Archive for the 'North America' Category

14 Jul

Farmer looks to start olive oil industry in South Oregon

By Ron Brown,
With Southern Oregon establishing it’s reputation for growing grapes, another warm climate crop is starting to take root.

More than 130 acres between Jacksonville and Medford are the beginning of what some hope will be an olive oil industry in the Rogue Valley.
Olive tree Grower Jeff Hoyal has planted more than 86,000 Greek [...]

03 Jul

Californian Olive Oil Labels reflect new data

As California’s olive oil industry expands and refines, designations of various grades of oil are becoming more distinct and more identifiable.
Consumers will face challenges as they learn to differentiate between extra virgin (high-quality) and oil pressed from the pomace of cull olives. All of the oil is expected to move through one market level or [...]

30 Jun

The New Californian Olive Trend

A new trend is changing the olive industry in the north state, now it’s all about the oil olives and the expensive liquid gold they produce.

In the olive city, there’s a new boom surrounding the fruit, Vice President of Crane Mills Brian Crane says, “The olive oil industry is what wine was decades ago.”
Several olive [...]

17 Jun

Olive growers’ crops looking sparse

By Julie R. Johnson,
Officials are scratching their heads as to why this year’s olive crop is the pits. “The crop looked really good early on,” said Doug Compton, assistant commissioner of the Tehama County Agriculture Department. “But then we began hearing reports of poor fruit set from olive growers.”
Across the state, Tehama County appears to [...]

11 Jun

an Importer fights state’s stricter olive oil laws

By Brian Lockhart,
The state’s strict new olive oil standards have left a bad taste in the mouth of one New York food importer who is arguing in court the rules are unfair, flaunt federal law and are hurting business.
Dennis Kangadis, vice president of New York-based Kangadis Food Inc., also known as The Gourmet Factory, has [...]

11 Jun

McEvoy Ranch in northern Marin unveils windmill

By Rob Rogers,
Photo Frankie Frost,
Publishing heiress Nan McEvoy hopes a once-controversial 98-foot-tall windmill on her northern Marin ranch will become an inspiration for farmers and others interested in leaving fossil fuels behind.
“I know there is nothing my mother is prouder of,” said Nion McEvoy, who spoke on his mother’s behalf during a dedication ceremony at [...]

06 Jun

UC Davis Olive Oil Conference Welcomes Public and Culinary Professionals

Cooking enthusiasts and olive oil aficionados are invited to join food professionals from around the world June 21-23 at UC Davis for an international conference exploring the best production practices, sensory qualities and culinary possibilities for the highest quality extra virgin olive oil.
“Beyond Extra Virgin,” the largest conference on olive-oil excellence ever held in North [...]

29 May

Canada: Olive oil imports were half sunflower

A Toronto-area food importer and distributor has been fined for importing an olive/sunflower oil blend labelled as “extra virgin olive oil” in 2006.
Jan K. Overweel Ltd., which markets the Emma, Casa Italia and Cortina Foods brands and other imported products, was convicted in Toronto in February under the federal Food and Drugs Act, with the [...]

29 May

Australia and US try to change olive oil standards

The Australian olive oil industry is teaming up with the United States to develop a new set of international olive oil standards.
Dr Rodney Mailer, from the Australian Oils Research Laboratory, says the European International Olive Council’s standards are too restrictive and treat unique aspects of Australian oils as negative traits.
He says Australian producers shouldn’t be [...]

25 May

For the love of olives in Texas

By Beverly Burmeier,

Poor soil, high temperatures, and low water levels are all plentiful in central Texas. Not the usual growing conditions for a food crop, this combination just happens to be perfect for olive trees. So Jack Dougherty, former president of a computer company, bought a ranch near Wimberley and became the first person to [...]

22 May

California: The Olive Press earns top awards

Already known as the most highly-awarded producer of California extra virgin olive oil, The Olive Press once again earned high accolades and awards at the prestigious 2009 Yolo County Fair Olive Oil Competition held in April, with an impressive 15 medals in all.
Gold medals were awarded to an additional seven of the Sonoma-based company’s extra [...]

19 May

Lindsay Olives seeks sales in snack aisle, too

By David Morrill,
Walk down the snack aisle of a local grocery store and you’ll find the usual canisters of peanuts, bags of chips and jars of salsa. If Lindsay Olives has its way, you’ll see their cans of olives as well.
Owned by Bell-Carter Foods Inc. of Lafayette, Lindsay Olives is in the process of trying [...]

10 May

Two Microsoft millionaires cultivate high-end Italian olive oil

By Melissa Allison & Amy Martinez,
This fall during the olive harvest in Italy, Dan McCarthy plans to have about 180 bottles of freshly pressed olive oil shipped by air from the 50-acre Tuscan estate of his former Queen Anne customers, Enzo Schiano and Claire Beliard.
To cover the airfreight, McCarthy & Schiering Wine Merchants will add [...]

23 Apr

Expert praises California olive oil

Going green can mean picking the right olive oil and one expert on the oil says California’s premium olive oils are often worth the extra money.
University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor Paul Vossen, an olive oil expert, says the state’s olive oil has a promising future if word of its many benefits is effectively [...]

22 Apr

CIA-UC Davis World Olive Oil Conference

Take part in one of the top flavor-discovery experiences of the year, Beyond Extra Virgin 2009: An International Conference on Excellence in Olive Oil.
This unique event, scheduled for June 21 to 23, will be held at the University of California at Davis and the California campus of The Culinary Institute of America.
Conference highlights include extensive [...]