A Cow Story

South Africa is a multi-ethnic country, that has the largest economy in the African continent. It is famous for its wine and diamonds, vuvuzelas and the beautiful city of Cape Town. Indeed, South Africa has ended an apartheid regime only 17 years ago; it suffers high rates of crime and HIV. But is that all there is to know about the country? South African and Slovak journalist decided to explore an alternative perspective, and produced a multimedia story about one unusual topic. This is a story about organic farming in South Africa. Gerdi Landman is a commercial dairy farmer from the Cookhouse district in the Eastern Cape. His "Mooimelk Cow Hotel" annually produces milk for 300 000 people. He keeps his business competitive by using ecological methods. On the other hand, Gerry and Marcella Graaf have built a life on the "Overthere Farm" outside Richmond in KwaZulu-Natal with about 15 cattle heads handedly. The couple want to be self-sufficient and try to grow and breed everything their family needs by themselves. Being organic is their way of living. We tell their story by showing you the daily life of Jean-Bapitiste Xivier, a volunteer of Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF). Milk we drink, yoghurt we eat, ice cream we taste, cheese we enjoy -- milk is everywhere! With this story about cows we hope to give you more than just a glimpse in the daily lives of the different types of dairy farmers in South Africa. We believe that by showing unique examples of being environmentally friendly and self-sufficient can be a positive inspiration all over the world. The story was produced by Alani Janeke and Zuzana Limova in November 2011 for the East4South project by Deutsche Welle.