Meet Reni, from AMANTECO, a third generation family farm in Montagu. Reni started the brand “The Almond Girl”, during covid, giving the consumer access to a locally produced and healthy Almond snack.
It all started In 1974 with Rino Brochetto, who bought a piece of land in a very fertile valley in the little Karoo. His daughter, Angela and son-in-law, Hans showed the same dedication that Rino inspired. They worked tirelessly for years, through trial and error and without having the benefit of any outside professional input, or farming advice, they succeeded in growing the first commercial Almond farm in South Africa.
Today, AMANTECO produces unpasteurised Almond nuts (the nuts have not been gassed or irradiated so their dense nutritional value is intact and they are truly raw). Only GMO-free almond trees are planted and the farm is Kosher certified and Halaal friendly. Although the farm is not certified organic the almonds are tested for pesticide residue and the results are clean with no residue present.
Reni and her brother Stephan both manage the farm. Stephan is involved in the Agricultural Production and Marketing of Orchard Harvesting Equipment related to tree nut farming. Reni manages the Marketing and Distribution. She has established her online shop – the ALMOND GIRL – for smaller clients making local almonds accessible directly to the consumer.
Fun Facts about Almonds
- The Almond tree has an average life span of 20-25 years. An older tree uses a lot more water than a younger tree
- After Almond trees are ‘shaken’, the almonds fall onto the ground and lie in the orchards for a day or two to dry. If after that, they still have not dried out enough, it lies in the sun for another two days.
- The most sought-after variety is Nonpareil, and this is the variety AMANTECO specialise in.
- Almond trees need to be cross pollinated. To achieve optimum pollination AMANTECO grows 13 different varieties of Almond trees.
- The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm.
- Today, Italians give guests at weddings a bag of sugared almonds, representing children, happiness, romance, good health and fortune.
- In Sweden, cinnamon-flavored rice pudding with an almond hidden inside is a Christmas custom. Find it, and good fortune is yours for a year.
What makes almonds different too other nuts?
- Almonds are the most nutritionally dense nut, meaning they offer the highest concentration of overall nutrients per calorie and per gram.
- A 28.35 g serving contains 161 calories, nearly 13 grams of unsaturated fat and 3.4 grams of fibre (that’s about 14% of the daily recommended value).
- Almonds are a good source of potassium, calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorous, and iron.
Reni – ” As an avid trail runner, I am often asked what snacks I take up the mountains. I am lucky enough to have an abundance of fresh almonds when packing my trail snacks. A handful of almonds can go a long way, and why not pack a few chocolate coated almonds as a little reward for getting to the top of the mountain? My aim is to bring the freshest and highest quality of local almonds to you, to share with your friends and family. Grown on our family farm in a valley in the Little Karoo.”
Reni shares delicious recipes from Cookies, Apricot bites, Almond butter to the perfect Oven Roasted Mediterranean Chicken recipe. Click here
The Almond Girl offers a fantastic farm to fork AND single origin product that is delivered straight to your front door. Healthy, nutrient-dense, versatile, and now a convenient on the go snack!
Enjoy your Almonds friends. Here is a link to a behind the scene look of The Almond Girl
Tash and Family
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