The onion has a two-year life cycle. In the first year, it germinates and grows from a seedling through to bulb formation; at the bulb formation stage, a critical quality factor is the creation of what Louis calls “the onion’s natural packaging”, the layers of outer skin that protect the onion from its time in the ground all the way to the consumer. In the second year, “ provided it is left in the ground, of course“ the bulb generates more foliage, then flowers and seeds, and the cycle starts again.

Sourcing quality onion seed cultivars, in fact, is a very serious part of the business. Louis and Cora travel the world on an annual basis to find the very best seed cultivars. The United States, the Netherlands, Japan and Australia are prominent suppliers but Louis conducts considerable research and development on his own here at home to determine which seed cultivars are best suited to Wildeklawer’s growing conditions.

Very similar to carrots except for the shape and colour, beetroot is the taproot portion of the beet plant. Although classified as B. vulgaris with subspecies vulgaris Conditiva those in the know are of the opinion that there is nothing vulgar about the delicious beetroot taproot.

From the Middle Ages, beetroot has been used for medicinal purposes especially to treat illnesses of the digestive system and blood. Wine was even made from beetroot juice in 1800’s.

Like carrots, beetroot is harvested year-round. Because of the large 200-hectare production units, beetroot at Wildeklawer is planted using mechanized planters. Harvesting is by hand and a harvesting team will start at one end and harvest the larger beetroots first. Once that cycle is completed, they will return to their starting point and repeat the exercise. Each production unit can sustain around three harvesting cycles, so ensuring a constant supply to the market.

Maize and wheat is cultivated at Wildeklawer as the seasons dictate.  Maize is harvested in autumn and winter and wheat in summer.  Scientifically planned watering cycles coupled with fertigation, the adding of fertilizer to the irrigated water, ensures pest-free bulk crops.

The 20 hectare production units with their centre-pivot irrigation systems constantly deliver high yields of both these staple crops.  Both white and yellow maize is cultivated.

What makes maize and wheat rotation special at Wildeklawer is that both these crops are essentially in crop rotation and in doing so, their respective cultivation sanitizes the soil.

Carrots are believed to be a domesticated form of the wild carrot, Daucus carota that was native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. Popular folklore has it that was first eaten in Persia (areas of which now belong to Iran and Afghanistan) although originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds. Only later did the eating of the taproot become popular and when selective breeding started, the taproot was enlarged, made more palatable by removing its woody texture and taste.

Carrots are known to be rich in carotene and although they contain large amounts of water, their health benefits are widely known and respected. They also make for very good salads and cooked meals.

Wildeklawer is fast making its mark as one of the leading producers of carrots in South Africa. As carrots and other vegetables are grown on large scale due to the advantage of scientific methods and sustainable water supply, carrots are produced year-round.

As with other crops, each production unit fed by its centre-pivot irrigation system, is planted with a different crop type each year and the previous crop type, is moved upwind of the former, so preventing plant diseases which may have developed to spread.

Although carrot harvesting is mostly done mechanically, it is supported by large teams of manual labour so ensuring that the crop comes in and sustaining employment for many in the area.

The potato as we know it, has certainly come a long way, originating from the Andes region in South America before making its way across the Atlantic ocean to Europe in the 16^th century.

We believe its long journey has been well worth it as it has reached the pinnacle of production quality at Wildeklawer.  Gone are the days of simply calling it a spud as it joins the likes of wheat, maize, rice and sugar as some of the most important basic food groups in the world.

At Wildeklawer we’ve carefully selected four potato cultivars namely Sifra, Lanorma, Mondial and Fabula.  Seed potatoes, sourced from seed growers in the Free State, are kept in cold storage until they are mechanically planted between November and January.  Five-year crop rotation cycles provide soil that is ready and full of nutrients and our centre-pivot irrigation system ensures optimal moisture at the desired time in the growth cycle, again highlighting the importance of effective science in food production.

Once mechanically harvested between March and August each year, our potatoes are carefully washed, sorted and packed by hand, ensuring that the potato skin stays unmarked and intact.  Wildeklawer potatoes are sought after on fresh produce markets, in supermarket groups and in food processing.  Our potatoes are great for boiling, frying, French fries and crisps.

The quality of our potato production was recognized back in 2005 when Louis de Kock and his Wildeklawer team were lauded as “Potato Producer of the Year”.  Since then we’ve built on that recognition and stay committed to producing the best potatoes in Africa, if not the world.