The program will once again be led by Leandro Ravetti, one of the world’s leading experts in the growing, processing and standards of olive oil.
The Robert Mondavi Institute’s Silverado Sensory Theater at the University of California at Davis will once again welcome olive oil processors for a Master Milling Certificate Course from September 20 to 23.
Dan Flynn, executive director of the university’s UC Davis Olive Center, has announced that the program will once again be led by Leandro Ravetti, one of the world’s leading experts in the growing, processing and standards of olive oil.
Ravetti has served as the executive director for Australia’s Boundary Bend Limited since 2005. Through a combination of innovation, technology, and data analysis, he has been instrumental in guiding the company to rapid growth and optimum efficiency, with its Cobram Estate brands earning the distinction as the winningest brand at the New York International Olive Oil Competition over the past several years.
An agricultural engineer hailing from Argentina, Ravetti worked for many years with the National Institute of Agricultural Technology in olive production research, serving as an advisor to several of the country’s largest olive growers and olive oil producers. In 2001, he made the cross-continental leap to Australia, where he currently leads the Modern Olives technical team, consulting and providing guidance to major growers and processors.
This year’s program will include field trips to three olive oil processors in Yolo County, including Boundary Bend’s new U.S. outpost in nearby Woodland. Throughout the four days, participants hailing from across the country and around the globe will receive instruction from a variety of experts and, in addition to the field trips, will have the opportunity to observe on-site processing courtesy of Olive2Bottle Mobile Services.
According to the Center’s website, “The Master Milling Certificate Course has helped hundreds of olive oil processors produce better oil more efficiently. A survey of last year’s attendees found that 90 percent of respondents believed that the course material would boost their quality or efficiency by more than five percent, and 72 percent said that the course was “very likely” to lead to higher profitability.”
The world-class curriculum offered through the course, now in its eighth year, remains the only one of its kind in North America. From now until August 1, a specially discounted early registration rate is being offered.
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