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26 August 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Martinette Brits
From the left: Elisa Mosala (Dairy Assistant), Dr Analie Hattingh (Lecturer and Production Manager), Eline van der Velde (cheesemaking expert from the Netherlands), and Martha Kantoane (Dairy Assistant) on the UFS Experimental Farm.

Cheesemaking expertise from the Netherlands has given University of the Free State (UFS) students a unique taste of hands-on learning. From 10 to 22 August 2025, Eline van der Velde, a cheesemaking specialist and lecturer in food technology, spent two weeks at the UFS Paradys Experimental Farm teaching students, guiding dairy assistants, and working with staff to strengthen the university’s Dairy Processing Unit.

Supported by PUM – a Dutch volunteer organisation that connects international experts with local projects – her visit combined technical training with practical exposure, showing students the full process of transforming fresh milk into a range of cheeses.

 

Hands-on cheesemaking at the UFS

In interactive sessions, Van der Velde introduced students in the BSc Food Systems programme to the art and science of cheesemaking. They learned how to prepare paneer, halloumi, feta, mozzarella, and cottage cheese, while experimenting with flavoured varieties such as garlic-and-oregano and chilli cheese.

“I gave demonstrations on different types of coagulation and let the students try it out themselves. They asked great questions and enjoyed it so much that they wanted to come again for more practicals,” she said.

For many students, the opportunity was a first step into the practical realities behind food science. “It’s as if a whole world has opened up for our students,” said Dr Analie Hattingh, Lecturer and Production Manager at the Paradys Experimental Farm. “They don’t just hear about pH in theory – they can relate it to what they’ve seen and experienced here. That’s what prepares them for the workplace.”

“Due to food safety regulations all over the world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to take food science or food sustainability students into commercial factories. They don’t allow students or visitors anymore. At least with this facility here, our students can experience a real production environment and see how the industry works,” Dr Hattingh said. 

 

From farm girl to food technologist

Van der Velde’s passion for cheesemaking began on her uncle’s farm in the Netherlands, where she helped with milking and turning cheeses in storage. “Even though I grew up in the city, I think I’m more of a farm girl at heart,” she recalled.

Today, she teaches at an agricultural school and trains adults entering the food industry, while volunteering internationally through PUM. “I like to share knowledge – it’s not for me alone. That’s why I volunteer, to support projects across the world,” she explained.

 

Sustainability at the heart of the farm

The cheesemaking unit also forms part of the experimental farm’s commitment to sustainability. The cheeses are made from milk produced by Jersey cows on the farm, with careful attention to hygiene and quality. Byproducts are reused – whey is processed into ricotta, and the remainder is spread as fertiliser in the fields. “Nothing goes to waste,” Van der Velde noted.

Hattingh added that this integrated approach ensures that the farm serves as both an academic training ground and a model for sustainable food production. “We want to be self-sustaining and academically valuable, without competing with industry – to serve both the university and its students,” she said.

 

A shared learning journey

For dairy assistants Elisa Mosala and Martha Kantoane, working alongside Van der Velde and the students was equally rewarding. “It was nice, especially learning how to do different kinds of cheese,” said Kantoane.

Mosala agreed: “It was nice working with students and experiencing more every day. I learned new skills and got out of my comfort zone.”

Looking to the future, Van der Velde emphasised the value of involving students in the entire process – from milking to packaging and selling – so that they graduate with both knowledge and practical skills. She also believes in the potential of more international exchange: “These projects benefit both sides. Knowledge exchange in agriculture and food science is essential for building sustainable solutions worldwide.”

News Archive

Van Niekerk shines in Ostrava and breaks 300 m world record
2017-06-29

Description: Van Niekerk shines in Ostrava  Tags: Van Niekerk shines in Ostrava

Wayde van Niekerk is in great form leading up to the
World Championships in London in August.
Photo: Khothatso Mokone

Usain Bolt believes Wayde van Niekerk could well be his successor. Bolt, who has won eight Olympic and 11 world gold medals in his career, doesn’t doubt that the Kovsie athlete could take over the reins as an athletic superstar.

This after Van Niekerk broke another world record by Michael Johnson – 30.85 seconds in the 300 m which Johnson set in Pretoria in 2000 – at the IAAF Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on 28 June 2017. He took the honours in the 300 m in a time of 30.81 seconds. In 2016, Van Niekerk also improved on Johnson’s 400 m world record (43.18 s) with a time of 43.03 s at the Rio Olympics.

Unique honour over four distances
Because the 300 m event is not run very often, the record will be regarded as the world’s best by the IAAF. According to the IAAF, the 24-year-old Van Niekerk is now also the first man to run a sub-10 for the 100 m, sub-20 for 200 m, sub-31 for 300 m, and sub-44 for 400 m.

The legendary Bolt, who is in his final season, admitted that Van Niekerk could take over from him. “I think he really wants to be a sprinter, because he's set a personal best in the 100 m this year,” he said to AFP.

“He's shown that he's ready for the challenge. He's really down to earth, he's really humble, he's a great person. He listens and wants to be good, and if he continues like this he'll take over track and field."

Great run prior to Czech Republic
The 300 m world record follows after Van Niekerk also ran a personal best time of 9.94 in the 100 m in Velenje, Slovenia, on 20 June 2017. The 400 m world record-holder also became the South African record-holder in the 200 m again when ran a 19.84 in the 200 m at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, on 11 June 2017.

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