The Farm, Part I: the land & the trees

This weekend I had much more opportunity to view the vastness of the farm where I’m living. It is gargantuan. It spans 30km along one stretch of road and cascades across many hills and mountains deeper into the bush. The property is comprised of 13 previously independent farms, many of which were used for cattle farming.

The conservation tasks that lay before the manager at the inception of the farm, 9 years ago, were colossal. Part of what makes the bush-veld (field) so attractive to animals is the natural cycles of the land. In cattle farming the farmers resist the veld fires and attempt to suppress the natural burning and regeneration of the land. It became obvious to me on our drives this weekend the difference: in the former cattle grounds the veld is overgrown with bushes, especially those called “aliens” or plants that were brought in from overseas that overtake. In the conserved lands, the veld is vast, full of long tall grasses, velvety and rich. The acacia trees in the fields stand alone and aren’t choked out by other voracious plants. In the valleys are lush and thick with water loving trees, such as the tall mung’aro (African teak) trees.

But even in the conserved lands there are some nice groves of trees, filled with names like Acacia Tortilis, Red Ivory, Mung’aro, Kiat, and Mahoghany. All very different types of woods, all offering Johannes the chance of a lifetime to work with some very raw material. The friendly elephants of the farm have a nasty habit of knocking down the trees that get in their way. Which leaves many felled trees, ripe and ready for removal.

Just as Johannes and I arrived, another local woodworker brokered a deal with the farm to bring in a special saw to cut some huge logs on location. For the last 2 weeks, Johannes has been busy every day sourcing new logs in the woods and valleys. The Mung’aro is by far the largest, complicating matters a lot with heavy rains and waterlogged dirt roads. The first big project they tackled was a fallen Mung’aro log, about 5 feet in diameter and at least 12 feet long. The drawing I’m posting here was of this particular log, as the guys were setting up the saw to cut planks. What’s incredibly awesome for a furniture maker in this situation is that they get some very unusual cuts of wood, including edges with the bark along the sides. Additionally, Johannes has the control to keep planks together that originally matched in the tree itself - giving him the chance to make some seamless work that would be otherwise difficult to accomplish with store-bought wood.

The Mung’aro trees grow in the valleys along the rivers. They are thick and strong, with tall trunks uninterrupted by branches, making for nice long planks. But in-situ, they are even more beautiful, with incredibly complicated root structures grappling and curling around the rocks at its base. The saw dust has a divine smell, something equivalent to the smell of cedar, though entirely different at the same time.

There are so many trees to know and I’m lucky to have a good guide giving me their names. Our perusal of logs on Saturday and Sunday gave me a good view into the scope of the farm, though at any given point I probably couldn’t tell you exactly where I am! There are dozens of rivers, including the great Mkhuze River that flows into one of the country’s largest lakes, Lake St. Lucia. There are several incredible cliff-faces, including one that boasts a platform for camping and braaing while overlooking the Mkhuze River (Johannes and I are planning a weekend getaway on this farm, in this place for next weekend!). And what’s more, there are countless entrances and roads to navigate the farm from, making it feel impossibly large. But, with time, hopefully Johannes and I will get to make a lot out of that!