This cache is placed on the turnoff to our family farm. This farm has been farmed by the same family for three generations, although the family started farming in the area in 1875. The farm mainly keeps merino sheep and angora goats, but due to the increase in stock theft and vermin, they are diversifying into “boer” goats and beef cattle. Boer goats are brown headed goats who are more aggressive against vermin (jackals caracal) and are used for their meat.
The guinea fowl sign indicates that the farm in part of a conservancy that stretches across approximately 7 adjoining farms. The conservancy is responsible to control the hunting on their farms to numbers acceptable by the Department of Nature Conservation. This allows for hunting to occur outside of regulated seasons, but in a highly controlled and planned fashion to ensure the conservation of each species (essentially antelope). They are also required to submit annual reports indicating how each farm is taking steps to conserve the ecosystem on the farm.
One hundred years ago, the farm was actually four farms that supported 4 separate families. However, due to the general drying of the climate in the region, three of the farms were eventually sold up as they could no longer support sufficient numbers of stock due to the shortage of water. The same area today can now only support one family due to the overall reduction of groundwater.