POLOKWANE – Mitchell House’s Gr 1 learners visited the Wegraakbosch Organic Farm in Haenertsburg for an excursion on Thursday, to learn more about dairy products, vegetables and farm animals.

During the visit, learners fed calves, milked cows and also tasted the milk.

They learned the secret behind making cheese and how it’s packaged.

The farm is owned by Nipper and Sylvia Thompson who continue the Thompson legacy.

The junior phase learners learned that a herd of Swiss brown cows (and subsequently Nguni) and a few Saanen goats provide the milk for Wegraakbosch Farm’s organic cheeses, which are handmade in the traditional Swiss way with live cultures.

From cow to curd to cheese, there are no machines involved.

This off-the-grid farm holds dear the way nature does things, and harnesses the sun for electricity.

Birds do the majority of pest control in the vegetable garden, and the micro-organisms which play a role under the soil and in the cheese-making process, are an invaluable part of the process.