On 6 March 2010 a group of Slow Fooders visited Spier to learn more about their biodynamic farming methods. In particular, we wanted to know about their egg-laying and broiler chickens – we’d heard they lead happy lives, by chicken standards.

Spier farm manager, Christo, led us out into the pastures to meet the chickens and cows, who live in a fascinating symbiosis on the pastures.

Into the yonder... to the chicken coop! - Pia Taylor

This piece of land was almost destroyed by conventional farming methods, but is now being rehabilitated using biodynamic principles: the cows graze the grass, trampling some of it flat and churning the earth. They leave behind pats, where larvae grow. A few days’ later the chickens are moved onto the same piece of land, where they disperse the pats by scratching for grubs and further fertilise the soil with their own droppings. After a few rounds of this, the srubby pasture starts to look green and lush – it’s revitalised.

Cows doing their good work on the Spier pastures - Liz Metcalfe

Spier’s egg-laying chickens are completely free to run around at will (though Christo has specifically chosen ones that don’t like to range TOO far) and spend their evenings roosting a large coop (decorated by local kids), where they’re free to lay their eggs as and when they feel like it.

Egg-layers' mobile coop painted by local children - Liz Metcalfe

They’re also free to indulge in all sorts of poultry peccadillos, including chickens’ absolute favourite past-time: a feather-fluffing dust bath. These chickens will be good layers for up to five years (compared to less than two years for exhausted commercial hens).

Spier chickens taking a very enjoyable dust bath - Liz Metcalfe

The broiler chickens – the one omnivorous humans eat – are moved through the pastures in large cages, partly covered in shade-cloth. While they don’t run free – predators are too much of a danger – they’re still chirpy, as The Littlest Slow Fooder found out when she was introduced.

Toddler meeting her first real-life happy chicken - Pia Taylor

These broiler chicks come from the same place that commercial chickens are bred, and are ‘saved’ at one day old. “I see the crates of chicks being loaded onto the big trucks, and look at our couple of hundred chicks, and I think ‘this is your lucky day, guys’,” says Christo.

The chicks spend their first three weeks in this roomy shed, before going ‘out to pasture’ for another three weeks. During this time, they grow up to twice as big as conventional chickens – as much as 2.6kgs – eating bugs, seeds, some special feed, and getting strong scratching around in the dirt. Right now, the chickens are slaughtered at a site about 90 minutes away that has the requisite humane approach, but Spier has nearly finished their own slaughterhouse on the farm, which will mean chickens will be far less stressed at the end.

Reverent poem on the wall of the in-progress slaughter house - Liz Metcalfe

The poem on the wall, by Kahlil Gibran, reads in part:
By the same power that slays you, I to am slain; and I too shall be consumed.
For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.
Your blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven.

In the biodynamic tradition of ‘closing the circle’ on a farm, all inedible by-products of the slaughter will go into the Spier organic veggie garden compost heap. It will feed the soil that fed the chickens that fed us.

Strains of Mozart waft out over Spier's organic veggie garden... - Pia Taylor

In early March Slow Food Mother City will be visiting the Biodynamic Farm on Spier Estate outside Stellenbosch.

Biodynamic agriculture develops soil, plants and animals into a closed, interacting and interdependent circle of production, characterised by a holistic, natural approach. Spier Biodynamic Farm includes a half-hectare vegetable market garden, and pastures for grazing pasture reared beef, broiler chickens and egg-laying chickens.

At 10.30am on Saturday, 6th March, Christo, the farm manager, will show us around, and answer your questions. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about ethical food production, and enjoy the last of the summer weather in a beautiful location.

Date and time:
Saturday 6 March 2010. 10.15am

Cost:
An administrative fee of R20 for Slow Food Mother City members, and R30 for guests. There is no charge for children under the age of 16. If you would like to take home a frozen Spier chicken for your supper, please add R77 onto your deposit (each chicken is a gorgeous, hefty 2.2kg, so you are paying R35/kg).

Location:
Spier Biodynamic Farm – www.spier.co.za

Directions:
Take the N2 leaving Cape Town. Take the Baden Powell Drive exit, and turn left immediately. After ten minutes, you will come to traffic lights by a giant strawberry statue. Turn right (signposted Annandale Road). Two minutes’ later, you will see a driveway on your left, signposted “Spier Wines”. Take this turn, and park on the side of the road just before the security booms. We will wait for everyone to arrive, and then drive in convoy to the farm.

If you would like to come, please email us at: events@slowfoodmothercity.co.za and let us know how many people you are bringing. There are only 25 places available. We will then send you banking information to make your deposit.

Food & Wine Pairing at the Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market

Dear friends, Heleen and Carla will present their first Saltare Food & Wine Pairing of 2010 on Saturday March the 6th at the Oude Libertas Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market. The pairing will start at 10:30.

Heleen has put together five seasonal dishes to go with each of the five wines that will be presented. Both Heleen and Carla are fascinated by how certain tastes and textures in the food are enhanced by wine and vice versa.

The five wines that will be tasted are:
Saltare MCC Crémant 2007
Saltare MCC Brut 2007
Saltare Chenin blanc 2008
Saltare Syrah 2006
Saltare Specialis 2006 (red blend)

Please join us by sending an email to info@saltarewines.co.za or call 021 883 9568. Tickets cost R80 per person; we can accommodate twenty people. Heleen’s beautiful cookbooks will also be available for sale.

We look forward to sharing our wines and Heleen’s wonderful dishes with you. You’re also welcome to visit our stand at the SFGM on Saturdays.

Carla & Christoff
Saltare Wines
www.saltarewines.co.za