Perfect for a late afternoon sundowner. Warm sun, clear blue sky and snow on the Swartberg. It was 2013 and Keith had just sold Barn Owl Farm. He was free to leave the Klein Karoo for greener pastures elsewhere, except for the nagging question:
A dilapidated old farm building remained with bricks and broken window frames lying on the ground. The roof stripped and the walls exposed.
This was the backdrop to Keith’s sundowner on that inspired afternoon.
Motivated by a deep intuitive gut feel, Keith decided to take a stroll; a bottle of red and a long stemmed glass his only companions. The sunset beckoned and he almost magically gravitated towards the dilapidated old farm next door. Deep in thought and excited about the sale of Barn Owl Farm, Keith found a comfortable spot against the fallen rubble of the forgotten farmstead. Thoughts and emotions blended perfectly with each sip.
A swirl of inspiration, energy, guidance, and spiritual insight followed as the sun disappeared behind a nearby windmill. Keith’s skills for fixing old buildings, the need to stay in the country away from the trappings of city life, the quest for a healthy environment, nature, the veld and wildlife were non-negotiables. And this derelict place ticked all the boxes.
As self-development authors always prescribe: A vision, a project, a task or a goal which stretches our ability to the max, is what life is actually about. The decision was made. Keith negotiated and successfully purchased the old run down farm which no one else in the world considered fixable.
Today, seven years on, and the ruins have become a home. The sadness of broken dreams has become the inspiration, love, laughter and happiness of Free-at-Last Klein Karoo Health Farm.
One of Keith’s favourite kiting spots ...
Elmarie, then an estate agent, lived nearby and loved sunset strolls along the smooth wet sand as seagulls squawked and fought over bits of food brought in by the tide.
Like the serendipitous moment among the ruins of the old farm, Keith and Elmarie’s paths literally crossed on Strand Beach. And like the proverbial footprints in the sand, from that moment two destinies became one, and hand in hand they made their way towards the Klein Karoo. Within three months, Elmarie was on the farm to add her touches of inspiration to the growing dream of Free-at-Last.
Originally from Oudtshoorn, Elmarie’s sojourn in the Strand was also a temporary one as she’d been given a promise a year prior to that. The promise at the time was unclear and even confusing to her. Having stopped her car along the R62 between Ladismith and Barrydale, Elmarie was inspired to write in her journal Welcome home.
It was only after that magical moment on Strand beach that the gravity, ecstasy and magic of that promise were fully understood. From that moment Free-at-Last has grown and continues to grow as a home and “the only place we want to be on this planet” for Keith and Elmarie.
Over the past seven years the crumbling and largely destroyed buildings have been carefully and lovingly renovated and restored into a unique and very special homestead with a blooming forest-garden where simplicity and tranquillity reigns.
Keith and Elmarie are determined to establish Free-at-Last Klein Karoo Health Farm as an organic and lifestyle oasis. Their vegetable tunnel provides a healthy daily diet of fresh greens, with home-baked gluten-free bread directly out of Keith’s custom made wood-fired barrel oven. Free ranging chickens provide healthy eggs for the kitchen and are an on-going source of activity and entertainment on the farm.
Since 2019 Keith and Elmarie’s vision for themselves and the farm has exploded into a budding exponential quest for health, truth and freedom. They both share backgrounds in the media industry. As a TV producer and journalist respectively, their intention still is to impart knowledge, infuse hope and inspire action. Their blog posts are imbued with bird and nature photography, practical advice and a deep spiritual connection. Exciting developments and plans are in the pipeline for the future.
Free-at-Last Klein Karoo Health Farm needs to be experienced first-hand. Only then will the essence of their motto be understood:
