Organic Olive Oil at Lavanda Blu in Le Marche, Italy

Here at Lavanda Blu we take great care to produce a top quality certified organic olive oil.

A little olive history:

The olive tree has been a symbol of abundance, glory and peace throughout history.

Olive trees have been around for a long time. Fossilized remains of ancestors of the modern olive have been found near Livorno, Italy that date back to more than 20 million years ago!

Cultivation and production of oil is thought to date back to around 5000 years ago, in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean basin. See this article about olives for more history.

Throughout Italy you see groves of olive trees on hills because the trees grow best when their shallow roots stay dry. Olive trees also need a period of cold in the winter to produce fruit, which makes Le Marche a perfect area to grow olives as we have just the right amount of cold, lots of hills and hot dry summers.

Olive trees need lots of care to produce top quality oil. They need careful pruning several times a year, treatment and prevention (organic, of course!) for insects and diseases that can ruin the fruit. Picking is done when the olive fruit is just barely ripe, and each variety has a different ripening time. The olives must be pressed shortly after picking (the same day) to ensure the highest quality oil, and the way that the olives are pressed has a huge impact on the quality of the resulting oil.

Both Hans and Elizabetta have taken courses about olive trees and olive oil and offer a fun mini-workshop at out agriturismo that introduces you to olive oil, tasting, health benefits, how to shop for, etc. We also sell our organic oil here at our farm, for enjoying while you are here and for taking home. You can join us in mid-October or November and take part in the olive picking and pressing. See here for information on a olive harvest holiday.

A word about organic farming:

Organic farming is the process of producing food and plants naturally. The motto of the organic farmer is to protect the earth’s resources, produce safe, healthy food, prevent soil loss and erosion and promote bio diversity. Certification is done by a third party who regularly controls farm practices. At Lavanda Blu we believe in responsible organic farming and support certification as it helps us all to learn more about how to preserve the earth and be assured that what we consume is safe. Here is a little more information and cute video on organic farming.