Trudi Kasselman is passionate about the healing properties of plants. For many years, it was her dream to grow herbs such as lavender and rosemary at her home on Kasselhoft estate, near Leeudoringstad in North West, distill the essential oils, and produce a range of herbal products. This finally started coming true in 2007 when she and her mother-in-law, Rina Kasselman, following much research and consultation, distilled essential oil from their first harvest of rosemary and lavender. From these beginnings, the enterprise has grown into a sustainable, profitable business.
Rina and her husband, Chris, live on Kasselhoft, while Trudi and her husband, Danie, along with their children, CP and Tehlilla, farm on the adjacent Bona Bona.
LAVENDER
The enterprise currently has 10 000 plants of the Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) cultivar, split evenly between the Abriali and Grosso varieties. These are excellent for essential oil production.
“About 4kg of plant material are needed to produce 25ml of essential oil. After distillation, the oil is stored for 25 days before being sent to a laboratory in Gauteng for the production of some of our products,” Trudi explains.
The lavender plants, which are irrigated, require between 300mm and 1 400mm of water per year. They cannot be over irrigated and the soil has to drain properly between irrigations. Well-drained, light, sandy, loam or gravel soils in full sun are best, and the plants prefer a soil pH of between 5,8 and 8,3.
Kasselhoft has 0,5ha grown to lavendar. The plants are spaced between 30cm and 60cm in the row, and has an inter-row spacing of between 1,2m and 2m.
Denne historien er fra June 5 & 12, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 5 & 12, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
