Fairwvie links with Norway goat farm
2007-10-11
THE owner of Fairview Wine and Cheese Estate outside Paarl, Charles Back, recently visited Norway to celebrate the opening of a replica Goat Tower at Ekeby Goat Farm.
This visit is the culmination of a cultural and agricultural exchange between South Africa and Norway, which will introduce South African produce into the highly competitive Scandinavian market and also serve as a knowledge transfer between the two countries.
Charles Back, owner of Fairview Wine and Cheese Estate outside Paarl, recently visited Norway to celebrate the opening of a replica Goat Tower at Ekeby Goat Farm.
This visit is the culmination of a cultural and agricultural exchange between South Africa and Norway, which will introduce South African produce into the highly competitive Scandinavian market and also serve as a knowledge transfer between the two countries.
Situated 60 km south of Oslo along the banks of the Oslo Fjord, Ekeby has been running for five years and is owned by Finn-Erik Blakstad and his wife Kristin.
After completing his Master's Degree in Law at the University of Cape Town, Blakstad decided to buy his parents’ farm in Norway and to import and breed South African ‘Boer-goats’.
Three years ago Ekeby’s barn was renovated and transformed into a restaurant, which now caters mainly for pre-booked business groups that enjoy a unique food experience.
The restaurant serves mainly Fairview Goats do Roam White and Goats do Roam Red and is now also open every Saturday afternoon for wine tastings where only Fairview wines are available.
Ekeby is the only place in Norway where wine tastings are available without prior reservations.
The goat farm has also recently imported instruments from a marimba band originally from Soweto and is currently in the process of establishing the banks of the Oslo Fjord, Ekeby has been running for five years and is owned by Finn-Erik Blakstad and his wife Kristin.
After completing his Master's Degree in Law at the University of Cape Town, Blakstad decided to buy his parents’ farm in Norway and to import and breed South African ‘Boer-goats’.
Three years ago Ekeby’s barn was renovated and transformed into a restaurant, which now caters mainly for pre-booked business groups that enjoy a unique food experience.
The restaurant serves mainly Fairview Goats do Roam White and Goats do Roam Red and is now also open every Saturday afternoon for wine tastings where only Fairview wines are available.
Ekeby is the only place in Norway where wine tastings are available without prior reservations.
The goat farm has also recently imported instruments from a marimba band originally from Soweto and is currently in the process of establishing a permanent marimba band to add to the African ambience.
Charles Back and representatives from the South African Embassy in Norway attended the official opening of the Norwegian Goat Tower after which Back personally conducted a wine tasting with Fairview wines.
According to Back, the co-operation between Fairview and Ekeby will include an exchange programme between workers of the two farms.
“Fairview and Ekeby are currently working on an exciting programme that will see an exchange of workers from both farms.
The exchange period will run for approximately one month at a time and the objective is for both farms to learn from each other, while also giving our employees an exciting opportunity to travel. We hope to have our first exchange early in 2008,’ says Back.
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