Day 3: March 14th
It’s our first day of staying at Trekpad Safaris! This morning we woke up at the crack of dawn to go out and dart an Impala and Nyala. The purpose of darting the deer was to relocate them in order to prevent inbreeding throughout the herd. We all got to take pictures and learn about some veterinary practices as well. Afterwards we had some amazing breakfast and learned about Trekpad’s crop farming. They grow maize, soybeans, sunflowers, barley, wheat, and different beans. We learned about how they irrigate their crops as well as store them. They irrigate their fields with a center pivot and use water from the nearby Crocodile River. We learned that Trekpad and other farmers deal with a lot of theft including their crops and livestock. Due to the increase in theft, every field is surrounded by a tall electric fence.
Then we made our way into the mountains to Rooiberg. We got to see some of their Afrikaner cattle. Trekpad runs around 600 head of cattle up in the mountains, and they are the only farm in the area that runs cattle in the mountains. Many students practiced palpating the cows to check if they are pregnant, and watched them go through a tick bath which they get every 3 weeks. As we saw the cattle, we did some sightseeing of the beautiful mountains by riding in the back of buggies! At the top we took a group picture with our Jackrabbit flag! Then we went back to Trekpad to have a braai (barbecue) which are very popular in South Africa. Our night ended with a campfire and traditional music. We have really enjoyed learning more about agriculture, as well as taking in how beautiful this country is.
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