Create energy by burning olive pits
by Jennifer Wadsworth,
A local olive cannery with help from a private inventor has found a way to simultaneously create energy and recycle salty sewer water — by burning olive pits.
Heat from burned pits boils blackened sewage into steam that spins a 104-year-old engine outside Musco Family Olive Co., a plant on the southern edge of Tracy near Interstate 580 and the old Patterson Pass Road.
Owners hope the prototype chugging away outside their 310,000-square-foot plant will one day help take them off the grid by using olive pits and sunlight to supply electricity to the multimillion-dollar factory.
The hope, too, is that it’ll give a fresh start to a company that has for the past several years struggled to meet water quality standards because it let too much oil and salt seep into its clay-rich soil.
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Posted in California, Ecology | Environment by: Olives101
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California olive crop shrinks
The 2008 California olive crop forecast is 65,000 tons, down 49 percent from last year’s crop of 132,500 tons, according to a report Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Bearing acreage is estimated at 31,000 for a yield of 2.1 tons per acre, less than half of last year’s yield of 4.27 tons.
Of the total production, an estimated 53,000 tons will be used for canning and the remaining 12,000 tons are expected to be harvested for oil or specialty products.
“Lack of rains during the spring months caused some areas to be water stressed. There were also less than ideal weather conditions during the blooming period. The erratic temperature swings from hot to cold and high winds during bloom left many trees with a spotty set. The bloom period stretched out over approximately five weeks. The April freeze damaged crops, which became evident with new growth,” the report says.
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Posted in California, Olive Tree by: Olives101
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Sri Lanka to grow olives for export
An experiment to grow olive trees in Sri Lsrianka is to be launched as a Board of Investment (BOI) approved project with the objective of exporting olive oil.
An agreement to this effect was singed between the BOI and the Broucke Eco Enterprises Australia last week.
This project will experiment with growing olive trees imported from Cyprus to Sri Lanka and it will take about 3 years for the trees to produce olive oil, BOI said in a statement.
The project, with funding from Cyprus, will see an investment of Rs. 20 million and provide employment for 25. Initiallyabout 20 olive trees will be planted as an experiment in Mawanella and operations are expected to commence within 3 months.
Over 750 million olive trees are cultivated worldwide, 95% of which are in the Mediterranean region. Most of global production comes from Southern Europe, North Africa and Middle East. Olive oil is extensively used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps.
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Posted in Asia, Olive Tree by: Olives101
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Australia: Here’s the good oil on olives
By Mark Logan,
The Mediterranean diet, which includes copious amounts of olive oil, is well known for its health benefits but that is not why retired physician John Milla, and his wife Lorraine, took to planting olive trees at Abilene Grove 13 years ago.
An avid tree planter, Mr Milla was initially interested in the investment opportunities that came with the establishment of an olive grove.
“There was a lot of talk about the investment opportunities in olives but now we are simply interested in getting the best oil we can out of the fruit,” Mr Milla said.
The Orange district is well known for its cold climate wines and it’s not only the grape that benefits from a long slow ripening. Olives also respond favourably to a cool summer and like wine, blending varieties helps balance the palate.
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Posted in Articles, Australia | NZ, Olive Oil, Olive Tree by: Olives101
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Australian Olive growers move to lift quality
By Phil Thomson, (from release)
The Australian Olive Association (AOA) has signed off on an industry code of practice to promote quality, authenticity and confidence in the Australian olive industry.
The code aims to provide security and confidence to consumers and investors in Australia and overseas by providing certification that Australian olive products meet high industry standards.
To be certified by the code, products must be Australian and undergo taste and chemical testings.
President of the AOA Paul Miller said the code for the olive industry is a world first and helps differentiate the Australian industry and its products from those from other copuntries.
“Australian consumers will finally be able to confidently buy extra virgin olive oil knowing that it really is extra virgin,” Mr Miller said.
“They will have a clear choice based on quality and trust – Australian extra virgin olive oil which is backed by the Australian industry Code of Practice or imported olive oil of questionable origin and quality.”
Consumers will be able to identify certified products thanks to the official Certified Australian Extra Virgin logo to be used on labels of approved products.
Posted in Australia | NZ, Olive Oil by: Olives101
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