McGregor Meander …

I love exploring the small towns within South Africa. I am making it my mission to travel and explore them as much as I can, now that I get a long weekend every 3 weeks.

With this in mind, Mom & I recently visited McGregor (with our two ‘yorkies’ in tow).  It was our first time to the town of which I have heard so much about and it certainly lives up to its name, such a peaceful & fabulous get away so close to Cape Town.

On the Friday morning when we left Cape Town we took a casual drive through stopping at all the local farm stalls, wineries  & sights en route (as I always seem to do on any road trip)! I had a terrible cold developing but certainly didn’t let that stop me from having a wonderful getaway! We stayed at a fabulous self catering house called Willow Tree Cottage located within the small town (http://www.tourismmcgregor.co.za/PearTreeandWillow). The dogs were able to explore the garden while Mom & I soaked up the Winter sun relaxing. Not many restaurants are open on a Friday evening & those that are generally require a booking in advance as they tend to get booked up on weekends. So after a bit of improvising we had scrambled egg with salad & vegetables! Perfect for a stress weekend that followed suit.

Saturday morning we awoke with cows that were grazing on the boundary of our garden, what a great alarm clock as oppose to waking up in the city with cars, hooters & in my case naval base going’s on. In the morning browsed the town with all its shops including the Saturday morning market. It has a wonderful charming atmosphere to it that I cannot put down on paper. We  then ventured out the town & had lunch in Robertson a much bigger town nearby with various facilities & amenities. There was quite a buzz & hustle among the streets, which created a wonderful atmosphere when walking around the town on a busy Saturday morning.

For any budding artist or anyone who has an appreciation of pottery & the work that is in involved with it, a must see in McGregor is Mill Stone Pottery (http://www.millstonepottery.co.za/millstone/index.php). Paul is a fascinating potter (together with his wife – make a great team) with many years of experience. He is willing to share his ideas, inspirations and works of art with you whilst you browse the calm creative space around you.  I learnt so much about the intricacies of pottery & before we knew it we had spent 2 hours here just absorbing the wonderful surrounds. Mom & I needless to say walked out with a clear mind & hands full of pottered items!

We had a fabulous dinner at Tabaldis (http://www.temenos.org.za/#!restaurant/c5lv), which is the centre of the town and is open throughout the week with menu that change according to what is in season & availability. Temenos is on the same property as Tebaldis & they have beautiful gardens,which make you feel like you are lost in an enchanted garden. It is a retreat where you can escape the race of life and make you feel as though you are a million miles away from the rest of the world. Our weekends days were filled with warm Winter sun whilst the evenings we quite chilly, so made getting into bed with a book after dinner all that much easier!

Donkey sanctuary outside of McGregor

The Eseltjierus Donkey Sanctuary (http://www.donkeysanctuary.co.za/)is a great place to let your children or in our case our dogs out to play or walk around the farm, whilst the donkeys are kept in the paddock. Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary provides a permanent refuge for abused, neglected and elderly donkeys. They are given the opportunity to live out their lives with respect and dignity, surrounded by their own kind, in a protective and natural environment. Was a great stop and experience in conjunction with a fabulous lunch out on the deck in the sun.

Holidays are always too short & before we knew it we were packed & in the car en route home. We couldn’t resist a final stop at this fabulous farm stall which its great selection of pumpkin! Mom thought it was a simple procedure of choosing a pumpkin however before she knew it the shop lady was out to give her advice on just how to choose the right eating pumpkin as oppose to pumpkins which are dried out & kept as ornaments/decorations.

Finally we were on our way home with 2 humans, 2 dogs, a pumpkin & many great memories all round.

Cheers Fiona 🙂

Eco Labels Explained …

Introduction

Eco labelling refers to products /services that are environmentally friendly, and which are advertised as such. They are labelled in a way that informs the interested consumer (Barrow, 2006). The products generally have a reduced impact on the environment, relative to other products of the same kind.

Eco labelling needs to be certified by an independent organisation. Credible labels are awarded by an impartial, unbiased party for products, or services that have met the various environmental criteria (Network,2016). However, some manufacturers of products try to add their own “eco label” as it tends to increase sales within their specific target market. Common claims are that the product is “natural” , “recyclable”, “organically produced” and “energy efficient”. These are unproven and not recognised by the a registered  independent organisation. Thus these labels have been termed as “greenwash” (Allison & Carter, 2000).

The International Organisation for Standardisation known as ISO is an internationally recognised  organisation which has identified three main types of eco-labelling (Allison & Carter, 2000). Eco-labelling typically falls under Type 1 as explained below.

Type 1 – This label is based on multiple criteria that the product or service must adhere to. A third party organisation awards and issues a certification to the product or service that allows this product /service to use environmental label which illustrates to consumers that the product/service in question is preferred, due to it being environmentally aware and eco-friendly in comparison to other products/services within their particular category. This type of labelling is also known as ISO 14024 (Allison & Carter, 2000).

Type 2 –  These types of labels are self declared by the manufacturers or the retailers. Most commonly the consumer will see comments on the product such as “made from x amount of recycled material”. This type of labels falls within ISO 14021 (Allison & Carter, 2000).

Type 3 – Known as an environmental product declaration where the product or service information is based on complete life cycle processes, and the impact it has on the environment. This type of label is referred to as ISO 14025 (Allison & Carter, 2000).

Examples of Eco-labelling, Description and its Origin

 

Badgere

Cape Coastal Honey – Eco Label being Badger Friendly

Country of Origin – South Africa
Description of Product – Cape coastal honey is produced with badgers in mind. It promotes badger friendly beehive management and protection in order to comply with the above eco label. The height of the bee hive needs to be altered and be kept out of reach from honey badgers. It is an initiative to conserve these endangered animals which play a vital role within their ecosystem (Van der Merwe, 2014). This eco label is placed on the front of the packaging in order to be visible to the conscious target market. The product is also recyclable which is indicated with the symbol on the back of the packaging.

Light meat Tuna shredded with vegetable oil added – Eco Label being Dolphin Friendly

Country of Origin – Thailand, caught  in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Description of Product – Tuna packaged in recyclable tin which is depicted by appropriate logo. As per the logo it is dolphin friendly (Inc,2016). It is managed by the Earth Island Institute which ensures all tuna companies adhere to catching methods that do not harm dolphins including being aware of all marine ecosystems. In order for it to be classified as dolphin friendly, companies need to ensure that no chasing or netting of dolphins takes place during their fishing trip. Companies must not use drift gill nets to catch their tuna, and lastly, no accidental killing or causing harm to the dolphins may occur when setting their nets (Inc,2016).

 

Organic Liquid Beef Stock – Eco label being Oregon Tilth & USDA Organic

Country of Origin – United States of America
Description of Product – Organic liquid beef stock produced in a cardboard recyclable container. The eco label Oregon Tilth and USDA Organic certifies  that the product complies with organic agriculture along with sustainable farming methods. Ensuring farmers and all who are involved in handling and processing of organic food is done so in a manner that complies with the organisation.  Farmers need to stick to set regulations, pass random inspection of farms, and maintain a binding contract between farmer and the buyer of the product in question.  Farms need to comply with the following process and restrictions as well (Tilth,2016).

• Preserve natural resources and biodiversity
• Support animal health and welfare
• Provide access to the outdoors so that animals can exercise their natural behaviours
• Only use approved materials
• Do not use genetically modified ingredients
• Receive annual onsite inspections
• Separate organic food from non-organic food

 

Organic Ground Coffee Blend – Eco label being AFRISCO

Country of Origin – South Africa
Description of Product – AFRISCO is the only internationally recognised and accredited South African certifier. It aims at improving the integrity of organic food processes in RSA, as well as other SADC countries. This organisation follows the product from start through to processing and on to distribution, ensuring that companies adhere to all criteria needed  in order to be AFRISCO approved. AFRISCO raises awareness and promotes to both local and global producers and consumers,  the benefit it has on the environment as well as personal heath choice among the consumers themselves. The coffee is packaged in a foil fresh carton which is recyclable and has a low carbon footprint.

 

Running Duck Organic White Wine – Eco label being Fair for Life

Country of Origin – South Africa
Description of Product – Fair for life is an unbiased third party certification organisation.  It ensures there is ongoing fair trade amongst agricultural, manufacturing and trading operations. It promotes operators to have a responsible project in place which protects the environment, including trying to reduce the impact the company has on the surrounding environment.

As per their website www.fairforlife.org  the certification process begins with applying to accredited by the organisation. The interested company would then prepare for auditing to see if they are legible for Fair for Life. Once they are audited, an overall evaluation is done on the company. If the company satisfies their requirements they will be issued their certification which would allow them to present the Fair for Life logo on their product.  In order to remain a Fair for Life ambassador, the company would need to continue their compliance of criteria. Should they for some reason they no longer comply, they will no longer be able to host their logo on their product.

The Euro leaf logo is also displayed on this particular bottle of wine.  It illustrates that the product has been certified as organic conforming to the regulations of organic farming. It is an internationally recognised logo. During processing of the product it also ensures that 95% of the ingredients are organic (COMM,2013). It is compulsory for all manufacturers who are aligned with the Euro Leaf to place the logo on their product should they continue to comply with their standards.

The Importance of Eco labels

Eco labels give the consumer the power of choice when buying a product. They tend to attract the health conscious, eco mind shopper, whilst allowing the manufacturer to become a “greener” and more environmentally aware company.

Eco labels generally increase the sustainability and environmental awareness. Consumers will tend to purchase products that have official logos and certification attached to the product (International, 2012). Eco labels have the ability to strengthen the brand including the additional promotion of the product.

They also increase the marketing competition between companies driving them towards a more environmentally sustainable products. This has a trickle-down effect which can include the harvesting/cultivation, manufacturing and distribution of products. This will also help weed out any unscrupulous manufacturers.

Hope you have learnt something from my post 🙂  – Fiona

 

Population growth and its effects

Population growth and distribution of said population are key factors in trying to implement global and local environmental management and sustainable living. There are many contributing factors to consider to ensure that environmental management will be successful in the future.

Ultimately, the success of how effective environmental management in conjunction with the sustainability of our resources comes down to the rate at which our population is growing.

Environmental Management with regards to Water Resources

Immediate and appropriate local and global management is required to ensure that our water supply is able to meet and keep up with the demand of a growing population.  “Nearly 2 billion cope daily with the problem of finding enough water and as many as 3.5 billion – almost half the worlds projected population – could face water shortages by 2025. Africa is at particular risk.” (Livernash, 2002)

Sustainable management of this critical resource needs to ensure that all people have access to clean and safe water. Concurrently, we need to sustain our natural water areas and implement environmental management in order to reduce/ prevent water pollution. “Worldwide 54% of the annual available fresh water is already being used. This is based on unequal consumption. Some 1.1 billion people do not have access to fresh water or consume less than the basic daily requirements of 50 litres” (Rosenberg, 2008).

Globally 70% of water is used for agricultural use, 22% industrial and 2% domestic use (UNESCO, 2003), whereas in Africa 85% of water is used in agriculture, 5% industrial sector and 10% used in domestic sector (Water, 2016).

The UN states that humans need a minimum of 50L of water per day for cooking, preparing of food, cleaning and reducing the spread of disease (Water, 2016). If we were to multiply this minimal amount by the number of people on Earth, it would be an extremely high figure which excludes industrial water consumption and agriculture. We are going to battle with keeping up with our water demands.

Food Production & Land Availability

Suitable land availability is declining, thus making basic food production difficult. “Long term gains in food production, especially in developing countries, are threatened by land degradation and by growing competition for water from industrial and municipal sources” (Livernash, 2002). Environmental management needs to ensure that we utilise our land space and resources efficiently. This will allow us to remain as close to sustainable as possible.”By 2030 the world will need at least 50% more food, 45% more energy and 30% more water (High Level Panel on Global Sustainability, 2012). Sustainability is extremely hard to achieve when the population growth rate is exponential. According to (Outlook, 2014) in 2013, 23% of households did not have adequate access to food and 13% experienced hunger.

“In 1997 the world demand for meat was 208 million metric tons and in 2020 its projected to be 327 million metric tons” (IFPRI Impact Projections, 2011). Even on a basic linear scale it is not possible to sustain this growth. With our already limited supply of resources, it is virtually unachievable to produce this amount of meat to feed and maintain our population.

We consume more water than we realise. Professor Tony Allan conceptualised the notion of virtual water. It is the amount of water we consume that is not visible to us, which goes over and above our minimum daily intake of 50 litres. A major contributor to virtual water is food production and consumption.15 455 litres of water is required in order to produce 1kg of beef (Water, 2016).  Cacao requires 27 000 litres for ever kilogram produced (Water, 2016).

 

Fiona 🙂

The Best of Barrydale

Having recently returned back from a weekend away in Barrydale with my mom, (not forgetting our two Yorkshire terriers that accompanied us) I thought I would share some of Barrydale’s best stops.  Barrydale is approximately a 3 hour drive from Cape Town. Its a small farming village situated between the Overberg region and the Klein Karoo.  Its not a very big town in comparison to other “dorps” we have been too. However the scenery of the mountains certainly creates a tranquil setting. A perfect way to settle into the weekend.

Overlooking the town of Barrydale

Mom & I took a leisurely drive through from Cape Town, exploring all the farm stalls en route, a tradition I seem to have to do whenever I do road trips. I simply can’t help myself! We went through the Tradouw Pass (which means Women’s Path in the old Khoi language) before entering Barrydale. This 17 kilometer drive through an altitude range of 219 meters meanders through some of the most beautiful & rugged mountain scenery on offer in the Langeberg. This pass is undoubtedly in the Top 20 tarred passes in the Western Cape on an overall rating. The pass joins the towns of Barrydale and Swellendam and was originally built by Thomas Bain. Shortly after exiting this beautiful pass we arrived at our accommodation for the weekend, Sandy’s Place (http://www.sandysplace.co.za/). It is pet friendly which of course was our main concern since we were traveling with our dogs Jack & Zoe. It has pleasant rooms with nice” braaiing” facilities outside as well as an adjacent garden which Zoe & Jack could wonder through. Hosts Johan & Sterna van Eeden do their utmost in making sure your stay is a great one & are very hospitable and welcoming.  It was pouring with rain upon our arrival, so our plan of having a braai quickly changed & turned into dining out at the Karoo Art Hotel, 1km away from where we were staying. It is a very quirky, modern and art filled hotel (https://karooarthotel.co.za/). Their award-winning restaurant Karoo Grill certainly proved to us why it has won so many awards over the years. Their food simply delicious. A perfect setting especially for mom as she is an avid lover of painting & art herself. The art made for great dinner conversations in the restaurant as we heard various tables chatting about the beautiful art that surrounded them.  The emphasis in this restaurant  is very much on South African traditional food, particularly on Karoo dishes. I definitely could recommend this as a great dining stop!

A Taste of the interior of Karoo Art Hotel

On Saturday morning the clouds had cleared and the beaming sun was out. We were smiling. So we browsed around the main street, which I may add isn’t a very long street at all! All the shops were dog friendly and loved Jack & Zoe popping in. One of the interesting shops we stopped in at was Barrydale weavers. Where they make all sorts of items from hand towel, to bath towels & mats. What took my fascination was the lady pictured below who was clearly making a mat & how skilled she was at working the line of thread behind her with the turning of the weaving rack. (She worked on this piece the entire time while we were in Barrydale).

Work in Progress

 

Barrydale Weavery

It was a very chilled day & I think we were just enjoying the sunshine along with the fact that it wasn’t raining. Absolute bliss! Once we had browsed the shops that were open we decided to drive a little bit out of Barrydale heading toward Montagu direction. As you leave Barrydale you pass Barrydale Cellars which we stopped in at very briefly. They are very much brandy oriented, very lovely, however Mom was looking for some wines to take home & sample.

A fantastic winery with not only great clean tasting wines but it is also beautifully laid out & decorated is Joubert – Tradouw Vineyards (http://www.joubert-tradauw.com/) which in my opinion is a definite stop even if you do not buy anything, just to experience a taste of what wine making is about, seeing the barrels in dark cool rooms simply made my experience there a very personal & real one! After tasting & buying a few wine bottles at the various wineries along this route, we decided that it would be a good idea to turn around & head back before we literally end up in Montagu.

Joubert-Tradouw Winery

Magpie Art Collection (http://magpieartcollective.com/) is another interesting stop not only if you are interested in art but if you like to see items being reused & recycled. As this is exactly what the artists at Magpie do, they take the residents trash & simply turn it into art, whether it be light fitting decorations, chandeliers, bird mobiles & chairs just to name a few. You immediately feel immersed in the huge amounts of creativity that flow through their exhibition room. It really is fantastic to see what you able to do with a little bit of creativity and flair.

The final stop on my brief Barrydale weekend with you would have to be the much talked about Diesel & Creme (http://dieselandcreme.co.za/). Boy O’ Boy was it a delicious treat for Mom & I, certainly won’t be forgotten in a hurry that is for sure. We had walked everywhere the entire day to make sure our tummies were empty for the tasty surprise that awaited us as Diesel & Creme. Mom ordered “Morning Glory” (coffee & espresso milkshake) while I ordered Peppermint Crisp for a change as being a creature of habit I generally always go for something chocolate. Surrounded by a fabulous atmosphere we were silent whilst sipping away at our milkshakes!

Mom & I with our milkshakes!

The decor certainly keeps you entertained with a mix of old & new, it almost takes you right back to your childhood. Only happy memories at Diesel & Creme. A great way to end the weekend.

Because every day is a great day at Diesel & Creme

 

Funky Milkshake Bar

Bye for now ….Fiona

Food for Thought

I recently had to say goodbye to my oldest friend. He has packed it all up, moved his wife and kids to Scotland to start a new life. He did however manage to make a day for just us before he left. A final blow out, till we meet again. In true rebel rousing fashion we went for a paddle around Cape Point, did a bit of sea cave exploration, had a braai for lunch followed with a cold swim in the kelp forest.

A great way to spend some time together and a day I will not forget any time soon. Mainly because he still can’t cook chicken properly on a fire. Really, he has been making fires and enjoyed the outdoor life since I can remember and yet a few pieces of chicken get the better of him ( There are two unique ways Andrew cooks chicken, burnt or raw).
As it is expected in moments like these we spoke about the old times, where we have been as well as what has and what has not changed. I won’t bore you all with  the childhood stories however there is one piece of conversation I thought I would share.

In the late 80’s we had the TURBO craze. Anything could possibly be cool if it had the word turbo somehow tied in. Turbo vac, turbo sunglasses, turbo running shoes  even certain television shows had to include this awesome word into their slogan’s to up their appeal. Night Rider and Air Wolf immediately pop to mind. Mystical red buttons( Turbo Boost) all lit up, which were to be pressed at the slightest hint of danger. This would press the driver or pilot into the back of his chair and he would be flung of at some impossible speed. Faces all contorted due to shear exceleration.

Then in the  90’s there was EXTREME and MEGA, this one I never really got into. Everything had to be extreme. You want to have a cold drink… No it must be a EXTREME cold drink. This sad tale lead to extreme motor cross, extreme kayaking, extreme mountain climbing and extreme monster trucks. Unfortunately the list goes on and on.
It seems we still have traces of it floating in American television with Extreme fishing etc all at some extreme volume setting

These days it seems that the Eco bug has hit in full force. “Wanna be Greenies” and tree huggers are taking over the world. Bring out your sandals and muesli this is going to be a long one.

Don’t get me wrong I am all for living with nature as well as the things we need to achieve to live sustainably and in harmony, to me this is normal not a new exciting craze. As smart as we profess to be we can’t live without our environment in some form.
However somehow the extreme and Eco bug have mutated into the extreme Eco nuts,this kind of thing gives environmentalism a bad name.

As kids Andrew and I would embark on various adventures. We would go up into the forest and look for pine cones,  mushrooms and some days hunt for figs and guavas. Stealing ” mielies” (corn to most of you) from his dads fields, grabbing whatever we could on the run.  As we got older we started fishing collecting mussels and diving catching crayfish etc. This is what I thought was not extremely special just what we did. Some of the best times were first thing on a frosty winter’s day, barefoot, mist hanging low we would let the cows out and play poo island. We would jump from pile to pile to stop our feet going numb in the cold grass. Aahhh good times.

This type of thing has become the new lifestyle choice and a big fat fad. Picking fruit etc has become known as  foraging. collecting mussels, mushrooms etc has become wild foraging.  Following animal spoor has become Tracking. Thinking where a lost animal went or trying to anticipate were it is has become spiritual tracking. Diving with cylinders as kids was not a option so we made do with mask and snorkel , now its known as free diving a whole now sub culture.

Also is it really necessary to see all your branded clothing to prove  how good you are at what ever your interested in today. Walking around barefoot was practical most of the time as well as washing feet was much faster than taking smelly shoes off every time we went indoors. Now it is a way to ground your negative energy and connect with your ancestors or forefathers.the list goes on and on.
(You can spend lots off money going on long winded courses, teaching you how to do this, even issue you with certification upon receipt of cash err I mean completion!)

Why is it that we have to make everything into such a specialized alternate lifestyle. I cant seem to turn my head without someone trying to explain how raw organic food is, the way forward and that you somehow have to be an expert in raw diets harvested ethically from a enlightened guy down the road before you start your daily yoga session. If you can quote a few lines from some orange robed chap or prattle on about some  10000 hours story you are socially set. I must say I find this all can get terribly boring! Its not all that complicated in my mind, maybe I am wrong.

We are all animals. Deal with it.
We all need to eat a balanced diet. To much of anything is bad for you.
It would be great if we could all eat fresh food we harvested ourselves. Most of us cant.
Real food does not last long, so we preserve it by adding the most cost effective chemicals we can find. Soon as you add anything to preserve food it will kill good and bad bacteria.
Good healthy unprocessed food is what we are meant to eat. I mean it kind of makes sense. It doesn’t look or taste half as good as most processed food. People have spent millions to make food look and taste better than their competitors, so we will buy it. Price invariably  wins.

In nature we would be very hard pressed to find all the sugar ,fats and protein that we find in such high concentration in food off the shelf. this is one of the reasons why we are getting bigger and bigger. It is just to easy to find calorific rich foods at the drop of a hat.
I have noticed I can sit down and eat a whole commercially raised roast chicken without much fuss, however I would be lucky if I can eat half a naturally raised chicken (One that eats grass hoppers etc). Yes that’s right chickens don’t only eat grain and vegetables.
Unpasteurized milk?  Well I will talk about that at some other stage.  That’s a blog in itself. Just because you drive the latest hybrid Eco car each year does not make you more Eco friendly than I am even, though a drive a 10 year old diesel bakkie.(No matter how efficient it is it had to come from somewhere.  (Some huge factory and steel mill made them thousands of sea miles away using parts from all over the world). So please think before you judge me.

The real truth is that there are just too many of us roaming around not to mention we have a unquenchable thirst for resources and not enough respect or understanding of our place on this planet. Saving the Panda or a Whale because it pulls on our heart strings will not be enough long term. Environmentalism as well as environmental awareness needs to be elevated from a social fashion statement to a fact of life, not dissimilar to breathing or getting old.

We need to be better educated in this field as well as have a better fundamental understanding of our environment ( The place we call home,not invest billions of $ looking for a chance of life on some distant planet). Have an ego check, be humble about who and what we are, only then that do we stand a viable chance of making the next 1000 years.

Dan