Join Yara International for a trip to the Western Cape to visit to De Hoek Estate and Boland Landbou School followed by wine and cheese tasting at Fairview Cellar
Thursday 27th June
Members will depart the Capital Zimbali Resort at 12pm immediately following the Community Meetings and fly from Durban to Cape Town before transferring to Stellenbosch. Relax and unwind at the Stellenbosch Hotel for the evening before a full day of field visits in the winelands hosted by Yara International.
Accommodation
The Stellenbosch Hotel is a boutique style hotel built on land granted by Gov. Simon van der Stel between 1692 and 1701. The building was restored in 1987 and has been declared a national monument. The hotel is strategically located in the heart of the beautiful and historical town of Stellenbosch, just 45 minutes from Cape Town. Museums, art galleries and curio shops are all within safe walking distance.
| Accommodation | Destination | Start | End | Basis | Duration |
| Stellenbosch Hotel | Stellenbosch | 27 Jun | 28 Jun | B&B | 1 Night |
Package cost
R 5800 / €280 including:
Domestic flight from Durban to Cape Town
1 night accommodation at the Stellenbosch Hotel
Dinner at hotel or a local restaurant (TBC)
Bookings are subject to accommodation and flight availability and a minimum group size of 10 delegates travelling
Full flight and itinerary details will be shared with all field visit participants closer to the event
Friday 28th June
Join Yara International for an opportunity to see regenerative agriculture in practice with a visit to De Hoek Estate and Boland Landbou School, followed by wine and cheese tasting at Fairview Cellar. The tour will finish approx 6pm and transport will be provided to both Cape Town Waterfront and Cape Town International Airport.
De Hoek Estate
De Hoek estate is located in the heart of the fruit growing region of the Western Cape and covers an area of 100 ha, 80 ha of table grape and 20 ha of blueberry, with a focus on high quality export-oriented production.
The farm has adopted regenerative agriculture principles and participants will be exposed first-hand to the practicalities of implementing regenerative agriculture practices including soil analysis, customised crop nutrition programmes, integration of organic inputs, fertigation and drip irrigation systems, leaf analysis and the use of resilient genetics.
The positive outcomes of regenerative agricultural practices are also evident, and participants will have the opportunity to discuss the effects of good practices on nature and climate, namely: soil fertility, soil carbon content, nutrient use efficiency, water use efficiency, improved yield and fruit quality. Visitors will also learn the importance of the customised management of individual blocks due to variations in soil, location, vigour, and cultivar characteristics.
The De Hoek is a proud partner of Yara International and the estate is a showcase example of how regenerative agriculture can be applied in the field to produce positive impact on nature and climate, while still maintaining yield, quality and commercial profitability in global trade flows.
Boland Landbou School
Boland Agricultural High School is one of the most prominent educational institutes for aspiring farmers of the future and provides education on sustainable agriculture practices, specific for the Western Cape context.
The school places a strong emphasis on regenerative agriculture as the means to mitigate and adapt to new climatic conditions and create more resilient production systems. In collaboration with Yara International, the school has committed to long-term trials on regenerative agriculture to evaluate the effects of different fertiliser management strategies on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, soil fertility, resource use efficiency (RUE) and profitability. Attention is also being given to the optimisation of yield and quality per unit area of land to reduce land-use change and preserve natural landscapes, especially as the Western Cape is considered a biodiversity hotspot.
Participants will learn about the crucial role fertilisation management has in achieving regenerative agriculture outcomes.
Fairview Cellar
Following the field visits, participants are invited to join us for a wine and cheese pairing at Fairview Estate, one of the most renowned and sought-after wine tasting venues in the Western Cape.
The wine estate was founded in 1693 and now spans over 300 hectares nestled in the heartland of the Stellenbosch winelands area. The estate also has its own cheese production, Fairview Cheesery, producing a range of over 20 cow’s and goat’s milk artisanal cheeses.
Despite its long history in viticulture, Fairview is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking wineries in South Africa, with a strong commitment to nature and climate. Fairview was named the first Carbon Neutral Cheesery on the African continent and is certified with multiple standards for sustainability and biodiversity including the Integrity & Sustainability seal. Fairview Cellar is also a member of the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) and Biodiversity in Wine (BWI) initiatives.
Participants can expect to be hosted in the cellar tasting room with a local sommelier for a guided tasting of the highest quality wines, carefully paired with Fairview’s locally produced cheese.
