The nut production cycle normally starts in September with flowering and pollination of the orchards, whereafter the nuts are formed and then starts to grow and transforms into a golf ball sized fruit.

The harvesting season, which takes place from March to May, is a crucial time for everyone on the farm. During this time, the nuts are harvested, de-husked, sorted for quality and size, and then cured for approximately three weeks in the pack house, till the desired quality is reached.

Once this process is complete, the nuts are sent to a processing factory where they are cracked, sorted for quality and packaged for export. This sought-after raw nut product is then shipped in large quantities to be processed in Europe, America, and Asia.

From 2023 we started  processing some of the harvested nuts in a newly constructed nut processing facility on the farm. This ads value to the product and we now also distribute the seasoned and coated nuts and virgin macadamia oil locally.

Due to its delicious creamy and buttery taste and numerous health benefits, the nut kernel is a popular choice in the high end snack and confectionary market.

In 2022, our business underwent a significant expansion when we purchased our neighbour’s land and incorporated it into our operations.

Although this expansion occurred alongside a normalisation in international macadamia prices, we had to rethink the business model. The sagacious approach was to add value to the raw product and distribute the product in all its value-added forms within the South African market. As part of this expansion, we also established new orchards on the newly acquired land.

We also upgraded the facilities on the farm to better handle the de-husking and curing of the macadamia crop and to crack out the kernel from the extremely hard shell.

During this process, Lowveld Macs was born.

Eden Boerdery has come a long way since its inception by adding value downstream to its nut production. A half-built structure was transformed into a modern food processing facility, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, which made it possible to provide macadamia nuts from the tree to the consumer’s table. The process has now come full circle, with nuts being grown, harvested, cured, processed and packaged, all within the confines of the farm.

The nut processing plant on the farm not only roasts, seasons and packages the kernel, but it has also integrated a macadamia oil pressing and bottling line. The result? Virgin macadamia oil is now also being produced on the farm, which has been scientifically proven to be the healthiest of all tree nut oils, with the highest percentage of polyunsaturated fats (as high as 80%) and the highest content of Omega 3 and 7 oils.

But that’s not all. According to expert panels, macadamia nuts taste the best and are the healthiest of all nuts. Don’t take their word for it, taste them yourself! Moreover, Macadamia oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil, making it ideal for frying and cooking.