to the farm’
Volume 17 (Harvest), Winter 2025
Lemons everywhere: Charl pictured at his favourite, Babylonstoren (his other ‘home’). Scenes and still lives on farms.
Lemons everywhere: Charl pictured at his favourite, Babylonstoren (his other ‘home’).
My childhood was a joyous mix of many a farm visit. During week days after school, we would explore the neighbouring Constantia wine farms on our bicycles, and over weekends, we would venture a little further afield to visit my mom’s family farm in the Koue Bokkeveld, just beyond Ceres. For a city kid, farm life was the life!
My mom grew up on a fruit farm, so most of my early memories are of us exploring the many orchards with our cousins – playing between the apple, pear, plum, peach or apricot trees, with either one of these juicy fruits as treats.
In the winter months, it was time for our yearly trek to the Karoo. There was nothing more thrilling than being on the back of a bakkie, wind in hair and cold air on my cheeks (holding on for dear life), driving through the veld, and exploring the endless horizon, sheep greeting us as we whiz past.
I guess then it’s no real surprise that my ideal type of home is a farm cottage – one with a wraparound stoep, lived-in furniture, books everywhere, a kaggel (fireplace), a farm dammetjie (dam), an olive grove, a lemon tree (duh!), and farm dogs. Oh, and a donkey!
The concept of “farm” and the role of the countryside have always been ingrained in my being – not just aesthetically (obviously), but also emotionally. There is nothing more soul-pleasing than sitting on a stoep, warm coffee and rusk in hand, taking in all of the smells of the surrounding veld, and taking time to be still, and slow down.
Gathering all of the scenes and stories for this edition was pure joy – it’s a rich and romantic feast of soulful spaces that speak to a simpler way of life, and of living off and of the land. I hope you savour every page.
Until next time (for Volume 18)!
