Tribute to Quinton Nortje

18 March, 1958 to 10  February 2024.

I have only known the Nortjes for 10 years, as a honeybush researcher involved with various aspects of the industry but with a focus on wild harvesting. This account of Quinton’s contribution to the industry is based mostly on my observations and many conversations with Quinton and Eunice (over a cup of tea or in the field), members of the Melmont harvest team and family members, as well as interactions at honeybush meetings with Quinton and other honeybush people. This account is certainly incomplete – but I hope it represents some of the ways in which Quinton established “ways of doing” that have become standards for the industry. Several members of the honeybush community who had a much longer association with Quinton have also paid tribute to him through a written memory, anecdote or story.

(Gillian McGregor, SAHTA Board Member)

A leader by example

Melmont and Nooitgedacht

The settlement of Nooitgedacht is a community set apart from the world, located deep in the eastern Kouga mountains. It is accessed by a bumpy dirt road that keeps casual travellers away… The Nortjes have farmed in the area for several generations, running small and large stock on a string of green pastures along the Husirivier. Their honeybush enterprise is based entirely on the harvesting of wild Cyclopia intermedia or “Bergtee” populations distributed across many thousands of hectares of mountain lands which is brought in weekly, (when weather conditions are right) by the harvest team and processed at the factory at Nooitgedacht. The superior quality Bergtee, which has been traded by the Nortjes since the 1930’s, is traded under the well-known “Melmont” brand.

Long service to SAHTA and the industry

Quinton was elected as Deputy Chairperson of the first SAHPA (South African Honeybush Tea Producers Association) established in 1999. He was a regular board member for the next 20 years and must surely be the longest-standing board member.

His generous approach to research and researchers and to other honeybush farmers and entrepreneurs who wanted advice on using the honeybush resource… building a honeybush processing plant… or producing quality tea, was widely known in the industry. What better person to have as a champion than one who actually practised wise use and care of the resource from start to finish? Quinton and the Melmont harvest team made a substantial contribution to the development of wild honeybush harvesting guidelines for honeybush, which are the industry standard for sustainable wild harvesting. He consistently attended and contributed to research workshops and meetings – dealing with a wide spectrum of topics, from SAHTA issues to honeybush quality grading and tea tasting to plans to develop sustainable harvesting guidelines… (Even though he had probably heard it all before!)

Exceptional technical knowledge and skills

With his remarkable technical knowledge and skills – Quinton led the way in finding solutions to meet the changing needs of a cottage industry as it evolved into a commercial one in the mid-1990s. His willingness to share ideas with other farmers and researchers contributed significantly to the development of commercial tea processing methods, which are the industry standard today. Recognising that traditional tea fermentation in heaps generated a lot of waste, caused variability in tea quality and allowed pathogens to flourish – he was the first honeybush processor to design and implement a system of rotating stainless steel tanks for   fermentation of the tea. As Quinton proudly noted: “The pathogen counts are so low in Melmont tea – they can’t even find them…” Along with other processors, he was able to see the usefulness of existing machinery like tobacco cutters that would serve as tea cutters to produce a consistent and finer cut for a more desirable product. He had the skills and the vision to custom-design a kind of crusher that would further process previously discarded and wasted coarse stem material…

Wise marketing of an organically certified product

The first export of tea from the Nortjes to Japan in 1993- of around 8 tons – established a long-term relationship with the most discerning tea drinkers in the world who wanted only premium quality tea. Opening up the international market further – the Nortjes were the first to register their honeybush as an organic product in 1998, establishing themselves as producers of a highly valued product. In this endeavour, Quinton was initially supported by his sister Carine (who spoke the best English in the family and had digital coms skills!), who established long-term, secure relationships with international buyers wanting an organic product of superior quality. In this way – they were able to get a good price for their premium quality product. Within a few years, this significant role of marketing and communications was taken over by Eunice, whose efficiency, quiet strength and presence, always supportive of Quinton, have not gone unnoticed.

Knowledge of the environment

Quinton’s management approach was based on a lifetime of observation and intimate knowledge of the place where he grew up. He knew the value of time in the veld spent harvesting with the harvest team; observing the weather patterns; checking the health of the tea populations; of knowing the harvest, fire and yield history of every patch; of recognising stress or readiness for harvest – such that populations were never over-harvested.

His knowledge and careful use of fire enabled him to use it to best effect. With his team of experienced staff – he used fire to limit the damaging effects of wild-fires and improve honeybush production whilst maintaining the diversity of fynbos communities.  As Quinton explained:

Keeping old, moribund fynbos veld on your farm is like keeping a petrol bomb in a garage – you never know when it will explode, but at some stage it will go off …

A truly sustainable enterprise

The term “sustainable” is widely used in many contexts. But Quinton knew and demonstrated the true meaning of “sustainable” – across the environmental, economic and social elements of the Melmont farming enterprise. We can learn many lessons from the Melmont model of sustainability as practised on a daily basis on the farm. These are some examples from Melmont:

• While the farm is large enough to accommodate a flexible harvest regime, more importantly – the motivation to harvest sustainably is greater than the motivation for profit. Annual yields from the honeybush lands are adjusted in response to the health and availability of the resource.
• The honeybush lands are accessed by a carefully constructed network of well-maintained roads and tracks. Slides are used in difficult access areas – a method which makes for efficient access without the need for more roads which would damage the landscape.
• With at least four year intervals between harvests, adjusted according to an inspection of the health of plants, only mature plants are harvested, allowing populations plenty of time to recover and produce good yields. Ensuring the harvest of only mature plants makes economic sense as it allows for production of a superior quality tea product required by clients.
• One of the trademarks of the success of Melmont is the inclusive treatment of a full time staff whose experience, knowledge and contributions to the success of the enterprise are fully acknowledged.
• Nearly every staff member is involved in the whole business of farming activities. More specifically – they have experience of the whole honeybush production chain: from caring for the veld through to harvesting, processing and packing the tea. The experienced team knows what is needed to produce a quality product which satisfies clients, fetches a good price and ensures economic security.
• The honeybush enterprise supports 15 full time jobs, provides homes for staff and their families, supplied with water from the local “fontein” and off-the-grid power supply, and supports a primary school for the children of Nooitgedacht and surrounding farms. This model of a fully serviced community is surely unique in South Africa…

Wild honeybush augmentation

Recognising that assuring supply is important in a business enterprise – Quinton has long had a dream of supplementing natural populations. He never could understand why researchers would take the honeybush plants far away from their natural environment and grow them in foreign climes …. The parallel was drawn:

If you take a child away from his home and his family and put him in the “koshuis” – he will be sad and homesick and will not thrive in that faraway place. It’s obvious…

And so Quinton went on to trial “augmentation” on the Melmont lands, starting with trials of planted seedlings and seed in enclosures by local researchers. Then, across many hectares of fynbos veld burnt in preparation for the planting – Melmont staff planted locally collected honeybush seed in veld considered suitable for honeybush. A planter designed by Quinton was used to carefully drop two seeds at a time into the soil. Although Quinton will not be there to see the first harvest, after three years – the plants are doing well with establishment of about 25% of the seed which far exceeds the 10% that he thought would make augmentation worthwhile.

Chris Herselman, Farmer and friend, Walletjies, Kareedouw

 Ek het as nuweling twaalf jaar gelede in die Langkloof aangekom. Ek het by SAHTA aangeklop om navraag te doen oor die verbouing van heuningbostee.  Hier het ek vir Quinton en Eunice van Melmont leer ken.

By die Landbouvereeniging was Quinton ons paaie-man.  Hy het elke vergadering sy terugvoer begin met ‘n lang sug en sy frustrasie met die paaie afdeling gedeel. Daar was altyd ‘n rede waarom die paaie nie gewerk kon word nie: begroting was nog nie goedgekeur nie of was alreeds uitgeput; die kontrakteurs was nog nie aangestel nie of wat ook al. Dan het Quinton self ingespring met sy eie tyd en masjiene en gedoen wat hy kon doen vir die Suurveld paaie.  Veral met die jaarlikse kerkbasaar op hulle plaas Nooitgedacht het Quinton seker gemaak dat die pad in ‘n goeie toestand was sodat al die besoekers op die plaas kon uitkom.

Op een van hierdie basaars het Quinton my eenkant toe geroep en gesê: “Kom ek wil jou iets wys”.  Hy het my deur sy hele verwerkingsaanleg geneem en al die prosesse verduidelik.  Hy het ook gewys hoe werk die handplanters wat hy self ontwerp het.  Ek het voorheen by die WNNR gewerk en daar was “Intellectual Property” en “Trade Secrets” baie goed beskerm, maar Quinton het sonder huiwering, al my vrae beantwoord!

Ons ou plaashuis se houtstoof was na baie jare se diens, geroes en vol gate. Ek het besluit om dit te vervang en het nie gedink dat dit nog diensbaar was nie.  Ek het die ou stoof geadverteer en wou net van dit ontslae raak. Quinton het die stoof gekoop om dit reg te maak vir een van sy werkers.  Stoof opgelaai en vir my ‘n koevert met note gegee. Toe ek die geld later tel, sien ek dat daar etlike honderde meer was as wat ek gevra het.  Toe ek hom weer by die kerk raakloop, wou ek die geld teruggee, maar hy wou dit nie neem nie. Hy sê toe, as jy dit ook nie wil hê nie, kom ons gee dit vir die kerk en gooi die geld summier in die kollektemandjie.

Ons gemeenskap het verseker ‘n groot man verloor, maar sy nagedagtenis sal in ons harte bly voortleef.

Clinton Gass, Gass Co Ltd.

We get to meet only a few people in our lives who stand out as exceptional human beings. Someone  we want to associate with. Someone we want to do business with. Someone we want our precious, loved ones to meet. Someone who has those particular virtues we want to incorporate into our own being. Someone we are eternally grateful for.

Quinton is just such a person for me.

It has always been easy for me to feel familiar with Quinton. And that is not because of his name, although it is close. Instead, it is because of his openness, generous heart and sincerity.

Honeybush has always been a very special product. It may not be our biggest, but it is certainly my favourite business. It is an exceptional good product, yes. But more important for me is the people that have brought it into existence.

I hold the highest respect for the Nortjé family. Quinton may have passed on, but he will always be part of what we do with honeybush in Japan. The image of him and my daughter will forever remain as one of my favourite moments, symbolic of his positive influence in our business an personal lives.

Thank you Quinton.

Misia Gass, 5 August 2014, with Quinton in Jeffreys Bay

Gillian McGregor, Researcher, Rhodes University

I am fortunate to know the Nortje family. My association with them only began 10 years ago when a Rhodes student volunteered to take me to a friend’s farm at Nooitgedacht, to trial mapping honeybush populations with a drone… It sounded like an interesting thing to do! The trials were unsuccessful, but it opened up a rare world of sustainable wild honeybush production in a remote mountain place on a farm run by an extraordinary family…

Quinton and Eunice always had time for us – we seldom passed the farmhouse without stopping for a shared cup of honeybush tea over rusks and a chat. There was never a visit when I did not learn something new about the honeybush industry (and other things) across a range of time frames and topics from issues of quality tea production, the economics of the tea market, research history, managing honeybush in the Melmont mountain environment, working with fire, working with people in various capacities. With his wry sense of humour and compassion, Quinton’s tales were always entertaining and insightful.

I have enjoyed the privilege of taking many student field trips to the honeybush lands of Melmont. Far away from cell phone reception and computers – the students come to love the simplicity of the Entkrale huisie which provides the basics: a dry sleeping place, shelter from the wind and rain and a kitchen with a big fire place. A welcome place to retreat to at the end of a long (sometimes freezing cold) day in the veld, spent pushing through tangled fynbos, mapping, counting and measuring plants or tracking and observing the harvest team at work. These are unforgettable, life-shaping experiences, as expressed by Tafadzwa Makhuza, MSc student:

He was truly a kind, knowledgeable and wonderful man who made me appreciate the honeybush tea industry. His establishment was hand-built, authentic and so honest. Being on his farm brought me peace the year (2021) I lost my mom. I’ll always remember him, the smell and taste of Melmont C. intermedia for that.

Quinton was a remarkable human being who practised what he preached.  His generosity of ideas and a deep love of the place, his people and the veld – which as he saw it – was not his to own – but his to use wisely and share with others and future generations… Thank-you Quinton and Eunice for always listening, for sharing and supporting our research ideas and for prompting us with new directions. I will miss those conversations – but I know that the Nortje family will continue the tradition that is Melmont.

Hannes De Lange, Researcher (Retired)

Na ek die heuningbosteeprojek in 1992 geloods het, was ek nog verbonde aan die Nasionale Botaniese Instituut by die Kirstenbosch Botaniese Tuin in Kaapstad. Ek was besonder gelukkig en bevoorreg om in hierdie vroeë stadium saam te werk met drie van die mees handvaardige, innoverende en hardwerkende boere denkbaar wat praktiese beslag gegee het aan hul idees rakende verbouing en verwerking van heuningbostee. Quinton Nortjé, van die plaas Nooitgedacht in die Kouga het prominent in hierdie trio gestaan.  Die ander twee was Johan Beyers van die plaas Eenzaamheid in die Langkloof en Van Zyl Joubert van die plaas Toekomst in die Bredasdorp-distrik.

Quinton het die tee uit die veld in die Kougaberge geoes maar daar was hoegenaamd geen sprake van oorbenutting van die natuurlike flora nie. Die ligging van die populasies is op ‘n kaart aangebring en hulle is volgens ‘n vaste skedule geoes wat genoegsame tyd gelaat het vir voldoende herstel van hierdie hergroeiende Cyclopia intermedia spesie. Hy het self met sy stootskraper paaie gemaak na die verskillende populasies in die moeilik-begaanbare terreine in die Kougaberge. In ander gevalle het hy ‘n stelsel van glydrade aangelê vir die vervoer van tee-gerwe na begaanbare plekke. Hy was gesteld daarop dat geen vreemde genotipe heuningbostee die inheemse tee op die plaas geneties moet kom kontamineer nie. Gevolglik moes ek saad vanuit die Nooigedacht-populasies oes en saailinge daarvan kweek in Oudtshoorn en na hom bring vir versterking van die plaaslike populasies. Quinton het altyd die wens gehad om ook aanplantings op maklik-bereikbare gedeeltes van Nooitgedacht te vestig maar sy siekte het in die pad van hierdie droom kom staan.

Heuningbostee was in die Nortjés se bloed en Quinton se oupa George, en sy pa Scheltema, het in vroeër jare ook kleinskaals tee gemaak. Tot dié vroeë stadium is daar gebruik gemaak van lusernkerwers om die tee te kerf. Quinton en sy pa, Scheltema, het besef dat ‘n veel fyner snit nodig was en hul het ‘n uittog na die Weskus gemaak en het toepaslike teekerwers van die rooibosteebedryf aangeskaf. Na die wegbeweeg van sweethope in die prosessering van die gekerfde tee en na die vroeë resultate van my en Johan Beyers se “primatiewe” pogings om die gekerfde tee in houers te verhit, het Quinton met insette van Lizette Joubert van die LNR tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die tee in vlekvrye staaltenks, verhit moet word. Quinton het toe  verhitting toegepas  deur ‘n ondervloerse houtvuur. In die vroeë stadium het ek en Quinton in die nag op Nooitgedacht mekaar afgelos in “wagbeurte” en temperature gemonitor.  Gaandeweg het Quinton ‘n meester geword en die hoë kwaliteit van sy tee het legendaries geword.

Quinton  is op Nooitgedacht gebore en getoë en ek het hom met die Kougaberge vereenselwig, soveel so asof hy as’t ware ‘n standbeeld, gekap uit die omringende berge was. Dit was ‘n voorreg om hierdie baie nederige persoon te kon ken en saam hom te kon werk. Quinton was geseend met die ewe nederige en vriendelike Eunice wat ‘n steunpilaar as vrou en moeder en as onmisbare administratiewe hulp in die heuningbostee-boerdery was. Met die aanvang van die heuningbostee-projek het klein Scheltema saam die plaaswerkers se kinders met stootkarretjies in die afdraande van die stofpad verby die tee-aanleg gery. Hy is nou die boer; die verantwoordelikheid is op sy skouers en hopelik word die tradisie voortgesit op die afgeleë plaas in hierdie pragtige kontrei..

Helgard Ackermann, Honeybush processor, Humansdorp

Toe ek in 1998 by die destydse SA Heuninbosteevereniging kom,was dit maar nog in sy kinderskoene maar die Nortje’s van Nooitgedacht was reeds daar. Die ouer Nortje’s was immers van die inisieerders van die organisasie vanuit niks.

Ek het Oom Scheltema en Tant Jesse leer ken as ware sout van die aarde mense…mense met groot passie vir die teebedryf maar ook met ‘n openheid oor dinge. Hulle het nie geheime gehad nie. Hulle was ingestel op samewerking en gesamentlike groei vir die bedryf.

Hulle was altyd bereid om hul verworwe kennis van heuningbostee met die res te deel. Hulle was saam met Dr Hannes de Lange toe alreeds betrokke by baie verwerkingseksperimente asook proewe met plantjies. Ek dink die Nortje’s saam met Wessel du Plessis en Dr Hannes het ‘n klomp baanbrekerswerk gedoen.

Daar moes altyd ‘n Nortje by die Heuningbosteevereniging betrokke wees. Hulle is immers deel van die ruggraat van die bedryf. Toe die ouer span “aftree” het die jonger Quinton ingetree.

Oor die jare het ek Quinton leer ken as ‘n man van min woorde. Maar as hy praat was dit met gesag en kon jy luister en leer. As vriend was hy altyd bereid om raad te gee oor elke aspek van verwerking. Hy het die ou Robert Legge kerwers soos die palm van sy hand geken en ek het baie by hom gaan kers opsteek. Hy moes eintlik ‘n meganiese ingenieur gewees het. Hy was baie kundig ten opsigte van die heuningbosplant se groeiwyse en ook die reaksie daarvan op seisoenale skommelinge of veldbrande en deurgetrek na die effek op die eindproduk (hands on). Hy was in staat om sy teeveld optimaal volhoubaar te bestuur om sodoende die beste bergtee in die bedryf te produseer.

Aan sy sy het Eunice haar kant voluit gebring met die admin en bemarking. Voorwaar twee mense by wie ek (en ek glo die bedryf en selfs navorsers) baie geleer het.

Iets wat ook vir my uitgestaan het, was dat almal op Nooitgedacht in harmonie saamgewerk het soos een groot familie.

‘n Groot boom het geval. Ons eer sy gedagtenis.

Johan and Rina Kritzinger (Farmer & Honeybush Processor, Langkloof)

Ons weet die kwaliteit van mens se verhoudinge bepaal in ‘n groot mate die kwaliteit van jou lewe.    Quinton was ‘n kwaliteit mens.   Alle kontak met hom en Eunice was altyd aangenaam en opbouend, en eg.   Ons kan met respek se dat ons binne die kontak wat ons met Quinton gehad het deel gekry het aan die vettigheid van die lewe wat niks te doen het met rykdom en status nie, maar alles met menswees.

Marius van Dyk, Honeybush Processor and friend

In my oë is Quinton en Eunice Nortje sout van die aarde mense met die beste kwaliteit tee wat ek in my lewe al gesien het. Ek noem dit altyd die Jack Daniels style van tee maak. Mag jy rus in vrede, Ou Quinton. Eunice, mag die Groot Vader altyd langs jou loop. Mag die Nortje familie net van sterkte tot sterkte gaan. Baie liefde.

Marlise Joubert, ARC Researcher (Retired)

Ek het Quinton ontmoet by die eerste vergadering wat gehou is om vas te stel of daar behoefte aan ‘n vereniging is.  Dit was ‘n bitter koue aand in die Langkloof.  Almal was vir ons vreemd.  Daarna het hy feitlik alle vergaderings bywewoon en n bekende gesig geraak.  Hy was baie stil.  Wat my veral opgeval het was dat Eunice altyd aan sy sy was, behalwe met bestuursvergaderings.  Ek het vining agtergekom hulle weet nogal baie van heuningbostee en ons kan baie van hom leer.

Nie lank nie of Quinton was deel van die bestuurspan.  Hy het min gepraat, maar jy kon na hom luister omdat hy baie kennis het, en waardevolle insette kon gee omdat hy betrokke was by meeste van die aspekte van die bedryf.

Een spesifieke insident wat ek kan onthou – Ek en twee van my kollegas het die Nortjes besoek om meer te leer van heuningbos in die natuur.  Op daardie stadium het ons nog net enkele bosse van C. genistoides in die natuur gesien.  Die doel van die besoek was ook om meer kennis van die plante te kry.  Toe die bedryf begin het was daar bitter min kennis oor heuningbos en veral niks oor verbouing nie.  Ons het die middag op die plaas gekom, en eers by Quinton se ouers geeet.  Dit was alreeds oordadig.  Na ete het ons na ons huisie gegaan, met al die kosgoed, beddegoed en wat nog nodig was, vir ons verblyf.  Die volgende oggend het ons vir ons self ontbyt gemaak want ons moes Quinton ‘n sekere tyd ontmoet om veld toe te gaan.  Daar gekom het hulle weer ontbyt voorberei, ons moes dit van die hand wys.  Van die broodjie is ingesit vir die middag.  Weereens is daar kos ingepak, die navorsers sal beslis nie honger bly nie!  Wat my veral van Quinton verbaas het is hoe baie hy gesels het en inligting gegee het van hulle oes en heuningbos en ook van die area.  Die areas was nogal in die boendoes en soms moeilik om by te kom.  Op sommige plekke het hulle foefie slides gemaak om die geoeste material by die bakkie te kry.  Ons het verskeie kere gestop om in die veld tussen die plante te gaan stap.  Middagete het ons wors gebraai in ‘n huisie.  Dit was besonder koud.  Na middagete het ons verder gery en rondgekyk. Ons het nogal baie inligting gekry oor C. intermedia, wat vir ons redelik onbekend was. Op daardie stadium was daar nog nie enige aanplantings nie.  Toe Quinton ons aflaai het hy genoem dat ons ‘n sekere tyd by hulle moet wees vir ‘n braai.  Ons het heerlik gekuier by hom en Eunice en hulle gasvryheid terdee geniet.  Wat my nogal getref het was hoe ‘n wye kennis en belangstelling Quinton gehad het.

Quinton was altyd ‘n staatmaker. Hy het vinnig reaggeer wanneer ons inligting nodig gehad het.  Daar was tye wat besluite vinnig geneem moes word, meestal was Quinton die eerste wat reageer.

Quinton, ek gaan jou mis.  Rus in Vrede

Matt Sephton, Living Lands, Langkloof

One of my first memories of Oom Quinton was a visit to Nooitgedacht as a young honeybush researcher many years ago. After arriving at the farm and being treated to the usual hospitality by Tannie Eunice, Oom Quinton received a call about a broken toilet cistern (an hour’s drive away) that needed to be fixed quickly as Camino hikers were on their way. We jumped in the bakkie and off we went to see what we could do, the usually quiet Quinton chatting away in broken English with me responding in broken Afrikaans. After fixing the guests’ toilet deep in the Kouga Mountains he asked if I had enough time to fix a few more. We proceeded to fix 3 more toilets of farm workers living on Nooitgedacht. Quinton jokingly referred to the farm as a municipality, needing constant upkeep. Quinton saw more than just a farm with workers living on it, he saw a community. A community of which he was a part, not just the boss. A community needing care and compassion. One where he looked out for everyone just as they looked out for him. I have met very few people who hold Quinton’s gentle way of seeing the world – an outlook that we desperately need. He was a true gentleman, a proud father, and a loving husband.

They say when a tree the size of Quinton falls in a forest, it leaves a gaping hole, but over time the hole is filled with the plants that have been nurtured under its canopy and the forest grows again. The hole in the Nooitgedacht forest feels huge right now, but I have no doubt it will slowly fill in a manner that would honour his memory.

When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.

― Maya Angelou

Mona and Van Zyl Joubert, Agulhas Honeybush, Farmer, Processor

My en Van Zyl se ontmoeting met Quinton en Eunice strek ‘n hele paar dekades terug toe ons as jong getroudes met klein kindertjies by die oppasdiens vir die kabouters by die NGK in Kareedouw betrokke geraak het. En soos ons hulle daardie eerste dag leer ken het so was/is hulle nog steeds. Waar kry jy ‘n beter aanknopingspunt as mense wat saam die Here God aanbid by hulle plaaslike kerk! Ons het hulle leer ken as standvastige mense. Jou “ja” verander nie more na ‘n “nee” nie en op sy woord kon jy staatmaak.

Toe ons 16 jaar gelede ons eie aanleg vir heuningbostee wou begin, het ons vir ‘n paar dae by Quinton en Eunice gaan kuier spesifiek om raad te vra van hoe, waar en wanneer. Want tyd en geld het niemand om te mors nie! So ons hele model en “resep” is op hulle model geskoei. Ons gebruik net ESKOM krag om die tenke te verhit en ons droging (ook op bedjies) het ons ‘n bietjie aangepas om ons stormwinde en reën hier teen die Suidkus te akkommodeer. Maar ons hele model is Quinton se model. Ons is vir hom ewig dankbaar.

Quinton se heerlike droë humorsin het ons by tye laat skaterlag en sy liefde vir sy vrou en kinders het jy nooit betwyfel nie. Hy vertel hoe hy eendag ‘n 18 maande oue Scheltema wou ontglip want hulle sou gevaarlike werk doen die dag en dis nou nie die plek vir ‘n klein kleuter nie. En toe hy so in die truspieëltjie kyk, sien hy net ‘n snikkende seuntjie met sy “bersie” en ‘n sagte speelding wat die bakkie probeer inhaal. Hoe kan ‘n pa se hart dit hou?! Nooit weer het Scheltema agtergebly nie. Hy het soos ‘n pleister aan sy pa gekleef.

Sy liefde vir sy vrou wie hom in ALLES ondersteun het en ook vir sy kinders was te sien in die “veilige hawe” wat hy vir hulle geskep het en waarin die kinders kon ontwikkel.

Ons het Quinton nooit kwaad gesien nie want hy het altyd die pad van Jesus se liefde gestap om enige konflik te hanteer. Want wie het nie konflik in sy dag tot dag se bestaan nie?

Om te sê dat ons hom al klaar mis is ‘n “understatement” want heuningbostee IS Quinton en die kroon van die koning van heuningbostee in SA het gemaklik gepas op sy kop. Al sou hy dit nooit amptelik wou hê nie… maar ons DINK dit!

Quinton, ons dierbaarste vriend, ons salueer jou. Tot ons weer sien nadat ons strepies ook getrek is…

Daneel Ferreira: Journey with the Nortje’s of Nooitgedacht and Honeybush Tea

Daneel Ferreira is researcher of international reputation who has been involved with research in Natural Products Chemistry for more than 50 years. He was born at  Brandhoek in the Middel-Kouga, west of Nooitgedacht. He started his career at the University of the OFS, achieving an A rating as a scientist in 1990.  He emigrated from South Africa in 1997, to join the National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) at the University of Mississippi in 1999 and became Chair of the Department of Pharmacognosy in 2004, where he is now a retired Professor Emeritus of Pharmacognosy.

Being born in Brandhoek between the Kouga mountains some kilometers west of Nooitgedacht in “Middel-Kouga” and well versed with the delicious honeybush tea brewed from the harvested honeybush plants (Cyclopia intermediate) on my father’s land, I was delighted when in the mid 1990’s I received a call from Dr. Lizette Joubert, Agricultural Research Council, Stellenbosch probing my interest to analyze the phenolic profile and potential health effects of honeybush tea. We quickly reached a research agreement and so began a delightful and productive journey involving my colleague and friend Prof Vincent Brandt and M.Sc./Ph.D. student Irene Kamara as the UOFS team, Dr. Lizette Joubert as overall coordinator, and the Nooitgedacht Nortje family comprising pioneer Scheltema and wife Jessie, and son Quinton and wife Eunice.

Soon after reaching the research agreement with Lizette Joubert, I drove all the way from Bloemfontein to Nooitgedacht to get acquainted with the Nortje’s, to avail myself of the intricacies of the production process, and to take possession of a large sample of the final honeybush material for our analytical endeavors. Needless to say how impressed I was with the incredible engineering skills of Quinton designing and manufacturing all the mechanical machinery that take the harvested honeybush raw material through the process of chopping into small pieces, bruising and  fermentation/oxidation (the pioneers called this process “sweating” of the material) through the action of the polyphenol oxidase enzyme until optimum coloring of the green material is established, drying, and then through several steps until the final product is bagged and ready for being shipped to the distributors. It is kind of a must see to appreciate the genius of Quinton’s setting up this complicated set of mechanized equipment from raw material to final product. I was privileged to see Quinton and the full process one last time during an unforgettable visit to Nooitgedacht in May of 2023 with Eugene Ferreira and his wife Fransa.

My first visit to Nooitgedacht in the mid 1990’s also was the beginning of a very special and precious relationship with Scheltema and Jessie that lasted until the end of their lives. They invited me to give two presentations at a Fynbos Festival in Humansdorp that afforded me the opportunity to talk for the first time publicly about the chemical composition of the complex phenolic pool of the honeybush plant and the potential human health benefits of the phenolic compounds.

 Jessie was a highly intelligent individual and I will also cherish the multitude of stimulating e-mail contacts that we shared. Soon after our first meeting she inquired whether I will be able to help them with the creation of a suitable brand name for their product. I fortunately had a good friend and colleague in the Latin department at the UOFS, Louis  van Ryneveld, that could transform the ”sweetness of honey” and the “mountainous growth pattern” of “bergtee” into the Latinism, MELMONT,  a name that was very much to the liking of Jessie and became what is now the well-known brand name of the famous Nooitgedacht organically-produced “bergtee” product.

Jessie was also an exceptionally driven person and soon after we settled upon the MELMONT brand name, she inquired about the creation of a trademark. Again, I was fortunate to have access to an excellent Graphic Designer, Valerie Nel, spouse of one of our Ph.D. students, Reinier Nel. Emphasizing the importance of both the chemistry and wonderful taste, color, and aroma of the product originating from the deep and beautiful Kouga mountains as well as the recently created MELMONT brand name, Valerie came up with the steaming tea pot within a regular hexagon depicting the rich chemistry of an aqueous extract of Cyclopia intermedia, also known as the delectable, well-known “honeybush tea.” Needless to say, Jessie also enthusiastically approved this, thus the beginning some quarter of a century ago of what today represents the well-known and famous brand name and trademark of the prized Nooitgedacht product of the Nortje family.

I am indeed proud and grateful for the opportunity to have played a small role in supporting the efforts of the Nortje family to cement the position of their product in the competitive international marketplace. I am sad that Scheltema, Jessie, and Quinton is no longer with us, and would like to wish Eunice and her son Scheltema Jr and his wife all the very best regarding continuation of the production of their wonderful “Melmont Honeybush Tea.”

With very best wishes,

 Daneel Ferreira, Ph.D., D.Sc. (h.c.), H.E.D., D.I.C.

Professor Emeritus of Pharmacognosy

Research Professor in Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Department of BioMolecular Sciences

School of Pharmacy

The University of Mississippi

 University, MS 38677, USA.