Search Results

“Meet the Langdam Guest Farm team — dedicated hosts who welcome guests to enjoy our cottages, wedding venue, and farm experience in the Koo Valley.” MEET THE TEAM OUR PEOPLE THE LANGDAM FAMILY This farm would be nothing without the people who keep its many literal and metaphorical wheels greased. From hammer swinging and hole digging to paying the tax man and responding to emails, everyone plays their part to make our home what it is. Should you bump into one of the Langdam team during your stay feel free to stop for a chat and get to know these remakable humans. Garth " Mr. G " Truter Garth has been an integral part of the team for over half a decade. He is involved in all the aspects of the day to day running of the farm, managing of staff, admin and guest relations. Benita " B " de Klerk Benita has been part of the team for the past three years. She manages bookings, guest relations, catering, social media and events on the farm. Haiko " Boss " Ruther Haiko is the owner of the farm. He has mostly been fixing things here for the past decade. He looks forward to taking a break in 2032 Elizabeth " Liesie " Plaaitjies Head of house-keeping, Liesie is the ‘mother’ of Langdam. She looks after everyone and has been with us since the beginning. Lewis " Louie " Golingo Part of our support staff, Lewis is our friendly lead groundskeeper. He is involved in all aspects of farming and the day to day running of the farm as well as looking after our beloved animals. Jurian " Ou Boet " Isaacs Part of our support staff Ouboet is a skilled tractor driver and builder, involved in all farming activities. Shelton " Muscles " Wiese Part of our support staff, Shelton is head of gardening and landscaping and assists us with day to day tasks around the farm including animal care. Christie " Spotlight " Christoffel Part of our support staff Christy assists us with farming, animal care and guest cottage preparations

Glamping safari tents with beds, bedding and power near dams and lapa. Budget‑friendly stays with communal kitchen, ablutions and private braais. A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE SAFARI TENTS CAMPING on LANGDAM Enjoy the perfect balance between traditional camping and our cottage accommodation with a Langdam Safari tent. Complete with electricity, beds and bedding our canvas tents are a great way to experience the feeling of camping without all the usual inconveniences. Choose from our ten Safari tents, perfect for a weekend getaway for two or your next family reunion. The campsite is set up around our fully equipped communal kitchen, ablution block and lapa. Each tent also has its own dedicated braai area and lighting, with just the right mix between privacy and community. With full access to the rest of the farm and only a few meters away from one of our dams there is no excuse to not take advantage of this great budget option. Please get in touch to discuss your next group booking or fill in our booking enquiry form for a standard stay. Please note we generally do not accommodate self campers, caravans or camper vans but we are willing to make exceptions under special circumstances. Should you wish to make use of your own camping facilities, please give us a call on 082 610 2450 to see if we can meet your camping needs BOOK YOUR STAY PRICING 1/11

Langdam’s 300‑year story in the Koo Valley—regeneration, community and resilient farming that shaped today’s guest farm and vineyards. PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE OUR STORY Langdam Farm: Rooted in History Growing with Purpose Langdam Farm rests in the heart of the Koo Valley, beneath the slopes of the sprawling Langeberg Mountains. A lesser-known jewel of the Western Cape, it is situated near the historic town of Montagu, where the air is crisp and the soil ingrained with old fossils and stories. Our oldest records, from 1717 show that this land belonged to Joshua Joubert, a man whose legacy lives on in the shadows of the oak trees he planted. Langdam would come to be the first farm in Montagu. These oaks were not chosen at random; they were planted here as the colder climate of the Koo Valley would ultimately slow their growth, making the wood denser, stronger, and ideal for building ships that could weather the fiercest seas of the time. That same principle—slow growth, deep strength—has come to define Langdam’s journey. A Dream Replanted In 2015, Haiko Eric Ruther arrived at Langdam with a dream and a decade of hard-earned savings from working on offshore oil rigs. From the age of 19, he climbed the ranks in a high-pressure life at sea, rising from a cleaner earning minimum wage to a supervisor position. As a young boy, Haiko had always wanted to become a farmer—a seed most likely instilled by his mother, who read to him, amongst other books, Lonesome Dove, which detailed the struggles and resilience of prairie pioneers and farmers. This instilled a fascination for a different way of life. Yet, raised by an academic father who envisioned another path for his son, farming had always felt out of reach. Haiko had never been one to shy away from hard work, and the skills he developed offshore would continue to serve him well through many seasons, rendering him a jack of many trades. He found further fulfilment in reading novels, not as an escape but as a means of philosophical debate and bargaining with himself. It would take a serious health scare to realise the sheer fragility of his existence—a call to change his way of life and rediscover his purpose. He chose soil over sea, and what he thought would be simplicity over stress. Life quickly revealed that farming would bring with it a new kind of stress, but one that felt like a fair trade-off for having land to call his own. The farm he bought was far from the thriving fruit farm he had imagined. The trees were failing, the soil depleted after generations of misguided practice. A mirror to his own circumstances, the land too was in need of healing. At 27, inexperienced yet undeterred, Haiko made the bold decision to start from scratch. Trees were pulled out. The land was burned to ash. It was a painful reset, but one that mirrored the slow, deliberate growth of the oak. Regeneration and Resilience The early years were tough: onions, cabbages, and countless lessons in humility. Regenerative farming—particularly when correcting years of conventional practice—is not an easy or lucrative path. It is not just a method, but a philosophy one must enter into with faith, tenacity, and an almost reckless sense of optimism. Over time, apple trees gave way to high-altitude vineyards, old-school apricots to new varietals, and cold-loving plums found their place. Dead, compacted soil was replenished into rich earth, alive with earthworms, bees, and bugs moving in by the thousands. The transformation was slow, but steady. Life returned to Langdam, and with it, new dreams for the future. This dream would never have come to fruition without the support of the Koo Valley community, our team, and our family. Although there were sceptics, most residents welcomed an English outcast with broken Afrikaans. Originally from Rondebosch, Cape Town, with little life experience and no farming background, Haiko was integrated into a community of generational farmers who generously shared their knowledge, gained through years of trials and tribulations. The Langdam family may not all be bound by blood or law, but we have weathered (quite literal) storms and droughts together, and those experiences have bonded us for life. Every member of the team brings a unique personality and skill set, shaping Langdam’s identity and success. To support the farm during its challenging growth years—and to share the peace of the valley with others—it made sense to offer guest accommodation in the quaint, historical buildings on the farm. Modern comforts were added along the way, and the doors opened to four-legged friends as well. A love and respect for animals and nature remain central to the ethos of Langdam, where Haiko and his team have fostered a down-to-earth farm stay, steering away from a cookie-cutter approach. Authenticity is an intrinsic part of our hospitality. A Living Metaphor Today, Langdam Farm is a living metaphor for the very oaks that stand watch over it. It grew slowly, through hardship and hope, and emerged stronger, more resilient, and deeply rooted in purpose. The quiet success isn’t just in the harvest; it’s in the soil, the team, the community, and the shared experience of growth. Together, the difficulties will be overcome with resilience, optimism, and an unwavering sense of humour. Langdam reminds us: when you grow slowly, you grow strong. And when all is said and done, in the words of Stubbs in one of Haiko’s favourite novels, Moby-Dick: “I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.” BOOK YOUR STAY BACK TO HOME

Share dates, arrival time, guest and dog details, hot-tub or catering requests, and activities so we can prepare your cottage or tent. Tell us about your stay QUESTIONNAIRE 2025 Review Competition We would love to hear about your stay on our farm Improving what we do every single day as at the core of what makes us who we are. Your feedback as one of our guests plays a huge role in making that happen. We know your time is precious, so as a small thank you for your effort, every guest who fills in our feedback form and leaves us a Google review will be entered into our annual draw to win a 2 night stay for 4 in one of our cottages. Please fill in the form below and drop us a review LEAVE A GOOGLE REVIEW Give us your feedback We’d love to hear what you thought about Langdam First name* Last name* Email* Did you make the booking for your stay? Yes No Where did you stay? Plum Guineafowl Shepherd Apple Pear Apricot Almond Pine Tree Tents What was the best part of your stay? What can we improve on? What suggestions or ideas do you have to make the Langdam experience better? Would you like us to contact you about your experience? Yes No SEND FEEDBACK