Waylands Guest Farm Accommodation Darling
Waylands farm, originally called Karnmelkfontein, is 1232 ha. in size. The Duckitts have owned the farm since 1865 and we are currently the sixth generation on Waylands, which was named after our ancestor’s farm, Waylands, in Surrey in England. The two homesteads were built in 1865 and 1892, with the oldest buildings, including the farm labourer’s cottages, dating from the 1820’s.As in the whole of Darling, Waylands does not have one homogenous soil type. Guest farm Accommodation Darling
The deep red soils are excellent for vines and the dark decomposed granite soils very good for crops such as wheat, oats and barley. The sandy soils are good for root crops.Waylands is in the winter rainfall area and its proximity to the coast means that the climate is never very extreme. It does not get very hot or very cold.The average rainfall is 470mm per year. Waylands is blessed with large quantities of underground water, however, its salt content is too high for large scale irrigation.Farming activities include winter crops, sheep, cattle and vines.
Vines
We have 10ha Shiraz and 2ha Morvedre (for blends). The deep red soils and the cool climate are ideally suited for high quality wine grapes. The harvested grapes are delivered to Darling Cellars. CROPSCrops sown include wheat, oats, barley, lupins and canola. The conservation tillage system practised on Waylands resulted in substantial improvement in the soil fertility providing good crops and good grazing in the fallow years.
Sheep
We run 1500 Merino sheep on Waylands. They are descended from the first Merinos which were allowed out of Spain which were brought to the Darling area in 1789. Merinos are well adapted to the area. We also run a merino stud specifically to breed rams for our own use. They are selected to improve the wool and meat quality of the flock.
Nguni Cattle
We have a herd of Nguni cattle on Waylands. This indigenous African breed is identified by their multiple patterns and colours. Each animal in the herd is individual in the combinations of its colour pattern, horn shape, gender, status and history.The Ngunis are hardy, adaptable, fertile and able to survive in conditions inhospitable to other breeds. They are resistant to drought and tick-borne diseases. They are heat tolerant and, being non-selective browsers and grazers, can obtain optimal nutritional value from the available natural vegetation. They are also tame, yield good beef and their skins are highly sought after.