With summer well on its way and strawberry season getting into full swing, bundle the kids in the car (with plenty of distractions for the 40-minute drive) and head out to experience farm life in Stellenbosch. Cityscapes and traffic soon turn to rolling fields and quiet farmland – a welcome relief for us two working moms.
Each armed with their own ‘junior picker’ bucket for collecting strawberries, our toddlers set off down the narrow rows of strawberry bushes with a serious mission at hand – a very exciting job for little people. I have never seen such large, beautifully red strawberries in such abundance! Within about 20 minutes their buckets were getting full, their feet muddy and their faces had strawberry smiles across them. As the strawberries do need to be washed before eating, we had a hard job keeping them out of their mouths and into the buckets.
After getting our fill of strawberries from the garden, we headed off to the eatery for tea and scones with fresh strawberry jam. With a large green patch of grass for the kids to run around on, and plenty of tractors and scarecrows to keep them entertained, this was a great opportunity for us to relax.
Before heading home you must visit their farmstall, which offers an extensive range of dried fruit, nuts, jams, preserves, biltong, sweets, estate wine and fresh fruit and vegetables. Visitors are also welcome to bring picnic baskets and relax on their lawns, which offer beautiful views of the Stellenbosch Winelands.
OF NOTE
Where Polkadraai Farm, M12 Stellenbosch Arterial Road, Stellenbosch
When The farmstall is open year round from 9 am to 5 pm daily. Strawberry picking is open October to December from 9 am to 4 pm daily.
Photography Sarah Woods/HSMimages.co.za