Who we are
Rising Ground Family Farm – the umbrella over our different enterprises – has a long history that goes back 5 generations, freshly re-branded as Rising Ground Family Farm to incorporate Lowestoffe Country Lodge, Journey Gap year, Grass Co (Pty)Ltd and Rising Ground Nature Reserve. The original farm bought in 1905, is named Lowestoffe, which in old English apparently means – Rising Ground – and no truer word could be spoken over these farms.
1994 saw us open our farms to holiday-makers, so they too could experience the privilege of our ‘office with a view’ lifestyle.
In 1997, Neil and Robyn attended a Holistic Management (HM) course, and soon realised that despite being 4th generation livestock farmers, we are actually soil and grass farmers – our livestock is simply a by-product of the grass we grow. We embraced the HM approach to farming, based on the wisdom and knowledge of well-known Zimbabwean, Allan Savory and the Savory Institute. Globally, climate change and desertification are a real threat, and HM offers a solution for the depleting grasslands of the world. To learn more you can watch Allan Savory’s TED talk: “How to fight desertification and reverse climate change.”
We run our cattle and sheep in large flerds (flock + herd) of approximately 400 cows and 1800 sheep. Anatolian dogs help guard and protect our sheep from predators and they also love to give us a run around as they patrol the entire district. Thankfully they are now fitted with tracking devices and we remain amazed at the amount of ground they can cover and the work they do in keeping most of the jackal at bay.
In 2002, we purchased Rockford Park and Woodhouselea Farms as they were a perfect fit adjoining Rooken and Lowestoffe, and together the four farms form 5500 hectares of beautiful, diverse topography. By this time we had also added 3 children to our world, Peta, Guy and Drew and life became a blur of farming and kids.
Our combined passion and love of people in time, led us to establish the Hogsback Vineyard Fellowship in Hogsback around 2009 – as I said, life was a bit of a blur! As well as establishing another two guest lodges on the new farms. We love our interaction with our guests and the relationships that have formed over the years and love enabling people to come and share and learn about what we do. Many friendships have been formed due to the lodges and what a privilege that has been.
Fast forward to 2025 and rewind to ten years ago! We have always had the heart to start a Gap Year on the Farm, but never had the capacity, until we realised that with our children ably assisting us now on the farm, 2025 was the perfect year to spearhead this new venture. Our passion for both Regenerative Farming, Education and people, perfectly combined in Rising Ground Journey.
