03 Nov

It’s Olive Picking Time at Caltech

Students at the California Institute of Technology campus were able to forget rocket science for a day and harvest olives instead. Students and faculty put away their laptops Friday to climb 16-foot-high ladders, perch in cherry pickers and grab the black and green fruit that would otherwise stain the university’s walkways. Their goal is to […]

02 Nov

Northern Yuba County, CA climate’s is considered ideal for growing olives

Northern Yuba County is nothing like Greece, but the Mediterranean-like climate and rocky soils in the foothills are considered ideal for growing olives. By Laura Brown, “We’re on a very similar latitude as Athens,” said Steve McCulley, one of four partners who operates the company, Apollo Olive Oil, in the remote community of Oregon House. […]

02 Nov

Central Coast farmers expand olive oil production

A San Luis Obispo County farm advisor says olive acreage has been growing, mainly among small-scale farmers who sell handcrafted oil. One couple moved their entire, 96-year-old olive orchard more than 300 miles from the Sacramento Valley, to re-establish it near Creston. [Source] Click here

24 Oct

olive fruit fly: New hope for home gardeners

By Holly Hayes For generations, many gardeners in California were accustomed to growing olives for oil or table fruit. Then came the invasion of the olive fruit fly, which was first discovered in the Los Angeles area in 1998 and quickly spread throughout the state’s olive-growing regions. Commercial growers fairly quickly had tools to control […]

16 Oct

US Olives Sources Preferred Over Imports

Almost 40% of American Dietetic Association members surveyed say their confidence in the food supply has decreased over the past twelve months, according to a survey conducted by the California Olive Industry. The registered dieticians and nutritionists also indicated a strong preference for American food, with 66% saying that when presented with a choice, they […]