Because Sandstone Estates is effectively an amalgamation of a number of smaller farms into one larger and more viable agricultural unit we inherited roads which criss-crossed the property in all directions. These roads were in many cases not necessary and in other cases created a potential problem with regard to the ecology of the area. The planet earth was never designed to be criss-crossed with roads and nature is quite right to take advantage of the scars that run across the landscape in order to create instant streams and rivers which of course erode rapidly and dump millions of tons of soil into the local rivers. The Caledon River which runs along the boundary of Sandstone Estates between South Africa and Lesotho is thick with silt and is brown all year round. This clearly demonstrates how much soil is being lost.

We are proud of the fact that at Sandstone Estates none of our soil is lost in the Caledon River by using a variety of techniques, the most important of which is to use grass bales to block erosion gulleys, and by directing the water into wetland areas we have a situation where our water is crystal clear with no top soil being washed away.

We have now started a new programme where our actual roads, i.e. the ones that we must by necessity have, are being coated with a thick layer of grass. This means that our vehicles no longer make contact with the earth which removes the dust problem and also provides an opportunity for the grass on the edges to encroach further into the road because they have the protection of the grass layer. Close up photographs clearly show the advantages of the system. Roads that were once 4-5 metres wide have now been reduced to two single tracks with live grass covering 90% of the area. The area where the wheels actually make contact with the road run on baled grass that we have placed there which further insulates the vehicles from the road and thereby reduces their impact.

A simple and yet highly effective technique.

Who would have thought that you could make a road of grass

But look closer – it isn't all dead.
There is life underneath the surface, particularly in the middle mantjie.

Grass that would not normally grow in a road is able to take root
due to the protection afforded to it by the layer of grass/compost

The grass growing in the middle is already forcing its way through

A softer surface to ride on, protection of the wildlife that is trying to recover the road and bring it back to nature, and finally a significant inability of water to wash the soil away because of the hodding action of the grass

Caledon River

In certain locations we are having to reprofile the roads before we grass them...