The sheep farms surrounding Laingsburg are covered with pasture that includes a wide variety of edible plants that give the meat its distinctive flavour.
This deliciously flavoured meat can be purchased from Hartman & Sons Butchery in George where there is a huge variety of beautifully presented cuts readily available at their shop situated at 66 Knysna Road in George.
Karoo farmers have a history of moving their sheep from summer to winter grazing every year. This seasonal trek allows the veld to recover and remain sweet.
The sheep are eager to graze on plants such as Karoo shrub, bitou, slanghoutjies, kapok bushes and many more, some of which have medicinal value to improve the general health and digestion of humans and animals alike. Because of this healthy lifestyle, lambs grow and develop quickly so that they are able to be slaughtered at a younger age (between 4 and 6 months), ensuring tender meat. Being younger, they can be marketed directly from the ewes and this limits weaning stress as well as the majority of diseases for which antibiotics or dosing preparations would be required.
The result is a product that is healthier, tastier and more tender.
Flashes of lightning in the north-east herald the coming of summer and the sheep instinctively know that the sweet grass in the eastern part of this region is ripening.
They are impatient to return to the summer grazing (in the east) where the veld responds quickly to the early summer rains bringing forth eight day grass and Boesman grass. Granaat bushes (Karoo gold) and slang-houtjies are in bloom and all is ready for the long trek home.
The sensitivity of this area makes good veld management by the farmers essential and a lack of expertise could have devastating effects.
Overgrazing must be prevented.
Laingsburg lies on the border between the summer and winter grazing areas where the surrounding region has a low rainfall of 75 to 100mm per annum. This produces sweet pasture, which starts to grow quickly after summer rains and raises unique lambs.
The most important regions with natural wide-open pasture surrounding Laingsburg include:
- The Koup area east of the town with its predominantly sweet grasslands and granaat veld;
- The Saai area in the south with a mixture of grasslands and Karoo shrub with a component of tasty sweet shrub springing up from the rain out of the Swartberg Mountains;
- The Moordenaars Karoo and Roggeveld north, north-west of the town with a wide variety of Karoo bushes and on the western side the Plat Karoo with juicy bitou and succulent veld.
The surrounding magisterial districts of Sutherland, Fraserburg, Beaufort West, Prince Albert and Touwsriver join with Laingsburg in producing this unique meat. Only meat from lambs produced in these districts qualify to carry the title of 'Laingsburg lamb'.
This criteria includes all meat, wool and mixed breeds from the region. The standard weight of the carcass is between 14 and 23kg and a carcass of a young ram weighing more than 23kg will not be acceptable.
The classification must be A1, A2, A3 or A4.
Genuine Laingsburg lamb is sourced from sheep that graze on at least 50 per cent Karoo shrub from the region around Laingsburg. Anything else may not be called by this name.
The contact details for Hartman & Sons Butchery are 044 871 2297/044 871 2902.
'We bring you the latest George | Garden Route news'
