Through the grace showered upon us, we are proud to be part of the worldwide industry of macadamia nuts. Not only is this an amazing feat considering the small size of the college, but also because students take part in keeping this incredible work continuing. Our students help farm employees care for the 14,000 macadamia trees over their three-year duration of study. As a result, the Tree of Life Project provides resources for us to provide a quality education and accommodation for students.
What happens to the nuts the college produces every year? Where do they go after they leave our campus? How are they processed? Who processes and sells them? In this chain of macadamia nut production, we play the critical role of farming the nuts. After they are harvested, they are taken to South Africa for processing. They are cracked out of their shells and the good sorted from the bad.
From South Africa, the macadamia nuts are packaged and transported to Austin, Texas. At our facility in Texas, the nuts are roasted perfectly in our roaster. Quality is crucial as even here the nuts pass through the eyes and hands of skilled workers who extract the bad ones from the good ones before packing them in careful ways to keep them fresh.
It all starts on our farm situated in the outskirt of Manzini, Swaziland, where workers from nearby areas and students do their best to grow high quality macadamia nuts. Knowing this, the students feel proud of knowing that their labour contributes to a bigger, worldwide initiative.
We are grateful to God for granting us the ability to engage in this business that has helped us grow as a college and to also contribute to the socio-economic well-being of Swaziland and Africa.