THE FARM

De Rustica spans 3,000 hectares and stretches 12 kilometers along the Oudemuragie Valley. It flanks the Nels River and surrounding hills with elevations ranging from 300 to 675 meters on both sides. Within this expanse, 550 hectares are irrigated fields and prepared lands, including 135 hectares dedicated to olive orchards.

The Estate is divided into five contiguous sections including:
The Bottom Farm – Oude Muragie
The Middle Farm – Van Der Westhuizen
Klein Krys Farm
Abrahams Valley Farm
The Top Farm – Groot Krys, incorporating Suurkloof
and our water infrastructure within the Eco Reserve.

Our farm thrives under a Mediterranean, montane, arid climate, with high altitudes, well-drained soils, and pristine mountain water. Perfect conditions for producing premium olives and olive oils.

Water is a vital resource in the arid Klein Karoo, and at De Rustica we have taken significant measures to conserve and optimize its use by:

Eradicating Invasive Vegetation:
• Removing all black wattle Spanish reeds and poplars from the Nels River.
• During the severe 2013–2019 drought, these efforts restored the Nels River’s flow, showing immediate results.

Upgrading Irrigation Systems:
• Replacing open water furrows with pipelines to minimize water loss and utilize altitude-based pressure for irrigation, eliminating the need for additional power.
• Implementing efficient irrigation methods, such as floppy systems and pivots, as well as double-drip lines for olives and underground drippers for lucerne.

Improving Water Storage and Usage:
• Aligning irrigation schedules with weather data for maximum efficiency.
• Monitoring soil moisture levels to prevent overwatering.
• Prioritizing water use for the olive orchards, followed by the most productive fields, during drought.

At De Rustica, our agricultural activities revolve around olive and sheep farming. We grow crops and maintain permanent pastures year-round, and are experimenting with innovative herbaceous crop mixes for our sheep.

De Rustica is committed to regenerative farming principles, prioritizing soil preservation and health.

Key practices include:
• Avoiding tillage wherever possible to sustain soil structure and fertility.
• Maintaining a rich, herbivorous ground cover in the olive orchards to protect soil integrity.
• Using only organic fertilizers, such as sheep manure from lambing pens and olive pomace from our press.

De Rustica is more than a farm – it’s a testament to sustainable agriculture, combining innovative practices with respect for nature to create a thriving ecosystem.

Of the 3000 hectares on the Estate, only 550 are cultivated and another 50 are occupied. The remaining extent of the farm has deliberately been left undisturbed to enable the natural ecology to recover from the damage that it incurred during the ostrich farming era.

A herd of 200 Springbok and 30 Black wildebeest co-exist with Eland and Zebra that were already resident in the mountains, and repeat sightings of the Riverine Rabbit above some of our orchards has sparked great excitement.

De Rustica is also partnering with a local initiative to protect and conserve the threatened Cape Honey Bee whose natural habitat falls within the farm.