Summerhill Dairy Farm

Project Name: Summerhill
Project Location: Donnybrook, about 20 km outside of Ixopo

Project Background

The farm is 123 ha in extent and currently milks 140 cows, with 60 heifers in calf, five bulls and uses artificial insemination for production. Milk is supplied to Creighton Dairies which is 10 kilometers from Summerhill and is collected every second day.  Furthermore, the farm has planted 20ha of yellow maize, 11ha of rye grass and kikuyu pastures with a potential carrying capacity of 300 cows. The limitations to fulfilling this carrying capacity were identified through the project owners’ unofficial mentor and long-time friend who is a successful commercial dairy farmer in the area.