THE LANGSIDE STORY
Langside Meats members Pieter and Koot Prinsloo are established cattle ranchers in the Queenstown district of the Eastern Cape.
We partner with Andrews Abattoir, a registered Halal classification abattoir and producer in the North-Eastern Cape and Border region,
who focuses on slaughtering mostly veld/pasture reared cattle and sheep (these pastures are mostly not irrigated),
and who shares our intent and vision.
We conserve our natural environment as our most important non-negotiable priority
and promote this stance in farming, at every available opportunity.
Extensive grassy planes, interspersed with Acacia trees, offer an ideal natural habitat for cattle.
This sweet veld part is of an excellent quality to fatten the herds, with a high nutrient content from a large variety of grass types,
excellent for beef production. It enables Langside Meats and coworkers to run their herds purely off the veld, without having to supplement feed to keep up the condition of the cattle, even in the dry years.
The North-Eastern Cape part of the biome is slightly more sourveld because of the higher rainfall.
The attraction of good, naturally raised beef is in its health benefits and wonderful, farm fresh quality.
Quite simply, veld reared/Grasfed beef is the healthier option, and it tastes superb!
We produce healthy beef with zero antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones, fillers, preservatives or additives, which produces healthier, better-tasting beef. Our beef has the right balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and vitamin E.
Langside Meats Provenance (Terroir) – We consider ourselves as nature’s partners!
We ranch the cattle in the upper reaches of the Black Kei River Basin around the towns of Queenstown
and Elliot situated centrally in the Eastern Cape Province.
Climate: Altitude 1500m.
Summer rainfall of 500 to 800 mm.
The rainfall is marginal and erratic, and the area is prone to years of low rainfall and drought.
Winters are cold (minus 8) and dry with heavy frosts occurring on most windless mornings.
Summers are hot (maximum 40) with thunderstorms generally occurring during late afternoons.
Humidity is low for most of the year except for brief periods after good rains.
The extremes of this climate are exceptionally healthy for both cattle and humans.
Soil: Soils generally ranges from sandy (< 5% clay) to high clay levels (>15%).
Depth also varies and is greatest in valley bottoms.
Soils are prone to erosion where grass cover is lacking, and gradients cause excessive runoff.
Large eroded dongas are common on most poorly managed farms.
Soils have an alkaline pH and are not badly leached with high levels of nutrients i.e., Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium.
Limestone (Ca CO3) deposits are frequently visible on the surface.
These high levels of nutrients nourish and make the grass very palatable, and farmers refer to it as sweet- or sour veldt.
The term 'veldt' is only used in South Africa and refers to open, uncultivated country or grassland in Southern Africa.
It is conveniently divided by altitude into Highveld, middle veld and lowveld.
Phosphate is lacking in all areas.
Trace elements are also well supplied (except Zinc) with an abundance of Iron.
Veld type: The grasslands are called savannas and range from desert grass planes in the higher regions to those of trees and bushes in the middle veldt. The once pristine grasslands in the middle veldt region have been invaded by Karoo shrubs and the Acacia Karoo thorn tree. This is because of bad grazing practices by farmers with small stock over the past 100 years.
Sporadic fires occur during the dry months, and these help control the woody component.
Beef cattle production: Cattle production has the potential to restore the grasslands.
Cattle have broad flat muzzles, are not very selective and not severe on the palatable grasses.
They do however require water on a daily basis and management should try and limit the formation of pathways to and from water.
Generally, if the cattle can be rotated in up to 6 camps per herd the recovery in camps that are resting after rain should be adequate.
The absence of cattle in camps does not necessarily mean the grasses are resting as they may be dormant.
Growing out the cattle to an age of 3 years in this system which allows for recovery and regeneration of the natural grasslands, is great for conservation. Bush encroachment where it is not controlled by fire needs to be mechanically removed or controlled by herbicides.
Our cattle are not treated with any growth hormones or antibiotics during their lives and losses are minimal due to the natural conditions (grass) the cattle grow out on. The cattle have evolved to digest fibrous grass over thousands of years and all we do is attempt to facilitate the process.
Let Livestock regenerate the land to prevent desertification – Alan Savory.
Our undertaking is to conserve our natural environment as our most important non-negotiable priority
and promote this at every available opportunity.
To produce meat naturally with the minimum intervention.
To regard our animals as part of a balanced eco-system.
Not to administer any antibiotics, growth stimulants nor animal by-products as feed to our animals.
To have our animals traceable to place of birth.
To have identifiable branding or a tattoo mark of the owner as well as an individual number for proper traceability.
Not to have our animals registered to any Breeder Society.
To treat our animals with humane, ethical and stress free farming methods.
To always make fresh water and sufficient grazing available to animals.
To remove diseased animals or animals which have been treated for disease from the production unit.
Our aim is always the highest standards of transparency, traceability, and confidence.
We partner with Andrews Abattoir, a registered Halal classification abattoir and producer in the North-Eastern Cape and Border region,
who focuses on slaughtering mostly veld/pasture reared cattle and sheep (these pastures are mostly not irrigated),
and who shares our intent and vision.
We conserve our natural environment as our most important non-negotiable priority
and promote this stance in farming, at every available opportunity.
Extensive grassy planes, interspersed with Acacia trees, offer an ideal natural habitat for cattle.
This sweet veld part is of an excellent quality to fatten the herds, with a high nutrient content from a large variety of grass types,
excellent for beef production. It enables Langside Meats and coworkers to run their herds purely off the veld, without having to supplement feed to keep up the condition of the cattle, even in the dry years.
The North-Eastern Cape part of the biome is slightly more sourveld because of the higher rainfall.
The attraction of good, naturally raised beef is in its health benefits and wonderful, farm fresh quality.
Quite simply, veld reared/Grasfed beef is the healthier option, and it tastes superb!
We produce healthy beef with zero antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones, fillers, preservatives or additives, which produces healthier, better-tasting beef. Our beef has the right balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and vitamin E.
Langside Meats Provenance (Terroir) – We consider ourselves as nature’s partners!
We ranch the cattle in the upper reaches of the Black Kei River Basin around the towns of Queenstown
and Elliot situated centrally in the Eastern Cape Province.
Climate: Altitude 1500m.
Summer rainfall of 500 to 800 mm.
The rainfall is marginal and erratic, and the area is prone to years of low rainfall and drought.
Winters are cold (minus 8) and dry with heavy frosts occurring on most windless mornings.
Summers are hot (maximum 40) with thunderstorms generally occurring during late afternoons.
Humidity is low for most of the year except for brief periods after good rains.
The extremes of this climate are exceptionally healthy for both cattle and humans.
Soil: Soils generally ranges from sandy (< 5% clay) to high clay levels (>15%).
Depth also varies and is greatest in valley bottoms.
Soils are prone to erosion where grass cover is lacking, and gradients cause excessive runoff.
Large eroded dongas are common on most poorly managed farms.
Soils have an alkaline pH and are not badly leached with high levels of nutrients i.e., Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium.
Limestone (Ca CO3) deposits are frequently visible on the surface.
These high levels of nutrients nourish and make the grass very palatable, and farmers refer to it as sweet- or sour veldt.
The term 'veldt' is only used in South Africa and refers to open, uncultivated country or grassland in Southern Africa.
It is conveniently divided by altitude into Highveld, middle veld and lowveld.
Phosphate is lacking in all areas.
Trace elements are also well supplied (except Zinc) with an abundance of Iron.
Veld type: The grasslands are called savannas and range from desert grass planes in the higher regions to those of trees and bushes in the middle veldt. The once pristine grasslands in the middle veldt region have been invaded by Karoo shrubs and the Acacia Karoo thorn tree. This is because of bad grazing practices by farmers with small stock over the past 100 years.
Sporadic fires occur during the dry months, and these help control the woody component.
Beef cattle production: Cattle production has the potential to restore the grasslands.
Cattle have broad flat muzzles, are not very selective and not severe on the palatable grasses.
They do however require water on a daily basis and management should try and limit the formation of pathways to and from water.
Generally, if the cattle can be rotated in up to 6 camps per herd the recovery in camps that are resting after rain should be adequate.
The absence of cattle in camps does not necessarily mean the grasses are resting as they may be dormant.
Growing out the cattle to an age of 3 years in this system which allows for recovery and regeneration of the natural grasslands, is great for conservation. Bush encroachment where it is not controlled by fire needs to be mechanically removed or controlled by herbicides.
Our cattle are not treated with any growth hormones or antibiotics during their lives and losses are minimal due to the natural conditions (grass) the cattle grow out on. The cattle have evolved to digest fibrous grass over thousands of years and all we do is attempt to facilitate the process.
Let Livestock regenerate the land to prevent desertification – Alan Savory.
Our undertaking is to conserve our natural environment as our most important non-negotiable priority
and promote this at every available opportunity.
To produce meat naturally with the minimum intervention.
To regard our animals as part of a balanced eco-system.
Not to administer any antibiotics, growth stimulants nor animal by-products as feed to our animals.
To have our animals traceable to place of birth.
To have identifiable branding or a tattoo mark of the owner as well as an individual number for proper traceability.
Not to have our animals registered to any Breeder Society.
To treat our animals with humane, ethical and stress free farming methods.
To always make fresh water and sufficient grazing available to animals.
To remove diseased animals or animals which have been treated for disease from the production unit.
Our aim is always the highest standards of transparency, traceability, and confidence.
