Rain and life on Krumhuk

On December 28, 2020 the first significant rain started in Krumhuk and so it continued to rain almost every day for 4 weeks. Only in this time it was 300mm, which is almost our annual average. On January 9th our house dam was full to overflowing for the first time. In the meantime it has already overflowed 3 times. What a joy and gratitude! And we want to share this with you and therefore a short report today from the beautiful green Krumhuk.

Almost the whole Namibia got good rain in said time and especially the south is worth a trip this year. A green desert, running dry rivers and a Soussusvlei filled with water is not often here in the country. So all reservoirs are also 100% filled, even the just finished and largest reservoir in Namibia, the Neckertal Dam in the Fish River, has not only got inflow for the first time, it has immediately become full to overflowing.

In Krumhuk we admire and enjoy nature especially now. These forces of growth never cease to amaze us. You can really feel how the wild animals, the birds, the insects and all creatures can really live themselves out in such a special time. And this in turn has a very special influence on people. Life and work suddenly seem much easier again. Nevertheless, we are suddenly confronted with too wet cow barns, hoof infections and a lot of erosion outside in the fields. On the farm, the rampant grass and weeds everywhere have to be put in their place. The dairy cows give almost twice as much milk with high fat content. Outside in the field we look very carefully where and for how long the mutteku herd is herded and where they can then spend the night in Nachtkrälen. With them we can do valuable work on the ground right now. Just take the dung beetles that work every cow patty into the soft moist soil.

The last 2 weeks have seen no rain and plenty of sunshine, which is now giving the plants the strength they need for the rest of the year. But according to weather forecasts, it is supposed to rain again soon. May they be right. In any case, we are experiencing a very special rainy year.

However, despite all the rain, we are struggling to maintain our groundwater. In November of last year, our main source/drilling well at Regenstein diminished greatly and so we now have too little water for the homestead with its gardens, processing, animals and people. The current good rain is alleviating this problem right now, but in the longer term we will have to re-drill because according to geologists, rain does not directly affect groundwater. This can be an expensive operation, because you don’t always hit the right spot when drilling. Unfortunately, we have to compete with the nearby city here, because it consumes vast amounts of groundwater and that from depths we cannot afford.

Our products from the farm are becoming more and more popular, not only at the weekly organic market, but also in the supermarkets, even as far as Swakopmund and Otjiwarongo. We can hardly keep up in processing. The guest business and the livestock business still contribute little to the turnover – we know the reasons. The “Coffee & Cake” on Sunday afternoons also enjoys further popularity.

In the meantime the school year has also started and another 5 children from Krumhuk have been enrolled in the Waldorf School in Windhoek. So now there are 8 children in the kindergarten, 16 go to the Waldorf School every morning and 2 go to our school in Aris.

So we greet you from this beautiful green Krumhuk.