Gallery: Farmer harvests ‘Everlasting’ to make essential oils
As a hobby he has beehives on the farm which supplies the family and extended family members with honey.
A 22-year-old free-spirited mushroom expert from Haenertsburg is also an exporter of oil extracts from the indigenous Everlasting plant, also known as the sun-flower plant.
Toban Kahn McMahon was born in Modjadjiskloof and grew up on a farm in Magoebaskloof in a family of nature lovers.
He went to Haenertsburg Primary School and to Merensky High School. He manages the family’s business that is extracting oil from the Helichrysum splendidum plant.
It is known to cure respiratory problems and can also be used to treat skin irritations.
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“We sell the oil to brokers who export it internationally, but we want to start exporting the oil ourselves. “We want to be able to distribute locally,” he added.
The business has four employees who harvest the plant. It is then dried and refined into oil. Plant rests are used to make manure.
Toby says his interest in mushrooms started as a hobby as a young boy.
He went around picking and identifying mushrooms and started planting oyster mushrooms when he was eight-years-old which landed him in a TV show.
“I started by supplying family members and gradually gained more knowledge throughout the years,” said Toby.
He also makes knives and wants to become the best knife-maker in South Africa.
He hopes to travel to the United States where custom-made knives, using traditional methods, are in high demand.
“I just love everything about living on the farm and near to nature. “I taught myself everything that I am able to do,” he added.
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Two years ago he and a friend from Haenertsburg cycled to Cape Town.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life.”
Toby is keen to share his knowledge on beekeeping and mushrooms.
He visits schools in Tzaneen and Polokwane to lecture on the subject.
See gallery below:
