|
California
Olive Oil
News© |
||
Volume 1 Issue 5 |
October 1998 |
|
| Largest
Family-Owned Olive Ranch to Launch New Industry – Arizona Olive Oil
Barbara Marino Phoenix, Arizona – Perry and Brenda Rea have announced their plans to produce Arizona olive oil and become competitive within the global marketplace. Since 1997, the couple has planted over 43,000 olive trees in Friendly Corners, Arizona, and forty-five miles southeast of Phoenix. Reas’ Olive Ranch, which is in the process of becoming certified organic, controls over 1,800 Arizona acres and is the largest privately-owned olive grove dedicated exclusively to the production of extra virgin olive oil in the country. Historically, only the state of California has produced olive oil of any quantity in the United States. But according to Harold Payne, certified professional agronomist and soil specialist who designed the innovative cost and water efficient irrigation system on the Rea property, "this part of Arizona is ideal for olive growing. Our climate, which is cooler than the valley, is just like the parts of Spain, Greece and Italy that have been growing olives and producing olive oil for thousands and thousands of years." The demand for extra virgin olive oil, especially olive oil produced in this country, is growing by leaps and bounds. In the last decade, according to July story in the Los Angeles Times, "olive oil consumption has risen steadily among increasingly health-conscious American consumers…and in 1996-97, olive oil sales in the U.S. rose 31% over 1995-96 sales. And yet the United States only produces .1% of the world’s olive oil." But in the last decade, according to Ken Stutz, president of the California Olive Oil Council the number of olive oil producers in California has jumped "from five or six to over fifty." To research and study the complexities of olive farming and olive oil production, Perry Rea met with growers and producers in central and southern Italy. He and his wife spent time in California’s wine (and recently, olive oil) country attending olive oil production seminars and workshops. After spending six months looking at sites throughout central Arizona, he and Brenda chose the Friendly Corners farm. The property boasted rich soil, good land value and close proximity to the highly successful 600 acre Gila River Farms olive orchards which have been producing top-quality olives for over three years. Perry Rea is the former president of Formrite Corporation, his family-owned automotive parts manufacturing company, which employed over 1,200 workers in seven plants throughout North America. When the company was sold 1995, he and his wife decided they wanted to form a working partnership to create a family business that would provide a healthy and simpler lifestyle for them and their three (soon to be five) children. A successful, highly competitive businessman with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Perry Rea says he and his wife started this business "literally from the ground up in order to control all aspects of production. From the raw material – the soil, water, trees and fruit – to our state-of-the-art Alfa Laval olive press, every aspect of this operation will be the latest in technology and efficiency. If you want a world-class product, you need to have a world-class operation." "The Rea’s are visionaries," says Jack Doughty, president of Three Rivers Ag Investments who first showed the family the farmland in Friendly Corners. "They’ve taken a historic, abandoned cotton farm, revitalized it and are pioneering what I predict will become a major growth industry with untapped demand for the state of Arizona." Executive Vice President of the Agri-Business Council of Arizona, David Iwanski says, "we are big advocates for the success of this business and strongly support the Rea’s efforts. We feel between Arizona, California and Northern Mexico we can generate a year-round supply of olives to meet a rapidly growing market demand". Reas’s Olive Ranch, is located less than twenty-five miles from the Gila River Farms, part of the Gila River Indian Community. Until the Rea’s fruit is ready to be harvested in approximately three years, they have entered into a unique agreement with the Gila River Indian Community. Reas’ Olive Ranch plans to buy olives from Gila River Farms to produce extra virgin olive oil. A portion of the proceeds from the sales will be donated back into the Community. "We are pleased with our long-term agreement with the Rea family," says Roger Hooper, general manager of Gila River Farms. "By using our olives to produce olive oil, Reas’ Olive Ranch will give our community another value-added product that normally would not get into the marketplace." If all goes as planned, The Rea’s will press and bottle the Gila River Farms fruit in October at the Critelli California Olive Company in Richmond, California. Edward Pizzuti, vice president of Critelli says, "in California we are experiencing an olive oil renaissance. Now that Arizona is joining in, it reinforces what we predicted a few years ago – the United States could become a major producer of olive oil." Perry Rea is emphatic, "I have a very clear vision for this business. The basics are always the same – find out what the customer wants and deliver it with consistent quality and good value. There’s no reason why the United States can’t become world-class competitive in the production of extra virgin olive oil." Copyright © 1997 [The Olive Oil Source]. All
rights reserved.
Home, Newsletter ,Olive Facts, Links, The Dr. Says, Books, Tours, Associations, Contact Us, About Us, Suppliers |
Olive Oil and a Greek Diet Lowers Cancer Oliver Spits Sausalito, California - An article from the September issue of Hippocrates magazine summarized the findings from a new study out of the University of Ste.-Etienne. 605 men and women who had suffered a heart attack were put on one of two diets. One was the American Heart Association's diet which permitted meat, cream and butter. "The other half ate like Greeks, consuming less of those items and more fruits, vegetables, cereals, beans, and fish, as well as olive oil and a canola oil margarine". The study was designed to look at the effect of diet on heart disease but found that after four years the "Greek" group had less cancer, just two new cases of cancer verses 12 in the AHA diet group. This is a small study and needs to be followed up with a much bigger one, but the results are very surprising. Questions and Comments from the Internet: Brenda Perez writes:Nice site but I have a question. How does olive oil prevent overflow of water when boiling pasta? Your reply will be greatly appreciated! OOS replies: No fair, that's a science question! Actually the oil floats on top, changing the surface tension of the boiling water, preventing bubbles and boiling over. I know some people who put a bit of butter or oil in their jams to preventing foaming also. Do you also throw the spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks to test for doneness? Diane writes: I think this site is a great idea. We like wine tasting, cooking and we cook with olive oil. We plan to go olive oil tasting at a site listed by your service this coming Saturday. Your graphics are very pleasing too. Thanks! California OctoberAustralian Olive Association Annual Conference: The 1998 AOA Annual Conference will be held in Kingaroy, Queensland starting at 6.00pm on October 2nd at the Country Rose Cottage in Kingaroy and finishing on the afternoon of the 5th. Australian Olive Oil Tasting: COOC hosts Linda Brown, grower from Victoria, Australia. 5:15pm Oct. 14 Salute , Consorzio Cal-Italia at the Herbst Pavilion in San Francisco October 12. 50 California wineries represented producing California wines in the Italian style. COOC will offer tasting of olive oils which have received the Seal this year November Arts and Olive Festival Saturday, Nov 14, 10:00-4:00 Canada College in Redwood City, Ca. Contact Georgia Bravo 650-306-3380 for information Getting Started in the Specialty food business - UC Davis workshop November 14-15 1998 contact Anna Trunnell 530-757-8899 Olives Among the Vines - American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts luncheon at Meadowood Resort: Saturday, November 21 call Patty Darragh 888-718-9830 Olive Harvest WeekendJesuit Retreat House in Los Altos November 28 - 30 The Jesuit Retreat House in Los Altos (COOC member Father Bernie Bush) is
holding their annual "Olive Harvest Weekend" on Thanksgiving Weekend,
November 28, 29, and 30, 1998. The Retreat House is home to over 100 trees which predate
the founding of this community (over 75 years ago). The public is invited to handpick and
make olive oil which is then used at monthly healing services as well as bottled and sold
as a fund raising item. Last year, 1000 lbs. of olives were picked producing 40 gallons of
olive oil. COOC supporting member and board member Nick Sciabica and his family
have been generously pressing the olive oil for this Jesuit Community. Following the blessing, guests will be provided with maps detailing the region's olive presses, and naming the presses that will be open for the occasion. 1999 January From tree to Table: Olives and Oils - Infusion, Curing and Marinating. co-sponsored by the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts Location: Cakebread Cellars, 8300 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, California Saturday, January 16, 1999 10:00 - 1:30 p.m. Cost: $50 45 participantsCakebread Cellars, a charming historic family winery located in the heart of the Napa Valley will host this special workshop, tasting, and luncheon. The program includes a discussion on infusing olive oils, and curing and marinating olives. A surprise guest speaker will take guests through the olive marinating and curing process from the tree to the table. The program will conclude with the culinary creations of Cakebread Cellars' Chef Brian Streeter. Space limited. February Elements of Quality: New Oil Tasting, Seminar, Luncheon and Wine Reception. Sunday February 7, 1999 10:30 - 6:00 Cost: $125 per person Speakers include Paul vossen, Ken Stutz, Darrel Corti, Michael Henwood, Ridgely Evers, Holly Peterson, Bona Frescobaldi, Albert Katz and Roberto Zecca
International SOL - VinItaly Verona, Italy Sol-Uliveto & Frantoio Verona, Italy Olive Growing and Olive Oil Technology Exhibition April 9-13 1999 Contact us for more info on attending. SIO. Olive Oil Industry Show. Reus, Spain Oleum - Jaen, Spain Expoliva - Florence, Italy |
|
