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Orange Hill Nature Ranch is a former sugar estate in the heart of the Caribbean Island Tobago, nestled in the green hills above the capital, Scarborough, with panoramic view of both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Dutch settlers founded the Orange Hill Sugar plantation in 1647. Over the next 300 years the estate changed hands with each invading nation. Tobago never belonged to the Netherlands, but at various times France and Britain had possession of the island. During their occupation the French housed their Governor at the Plantation. The remains of his family still repose in their tombs on Grave Hill. The Wooden Great House was built on the ruins of a Dutch fort.

The Plantation has been a family business for the past 130 years. Though sugar is not anymore produced, the old wind mill and the factory still stand.
Until about 60 years ago sugarcane was still grown here. After that one tried for a short time to use the farm as a coconut plantation and a cow farm.

 

In 1966 it was converted to a dairy farm with Holstein Cows imported from Canada. It was the only privately owned dairy on the island at that time. In 1972, due to a family dispute, the business was shut down and leased to a horse farm.

In 1999 Josefa Patience took over the farm and brought it back to life. Over the past 30 years the historical buildings on the estate were neglected and fell to ruin. The land, unworked, and exploited by greedy people, became otherwise overgrown with bush, a sin against nature.

Armed with much idealism, Josefa began to work hard to realise her life's dream. A very important concern of hers is to preserve the over 300 year old walls of the ruins and stop demolition-happy investors of new settlements from breaking them down.

Today, the former sugar estate is home to about 80 goats: a Tobago mix of milk goats  with origins in  Saanen, British Alpine and Anglo Nubian. Part of the sugar factory has become a small Dairy and a rustic wooden house with lots of glass windows has been erected on top of what remained of the old ruin walls.
We produce Feta cheese, Quark and Yogurt from the goat milk.

Naturally, other animals also belong to a real farm life: free roaming chickens provide fresh eggs, several dogs guard the house and goat farm and the cats spoil the mice their so-called play.