23 Apr

California: Big olive mill in works

By Jim Downing, Oroville-based California Olive Ranch Inc. plans to break ground today near Artois, Glenn County, on what it says will be the largest olive oil mill in North America. The plant, which the company hopes to begin operating in October, will be able to process 76,000 gallons of olive oil a day, according […]

22 Apr

Olive oil industry, production getting bigger by moment

By Reed Fujii, LODI – Olive oil production in California is a hot ticket. About 130 people joined in a two-day class offered Friday and Saturday in Lodi by the University of California, and others had to be turned away, said Dan Flynn, executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center. California olive oil production […]

20 Apr

California olive oils are growing on us

By Greg Atkinson, Last September, when I was in California, I enjoyed a picnic in the shade of some enormous old olive trees. The tables were covered with Provençal fabrics, and when we sat down to eat, we were greeted with bright green olive oil poured onto plates for dipping the artisanal breads that awaited […]

16 Apr

Cortopassi plans major olive oil expansion

By Ross Farrow, The domestic olive oil business shows such potential that Cortopassi Partners plans to increase production to 12 times more than it currently does at its plant southeast of Lodi. The San Joaquin County Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing tonight on Cortopassi’s use permit application to expand its plant. If approved, […]

18 Mar

UC Davis launches center to nurture emerging olive oil industry

By Laura Kurtzman, After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the University of California, Davis established a research department that led to the flowering of the California wine industry now, it hopes to do the same for olive oil. The challenges to the emerging industry are significant. They include finding economical ways to produce fine […]