The Upgraded Library at Old Joe's Kaia
An upgraded library built on kindness — the story of how two friends transformed a collection of donated books into one of the most treasured spaces at Old Joe's Kaia.
Read More →From Our Kitchen
Stories and reflections from life in Schoemanskloof.
Green Village Salad
This salad started as a way to use what the garden gives us — a handful of leaves here, a few herbs there. The secret is the dressing: a bright tahini-lemon combination that pulls everything together.
Read More →Chickpea Breyani
Our best-selling dehydrated meal, and for good reason. Layers of fragrant basmati rice, tender chickpeas, and aromatic spices — just add boiling water and wait twenty minutes.
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Ddawg’s remarkable story
He is the sunshine in our lives, the carer who keeps the peace between the cats, the most compassionate soul we know…
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Shu Shu — a Gourd in our Garden
Shu shu (chayote) is from the gourd family and originated in Mexico. Here's how The Seedling Kitchen puts this versatile, tenacious gourd to work.
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Damian & The Crocodile
Rural life is truly bliss. Coming from Johannesburg more than 16 years ago to live here in the Middleveld took enormous conviction and courage, but every time I walk out onto the balcony at treetop l
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Frangipanis
… and the gifts on the ground as I walk to open up the main building in the mornings are just so generous and welcoming. The flowers fall graciously from very high, hardly ever on their faces, and spr
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Preparing Pulses Through Soaking
The role of non-nutrients – the reason why so many people don’t eat pulses
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Which SALT to use?
Gourmet chefs are pondering this question for very different reasons than environmentalists, yet waking up to the sustainability of the salts they are using.
Read More →Legumes on a Budget
We are blessed with such a wide variety of legumes available. Once you start exploring each legume’s characteristics it becomes a fantastic creative process to implement and use each one for a differe
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DIY Almond-Oats Milk
…also knowing exactly what is in it – no additives, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, colourants or thickners.
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Dehydrated Meals
Our one-pot-one-portion dehydrated meals have become a standby for busy families, backpackers, campers, and serious foodies alike.
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SOYA – a necessary evil?
The Asian and Eastern nations have proven over thousands of years that the soy bean as a staple protein is extremely efficient and healthy – their general wellness, which far outweighs that of western
Read More →Looking For Umami…
In every simple meal, grand celebration, restaurant dinner, you’ll be looking for it, expecting the thrill and pure bliss of palette ecstasy.
Read More →R.I.P Liesl – whereto from here?
Yesterday some of us said our final goodbyes to our friend, Liesl during a beautiful memorial service.
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CELEBRATIONS – the Art of Crochet
This may be a ‘dying’ hobby, as our lives become forever more rushed and pressurised, leaving very little time for perfecting industrious hand skills such as this.
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Cocktails & Glass Straws
We have decided to stop using plastic drinking straws. There are many reasons that motivated us but consider the fact that it is a disposable item, a SINGLE-USE-PLASTIC! We have seen and heard too man
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Cooking With The Sun
Here at THE SEEDLING restaurant we are constantly striving and exploring new and alternative ways of cooking and presenting our food.
Read More →The Panorama Route: Where to Stay and What to See in Mpumalanga
A local's guide to the Panorama Route in South Africa — the waterfalls, viewpoints, and canyon stops worth your time, where to base yourself, and how many days you actually need.
Read More →A Taste of Ethiopia
A 2-night culinary escape and cooking class in nature. 28–30 August 2026. Ancient flavours, deep connection, plant-based throughout.
Read More →Heal Your Broken Heart
Grief doesn't follow a schedule. That's why we created these intimate weekend retreats — a safe space in the valley where small groups gather to breathe, walk, share, and begin to heal.
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Lowveld Living – Summer 2018
What an awesome get together of Lowveld chefs it was with the shoot one morning at Magnolia Restaurant. I met really exciting people and we shared many experiences we’ve each had in our own kitchens.
Read More →What is a Dairy Downer?
A ‘downer’ in the dairy industry is a cow that has served ‘her time’, one that cannot get up anymore, one that has probably given birth 4 or 5 times (after being artificially inseminated) without the
Read More →Dryers For Africa in Lydenburg
Dryers For Africa donated an industrial dehydrator to Thulare Missions in Lydenburg — a community project to preserve bulk food donations and alleviate hunger.
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Celebrating more than 60 years!
The owners of Old Joe’s Kaia, Paul and Marian, have decided to move on to the next chapter of their lives after running the homestead for the past 12 years and will officially close the doors of the
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Time To Plan Your Winter Getaway
The beauty of an autumn sunrise stimulates deep contemplation. The slowing down, the preparation of cocooning in winter, the planning of cozy nights in front of blazing fires.
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Vegan Kitchen Adventures
…learning about, playing and experimenting with vegan food in groups not larger than ten participants. Throughout these workshops the emphasis has been to prepare simple yet delicious and healthy vega
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Plant-based Meal on a Budget
Can you eat a nutritious, delicious plant-based meal for under R10 per person? Our kitchen team proved it's absolutely possible.
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Looking Back at 2016 with Pride
A look back at everything Old Joe's Kaia achieved in 2016 — from switching to a plant-based kitchen to clearing the dams, building an off-the-grid house, and welcoming volunteers from around the world.
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How do we make a difference…?
Today we wondered how and what we offer in a competitive world. We realised that as a small community our contribution stretches far beyond just hosting an accommodation facility and some meals. We be
Read More →Wine Tasting & Pairing with Rainbow’s End
We had international guests as well as local visitors at our table, all having a very exciting and memorable experience of our vegan food, while the wines were extremely well received with many inter
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Living A Life Of Gratitude
This is a summary of what we consider being our blessings at Old Joe’s Kaia:
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