Picture this: as a young child you visit your grandmother’s farm every week; looking forward to her delicious food and hoping you get to visit the cows. The crisp smell of an early morning hits your senses as you gather a bucket and walk through the dewy grass to get some milk. You greet the cows one by one and take in the fresh scent of a quiet farm that is slowly being warmed up by the morning sun. You walk back proudly and excitedly, offering Ouma the milk she needs to make the morning coffee and scrambled eggs. While this sounds idyllic, peaceful, and filled with nostalgia, not many people dream about becoming a farmer. However, for that young child, dairy farming became a lifestyle. It is not often that we get to see people live out their dreams, but for Freddie van Zyl, owner of Bracklyn Farm, his childhood dream of becoming a dairy farmer came true.

From a young age, he was fascinated by the cows on his grandmother’s farm. He would help milk them, take care of the land, and enjoy the fruits of his labour – one could say he was born with milk in his veins. After spending years on his grandmother’s farm, he decided to go to university and make dairy his life’s purpose. Once he finished university and returned home, he confided in his father that his dream was to become a dairy farmer in South Africa.

Dairy is about family

His father gave him a chance and together they ran Bracklyn Farm just outside of Cradock in the Eastern Cape. Since 1987, Freddie has dedicated his life to dairy farming. He learnt everything he knows about the business from his father and the cows he milked. In 2001, he took over the farm and decided to expand his horizons in the dairy industry. Coming from a family background and taking over the farm from his father instilled a deep sense of community in him. His communal approach to farming has defined the way he does business. Freddie says that a farmer is much more than someone who ploughs, feeds, and harvests – sometimes farmers have to be a source of support for the people around them; whether that means being a doctor, a friend, or a psychologist. The community that Freddie has built over the years has played an integral role in the success of the Bracklyn Farm.

Commitment is key

In 2001, Freddie started with 120 cows and now has over 1400 cows that produce milk daily. He places a lot of emphasis on the fact that he wouldn’t have gotten to where he is today if it weren’t for his workers and their commitment and dedication to dairy. Farming is “365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day” says Freddie – and it isn’t easy work either. From the crack of dawn, all of the people on the farm rise from their beds, put their boots on, and start a long day of milking and caring for cows.

Not only is Bracklyn’s owners dedicated to nurturing the wellbeing of everyone on the farm, they are also committed to ensuring the wellbeing of the cows that make dairy farming possible. They have employed some of the most advanced technology to make sure their cows are happy, healthy, and well taken care of. At Bracklyn, the farming community prioritises each and every living being on the farm to ensure they are reaching their full potential at all times.

Farming is hard work. It requires commitment, perseverance, and a burning passion for dairy. Marshall Makwena, a worker at Bracklyn Farm says that farming is not for sissies! In a market as competitive as the dairy industry in South Africa, you have to keep your wits about you and prioritise the people who are passionately showing up every day and dedicating their lives to dairy. You have to appreciate the people who are waking up at 4am each morning to contribute to a common goal.

A long day’s work

Once the sun sets on the farm, everyone pats themselves on the backs for a good and long day of hard work, and the day starts again at 4 am. Milk is in their veins. It is a part of who they are and what they do. They drink, live, and breathe milk so that the people of South Africa can wake up in the morning, put some milk in their cereal, and go about their days.

The hands that bring you milk and dairy products strive to provide the best quality dairy in the most sustainable and ethical manner. At Bracklyn Farm, they are committed to the people and animals who contribute to the day-to-day functioning of their business. Not only are they dedicated to dairy, but they are dedicated to you; the consumer – the fundamental factor that sustains the dairy industry and allows people like Freddie van Zyl to live out their dreams.