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  Olive fruit fly larvae were found on fresh olives that a passenger from Lebanon was trying to carry into San Diego International Airport, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday.   Agriculture specialists working at the airport on Oct. 4 found several olive fruit fly larvae on almost nine pounds of fresh olives [...]

Few broadleaf trees can equal the Olive as material for bonsai. The small leaves and massive deadwood trunks of the Mediterranean Olive (Olea Europa) make it a natural for bonsai – yet the Olive is one tree that was never used for bonsai by the Japanese or the Chinese.  

  California's burgeoning olive oil producers are counting on a newly enacted state labeling law to persuade more consumers that American brands are more virginal than their imported rivals.   The measure, signed into law on Friday by Governor Jerry Brown, tightens the definitions of various calibers of olive oil, such as "virgin" and "extra [...]

Life as a California olive farmer isn’t exactly easy these days, farmers say U.S. government is hurting, not helping. The number of olives harvested across the state this season is expected to shrivel by about 86 percent from last year. The price schedule for growers is the same as last season despite the dried-up supply. Some [...]

  The olive plant is the largest ripe olive producer in the world. The company processes 52,000 tons of olives a year on average, keeping it's 400 employees hard at work. But this years olive crops are falling a bit short thanks to mother nature. " Weather we're having now can offset next years harvest, [...]

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 [...]

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.” [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Sheriff deputies arrested 39-year-old Cathy Latou who, reportedly admitted to embezzling over $360,000 from the Santa Barbara Olive Company. The owners of the company contacted the sheriff’s department on Monday, after Latou reportedly confessed to the theft. After a further investigation, sheriff officials discovered Latou may have taken an additional $90,000. Investigators believe the majority [...]

Arbequina, Arbosana, and Koroneiki Recognized at the First Annual California Olive Oil Council Competition California Olive Ranch (COR), North America’s largest olive oil producer, received three medals from The California Olive Oil Council (COOC) for their 2008 harvest extra virgin olive oils: Both the single varieties Arbequina and Arbosana earned gold and COR’s single variety [...]