Olive farmers look for a rebound year
• Biggest spring bloom in years.
• Just in time to meet growing demand.
This could be a “rebound year” in California’s olive groves.
Farmers say the growing season is off to a good start.
“We just started blooming this month and we’re excited. We haven’t seen a bloom this big in quite a few years,” says Jamie Johansson, an olive grower in Oroville. “Last year we had about 20 percent of our normal crop tonnage.”
Much of last year’s crop was ruined by cold, rainy weather during the bloom.
There’s particular optimism among farmers who make their crop into olive oil. They say they’ve been pressed to meet a boom in demand.
In Davis this week, the University of California sponsors a conference at which experts will recommend new standards in branding and promoting olive oil.
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Monday, May 21st, 2007 at 9:50 am under
