Cultivating Community Newsletter-The Obesa Cacti Garden in Graaff-Reinet

[Amanda Shankland]

Good day, 

The Cultivating Community newsletter provides commentary on how community-centred thinking and action drive sustainable environmental and food movements forward. I hope you enjoy this April edition!

'The Obesa Cacti Garden in Graaff-Reinet'

The Karoo sits high above sea level, and the air is thin and dry. The term veld, which describes Africa’s dry grasslands, covers much of South Africa. On the dusty road between Cape Town and Johannesburg lies one of the country’s best-kept secrets, The Valley of Desolation. Located in Camdeboo National Park, a violent volcanic shift formed the valley over a hundred million years ago. It consists of sheer cliffs and giant dolomite rocks that drop sharply to the valley floor 120 metres below. Beneath this natural wonder sits the small town of Graaff-Reinet. I slept in the town after watching the sun go down at the top of the mountain. The birds woke me at sunrise, and I sat outside under the trees and towering cactus plants, enjoying the perfect temperature of the early morning. Taking advantage of the morning is important because by ten, the temperature sores to above forty degrees. On this morning, I walked across the road to the Obesa Farm and Nursery, where I was greeted by an eccentric older man who asked me if I was American. Upon assuring him I was Canadian, I was permitted to explore the garden. I am not sure if it was because of the low oxygen levels or the magical powers of these plants, but I felt as though I was floating. The towering cacti with ominous spikes surrounded me, but I hovered among them, imagining I was one of the hummingbirds who frequent their flowers.

Obesa boasts the most extensive collection of cacti and succulents in private ownership in the world. The family owns two farms. The one on Murray Street is owned by the eccentric fellow whose name is Johan. He runs the farm with his youngest son, Egmont. Another larger cacti farm outside town is owned by Johan’s older son, Anton. The family has lived in Graaff-Reinet for five generations. Egmont’s great-grandfather settled there in 1922 when he returned to South Africa after the First World War. His grandfather and later his father also settled there. Johan purchased the land on which the garden is situated in the early 1970s and started planting soon after. Prior to the purchase of the land, it had been a mixed-race residential area that was demolished as part of the implementation of the Group Areas Act in South Africa. All the residents' property was forcibly expropriated, and they were moved to areas reserved for their race (They were later compensated for this through the Land Reform programme of the ANC government in the 1990s).

Up to 20 workers were employed while Johan was building the garden in the late 1970s and 80s. He financed this by practicing as an attorney for forty years. For many years during Apartheid, he was the only attorney in town who represented Black and Coloured people, often pro bono. Many of these cases involved the enforcement of Apartheid legislation such as the Group Areas Act and Pass Laws. This also made Johan very unpopular in the white community. He also assisted many Black and Coloured young people to obtain university degrees by paying for their tuition. Despite his prickly personality and considerable dislike for Americans, Johan is well-known and loved by most people in Graaff-Reinet. Today, Johan also actively supports a soup kitchen in the nearby town of Nieu-Bethesda, run by a woman known as "Aunt Eveline." He has collected thousands of rands in donations for the soup kitchen and sends every visitor he receives to her. She feeds roughly 125 children every day.

It would be impossible to list all the different types of cacti and succulents in the garden. There are thousands of different species and subspecies. Johan was inspired to start the garden after developing an interest in cacti and succulents as a child. He grew up in what is now Mpumalanga and visited his grandfather in Graaff-Reinet on school holidays. His grandfather would show him plants in the veld, especially in the Valley of Desolation.

Growing cacti and succulents in the Karoo has more advantages than challenges. The climate is like that of the South-Western United States and Mexico, where all the cacti originate. Water scarcity is, therefore, not a problem. The only challenge is that cacti and succulents grow very slowly and take many years to reach full size. Most of the large cacti in the garden were sown from seed in the 1970s. Growing cacti, therefore, takes a great deal of patience. The garden, however, was Johan’s ‘passion project’, and he never planned for it to be a commercial operation or self-sustaining. Still, many of the large plants have now been sold to businessmen in the UAE, which has helped support the upkeep of the farm.

Many of the succulents in the garden are used for medicinal and spiritual purposes by members of indigenous cultures such as the Khoi, San and amaXhosa. The most well-known is Imphepho (Helichrysum petiolate), which is used both as a medicine and as a spiritual cleansing aid. Another plant known as izichwe (Helichrysum pedunculatum) is used as an antibiotic during the traditional initiation process (which includes circumcision) of amaXhosa men. Though few succulents are used for food these days, in the past, this was known as "veldkos" (bush food). The flowers of the vygie plants (Aizoaceae) are one example of these.

The main cacti used for spiritual/medicinal reasons are the San Pedro (Trichocereus macrogonus) and the Peyote (of the Lophophora genus). These are the ones that most people look for in the garden. The spiritual and medicinal uses of these cacti were introduced to South Africa by various shamans of indigenous South American cultures in the 1990s, especially adherents of Santo Daime. Ceremonies using these plants occur regularly in Graaff-Reinet and other areas of South Africa.

The sustainability and long-term impact of cultivating cacti in South Africa have yet to be assessed. However, after many years, the garden has become its own ecosystem. Thousands of birds, insects, and reptiles live and breed in it. Most of the cacti and fauna within the gardens are not native to the region, yet they play a role in supporting the indigenous birds and insects. In the nineteenth century, the Karoo was inhabited by the San (bushmen), who lived off the land. Today, the Karoo is home to many diverse peoples. Egmont, a staunch supporter of the African National Congress, envisions a future where everyone is embraced as integral members of the community. He believes that the legacy of colonization can be transformed from domination and segregation to one of embracing equality and diversity. Egmont’s dedication to preserving this sanctuary of biodiversity underscores his commitment to fostering social cohesion. Against the backdrop of colonial histories and contemporary challenges, the Obesa Cacti Garden emerges as a symbol of inclusivity, inviting visitors to contemplate shared narratives and aspire to a future where community flourishes.

 

Obesa Cacti & Succulent Nursery, 49 Murray Street, Graaff-Reinet
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g317079-d9784472-r730807482-Obesa_Cacti_Nursery-Graaff_Reinet_Eastern_Cape.html

About me:

I am a writer, consultant, and educator specializing in environmental water policy, sustainable agriculture, and food systems. I hold a Doctor of Philosophy from Carleton University and am an adjunct professor at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. I live and work on the unceded territory of the Algonquin-Anishinaabe. I am committed to efforts towards decolonizing our food system and the affirmation of traditional knowledge of foodways. I seek to advance a notion of community that includes all plants, insects, animals, and people.

As a freelance consultant and editor, I offer guidance on agricultural and environmental priorities. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to retain my services. I hope you enjoyed this short article. You can subscribe to my newsletter on Linkedin here 

Amanda Shankland Ph.D.

The garden on Murray Street

Peyote plants

The Valley of Desolation

The view of Graaff-Reinet from the Valley of Desolation viewpoint