On a cool late-summer morning, a fine bank of mist covers Kouwdouw farm at the top of the Outeniqua Pass. As the sun eventually appears from behind the mountain peaks, its golden rays fall upon row after row of trellised vines in the valley below.
It is harvest time in the hop fields of Waboomskraal and activity can already be detected beneath the trellises from which the plants hang like lush green curtains. The swoosh-swoosh of pangas sounds through the fields, followed by the chugging of a tractor. The tractor passes beneath the structure, pulling a trailer with two platforms above – the crow’s nests. Ahead of the tractor, two workers slash the plants at ground level, while two workers in the crow’s nests slice their grip at the top of the trellis. The hop plants drop into the trailer until it almost overflows. As the tractor leaves, a strong aroma in the air makes you wonder why you’re smelling beer.
The foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains is the only place in South Africa where you will find commercially grown hops – a key component of beer. From mid-February until the end of March, between 700 and 1 000 tonnes of hops are harvested on a handful of farms in an area measuring 427ha. It may not sound like much, but the yield is more than enough to supply South African Breweries
