In partnership with agricultural professors and researchers from the University of Florida, a small but ambitious group of growers from Florida have thrown their hat into the olive-farming and olive oil-producing ring. As the citrus industry struggles, the state is considering the potential of the fruit as an alternate, lucrative crop.
While a Tampa Bay Times food critic, Laura Reiley, dipped a hunk of bread into a sample of some Florida-grown and processed extra virgin oil and was impressed by its quality, the Sunshine State’s got a long way to go — approximately seven years — before it’s determined whether the soil and climate can sustain the somewhat finicky though drought-resistant olives to the extent that they can become a state commodity.
Factors like high humidity, high temperatures, sandy soil, and heavy rains have long been thought to disqualify the region for olive tree farming.
While individual growers try their hands at olive farming throughout the state, it becomes clear just how big of a challenge it is to cultivate the amount of fruit in volumes that would force an impression in commerce and trade.
From just over 11,000 trees that were planted three years ago on a 25-acre plot, a grower cited in Reiley’s article “pressed only 60 gallons of oil, enough to fill a living room fish tank.”
As a barometer, California, the number one producer of the bulk of the olive crop and olive oil in the U.S. is expected to yield somewhere between three and four million gallons by harvest’s end this month.
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has planted groves throughout the state and aims to address some of the larger questions that loom for olive growers within the various microclimates down south.
Environment, cultivar selection, and growth and harvest concerns are all being examined as part of the school’s research, and the state remains hopeful that further education and studies will yield the promise of a new crop down the line.
Related Articles
Jan. 5, 2024
Experts Offer Pest-Control Tips for California's Hobby Growers
Hobbyists use organic practices to combat weeds and treat and prevent olive knot, yellow leaves, the olive fruit fly, peacock spot and Verticillium wilt.
May. 29, 2024
Azerbaijan Joins Olive Council
Investors believe joining the International Olive Council will improve quality and standards in Azerbaijan while facilitating access to international markets.
Apr. 3, 2024
Nurseries in Spain Are Running Low on Olive Tree Seedlings
High olive oil prices at origin, interest from private equity and farmers seeking to shift away from more water-intensive crops are fueling the shortages.
Aug. 19, 2024
Buenos Aires Province Sees Significant Growth in Olive Oil Production
Farmers are betting on high-density olive groves and new mills to claim a bigger share of Argentina's production.
Jan. 16, 2024
IOC Leader Focuses on Expanding Cultivation, Fighting Climate Change
The International Olive Council director, Jaime Lillo, says the future of olive oil production lies beyond the Mediterranean.
Dec. 14, 2023
Tightening Water Regulations in California May Spur Olive Cultivation
While irrigated olive groves still use plenty of water, increasingly strict prohibitions, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, may carve out a new niche for dryland olive groves.
Dec. 15, 2023
Meet the Start-Ups in Central Italy Reviving Abandoned Olive Groves
The startup Ager Oliva in Tuscany and the association Le Olivastre in Umbria are committed to restoring abandoned olive groves through adoption plans for citizens and companies.
Jun. 15, 2024
Report Reveals Growing Number of Olive Producers in Northern Italy
Olive farming is shifting north in Italy as sustainability in a changing climate guides new ventures. Organic growing is also on the rise.