Kidding season at Fairview – no jokes!

Every September, Fairview Wine and Cheese in Paarl gets ready for exciting changes. It is spring, and the time of year when the most important residents of the farm, the Fairview goats, welcome their newly born kids. This special period is referred to as kidding season (they’re not joking) and it brings a wealth of happiness to the farm.

During kidding season, visitors have the opportunity of interacting with the farm’s baby goats. Not only can you play with the new kids but you can also feed them by purchasing a bag of goat food for R10, with a R2 donation going to the Animal Welfare Society for every bag sold.

“During kidding season last year, we decided to bring the goat kids up next to the Tasting Room to give our visitors a chance to interact with our beloved farm mascots,” says Charles Back, owner of Fairview. “We received such an overwhelmingly positive response that we have since created a large paddock for the kids to take up permanent residence right next to our original Goat Tower.”

The new paddock boasts South Africa’s first-ever goat skywalk bridge which spans the main entrance. The bridge allows the goats to roam from the farm’s renowned Goat Tower across the path to the other side of the garden where the paddock is situated. A bigger and more exciting playground to explore, the paddock features surfboards, seesaws and other fun obstacles.

Goat kids love to play and they also love to interact with people. They are very used to humans because they are hand-reared and bottle-fed three times a day after spending their first week or so with their mother nanny goats. The goat kids grow up fast and each has its own adorable personality.

During kidding season, the nanny goats get to rest as they need to produce milk for their newly born kids. Producing milk requires energy and nutrients, which is why the herd’s diet is so important at this stage. When the nannies are pregnant all of their energy and nutrients go towards their growing kids. Fairview’s goat’s milk production slows down for a few weeks and the farm produces less goat’s milk cheese, which is why fewer of Fairview’s goat’s milk products will be on the shelf at the supermarket at this specific time. This is to ensure that the goat herd is healthy and strong.

Goat’s milk cheese continues to grow in popularity and as a result, demand has increased. Be sure to grab your goat’s milk Chevin cheeses before stock runs low over the next few weeks. Fairview offers a selection of Chevin cheeses in different flavours such as traditional, garlic and herb, and black pepper and paprika. The Chevin cheeses retail for about R42 per unit at supermarkets nationwide or at the Shop & Deli on the farm, where delicious preserves and freshly baked breads are also available.

Aside from all the fun interaction with the furry kids, adults can kick back and experience the wine tasting options at Fairview’s Tasting Room, or indulge in the delicious country-style menu available at the Goatshed restaurant (which also has a kids menu).

So bring your own kids and come visit the most-loved members of Fairview as they welcome their new kids on the block!