Steenberg Vineyards

Biodiversity highlights:
 

Area conserved – 50ha.
In 2001, 50 ha of mountain land (consisting of some pristine Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos) was donated to CapeNature to manage and improve the natural Cape Flora that exists there. Most of the natural vegetation on the farm have been cleared of alien species and no further vineyard expansion will take place on these areas.


History:
Steenberg Vineyards was established in 1682 and consists of 158 hectares. Steenberg, Mountain of Stone, has a romantic ring, but the original name was more beautiful still, for it was called Swaaneweide - The Feeding Place of Swans. Whether swans did indeed fly down to drink and swim in the cool clear waters of the farm, *or* whether the first owner, Catharina Ras, looked back with nostalgia to her former home in Lubeck, on the Baltic coast of Germany, is hard to tell. Herewith were the beginnings of Steenberg *or*, Swaaneweide, named rather ignorantly perhaps, because unbeknowingly, Ras had named the farm after swans. Swans are however not indigenous to the country and today you will still find a large population of spur-winged geese at Steenberg.

Conservation efforts:
In 2001, 50 ha of mountain land (consisting of some pristine Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos) was donated to CapeNature to manage and improve the natural Cape Flora that exists there.

On the farm itself great care is taken to spray only with environmentally-friendly products and to use natural predators to control unwanted pests like mealy bug. They also encourage all other wildlife to make the farm their home. The following species are frequently seen: Fish eagle, Caracal, wide variety of birds, tortoises, snakes, small antelope, leopard toads and chameleons. All living organisms are protected and they are moving towards an insecticide free farm.

Alien plant species are controlled on a regular basis and the indigenous fynbos re-established. All waste is removed from the farm by Wasteman on a weekly basis and all used water goes to a treatment plant and from there driven away by the local municipality.

This farm is manage by a team that promotes working with nature and over the past few years they are slowly but surely working towards ''greener'' farming methods to protect the species diversity of this farm.