At 9:00 a.m. the upright and flightless Indian Runner ducks charge out of their pens on a farm near the Stellenbosch wine-producing area outside Cape Town, South Africa, and head to work. After a rapid but brief forage for aphids, worms and snails near the homestead and restaurant, they move into the vineyards for the rest of the day. Vergenoegd Low Wine Estate is just one of the vineyards that has begun using ducks instead of pesticides. The farm introduced the practice around 40 years ago. Now between five and 10 surrounding farms purchase ducks from the farm. There are around 890 ducks on the property, with 400 hatchlings expected over the breeding season from mid-July to the end of October. Indian Runner ducks were originally bred in Indonesia to control pests in rice paddies. Their long necks allow them to reach pests on the raised, trellised vines. They’re also handy in breaking down the manure of the 220 sheep and nearly 100 cattle that graze in the vineyard, another regenerative farming practice that leaves the soil nutrient-rich. When there are grapes on the vines, the ducks are kept away to avoid them being tempted by the fruit, and diverted to the four irrigation dams. The impressive daily duck run has also become a draw for visitors.
