In June the company BIO TROPIC will receive fresh organic oranges, organic grapefruit and yellow lemons again from South Africa. The fruit comes from the farm of André and Madeline Spangenberg, the Groenheuwel Boerdery, which converted to organic farming as well as farming with many other employees.
André Spangenberg (left) talking with Ronald Vianen (right)
The name “Groenheuwel Boerdery’’ originates from the Dutch and can be translated as “Green Hill Farm”. And green is something special, because the 6,000-acre site is located on the edge of the hot and dry Kalahari savannah in northern South Africa. But the region is fertile and ideally suitable for growing citrus and soft fruits, such as grapes, thanks to the Orange River and an optimal irrigation management.
In recent years, the Spangenbergs’ were able to expand their organic acreage further and grow various varieties of grapefruit, orange and lemon. This season we get the grapefruit variety Star Ruby and oranges of varieties Valencia and Navel. Another new feature is the orange of the variety Lavelle - it is similar to Midknight Valencia, but it ripens later. The lemons of the variety Eureka are still in conversion. They are yellow, juicy and almost seedless.
This April the two Dutch BioTropic co-workers Maurice Honselaar and Ronald Vianen went to South Africa and discussed the coming season with Madeline and André Spangenberg. At least once a year the BioTropic employees visit the farm Groenheuwel Boerdery.