Help with the Olive Harvest

Are you looking for a new challenge? A chance to spend a week or longer doing something different? Often people with many olive trees to harvest, or old groves to restore would welcome help in return for varying deals: normally think in terms of a days work in exchange for free board.  If you want help or wish to offer help you can post on the site and we will try and match opportunities with volunteers.

Use this link to find out more:
http://www.olivepicking.com/Olive-Pickers-Required.html

Congratulations Australia!

The Australian Olive Association has reported that the 2011 harvest has produced just over 16 million litres of olive oil - so fire up the barbie! Victoria is the highest producing state responsible for over 10 million litres.

Whilst production is slightly down on predictions, due in part to the heat and heavy flooding earlier in the year, the good news is that over 80% of this olive oil meets the extra virgin classification.

Send A Postcard

Email is great but why not surprise someone by sending them a postcard this summer! Inspired by photos taken during my travels a range of high quality products are now available including cards, mugs, aprons, bags and mouse mats. The best news is you can customise them at no extra charge - so why not add a name or message and MAKE SOMEONE'S DAY - today!

The Olives Are Waiting by OlivePicking
Browse other Ripe Postcards

This brilliant design service comes from Zazzle, please use the link above to view the products direct (they don't have a white border this is just for display on the blog).

An Olive Picking Holiday

Yes it's NOW the ideal time to start planning your olive picking holiday in order to get the exactly what you want and also to take advantage of good prices for flights and car hire.  Olive picking is the perfect break to combine with a city stop too, and now you can book all your travel needs via our site to make it even easier!  If you need further help or advice just email us. Now it's up to you to start browsing and planning ...

Yes The Olives Are Ready

 

Just back from a fortnight spent in Le Marche in Italy.  Everywhere we went there were olives just waiting to be picked.

All That Remains





Inside the mill is full of noise and activity as the new oil is being produced.  Outside it's much clamer the only sign of the harvest being the silver leaves falling gently into the trailer.

Pressing the Olives



Pressing oil from the olives the old fashioned way

Thanks to Bob and Ian from Casal Dei Fichi I got the chance to visit their local mill in Mogliano (Corradini Corrado & Co).  Here as well as more modern equipment they still use the old pressing techniques - the stone wheels crush the olives and the paste is then pressed between discs to extract the oil. I came back with fruity, peppery oil pressed from the 'Piantone di Mogliano'.



Help Available With Your Olive Harvest

Thanks to Russ and Sergio at La Grande Quercia for this brilliant photo.  This is a fabulous boutique bed and breakfast in Abruzzo.




 If the thought of your olive harvest leaves you feeling like this read on ... 

An Italian speaking American based in Turin is available at weekends and would like to volunteer to help you.  If you can provide an opportunity for olive picking please make contact via An American In Turin.