VALUE-ADDED CORNER

Olive Oil Council expanding markets with help of VAPG

By Anne Todd,
USDA Rural Development
anne.todd@wdc.usda.gov

Editor’s note: For more information about
the Value-Added Producer Grant program,
visit the USDA Rural Development Web
site: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/.

he olive first arrived in California in the late 1700s when Spanish missionaries settled in 21 areas between San Diego and Sonoma, planting olive trees at each location. By the mid 1800s, the olive oil industry in California was thriving.

The industry stalled, however, and struggled to right itself throughout most of the 20th century. It was only recently that a new generation of health-conscious Americans rediscovered the flavor and benefits of olive oil. Many older olive orchards have been rejuvenated and new orchards are again being planted, signaling a rebirth of the California olive oil industry.

Today, the California industry is again a vital part of the global olive oil arena. California oils are produced from a large number of olive varieties, using a wide range of methods: from traditional, labor-intensive handharvesting to new methods that rely on highly mechanized harvesting.

Olive producers in Central California are using new techniques that help control production costs, improving their ability to compete in the global marketplace. Some growers are planting “super high-density” orchards, in which trees are planted closer to one another and heavily pruned. Mechanized harvesting cuts the costs of labor. Because more trees are planted on less acreage than was traditionally required, the land costs are also reduced.

VAPG helps expand demand
The California Olive Oil Council (COOC) is using a $241,000 Value- Added Producer Grant for marketing activities that will increase demand for this healthy food. Value-Added Producer Grants (or VAPG) are awarded annually by USDA Rural Development to eligible cooperatives and other agricultural organizations and individual producers for use in planning activities and for working capital to help market value-added products made from crops or livestock they raise.

“The funds we received from USDA Rural Development have been great for our growers,” says COOC Executive Director Patricia Darragh. “We have been able to put forth a comprehensive marketing campaign, something we would not have been able to accomplish without the VAPG.”

The mission of COOC, a nonprofit trade and marketing association founded in 1992, is to promote growing olives and the production of olive oil in California. It provides education to growers, producers and consumers.

The Council takes part in meetings and trade events that focus on everything from marketing olive oil to managing orchards. Membership is extended to all olive oil producers who agree to abide by COOC’s quality and labeling standards, regardless of the size of their operation or amount of sales.

Web site key to marketing effort
Thanks to the grant and matching funds provided by COOC, the Council has been able to completely redesign its Web site to better meet the needs of its members, consumers and retailers. For consumers, the site contains all-new information about the health benefits of olive oil in their diet, recipes and lists retail outlets that sell olive oil. It also provides locations where groups can taste different varieties and tour olive groves and mills.

For producers, the site has contact information for California growers, comprehensive resources to help them as they cultivate their crop, information about COOC’s certification standards and a secure site for members that provides access to exclusive marketing opportunities and other members-only information. The redesigned site now draws 5,000 to 6,000 visitors each month.

COOC also has produced new promotional materials, including an educational DVD (it comes in 10-minute and three-minute versions), which members can use at trade shows or while meeting with retailers.

The grant has also allowed COOC to take part in more trade events to showcase the California industry and its members’ products. These include the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Specialty Food Show in Chicago and the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami. The most recent Miami trade show marked the first time the Council staff had been able to tap into the southeastern market. As a result, COOC had an opportunity to market California olive oils to major industry leaders. During the three-day Miami event, COOC had about 3,000 visitors to its booth.

On par with Europe’s finest
COOC supports certified olive oil standards and administers a certified quality control program that exceeds the strict international standards for extra virgin olive oil. Under COOC’s seal-certification requirements, olive oils must: Through the seal-certification program, Darragh says COOC helps everyone, from home cooks to professional chefs, find guaranteed extra virgin olive oils for their kitchens.

U.S. olive industry expanding
Ninety-nine percent of the olive oil produced in the United States comes from California, and 10,000 acres of California farmland is dedicated to olive groves. Currently, less than half of that acreage is in production, the main reason being that trees require about three years to mature and bear viable fruit. However, over the next couple of years, more and more acreage is expected to go into production. By 2008, it is estimated that U.S. olive oil production will outpace that of France.

Domestic sales of olive oil have increased well over 20 percent each year for the last five years. In addition to the guaranteed quality of olive oil produced by COOC members/growers and the varieties available, another key benefit for consumers is its freshness. COOC growers can bring olive oils to U.S. customers immediately after harvest, at the peak of freshness. For these reasons, the popularity of California olive oil and growth in sales is expected to continue.

This fall, COOC will be participating in many more events to promote the benefits of California olive oil. For instance, in September COOC will take part in a tasting seminar in Sacramento. In October COOC representatives will attend the San Diego Chefs Association conference.

Although COOC is a small organization in terms of the size of its support staff, its mission is large.

COOC represents more than 200 growers/producers and, including supporting members, has more than 350 members, and membership is growing.

The Council plans to pursue a second VAPG in hope of further boosting the industry through marketing.

To learn more about the Council’s mission and activities, visit: http://www.cooc.com, or e-mail: oliveoil@cooc.com. The Council can also be contacted at: (888) 718-9830.



California growers champion Tuscan olives

Gail Della Nina and her husband Don wanted to get away from the stresses of urban life and live in a rural area. So, in 1984, they bought a small farm and relocated to Byron, Calif., known for its famous hot springs and resort. Although Don’s family is involved in agricultural production, neither he nor Gail had any direct farming experience when they started out.

Working with a local crop advisor and staff at the University of California at Davis, their farm began to take shape. Because their soil had high levels of boron, they were encouraged to grow alfalfa to help replenish the soil with needed nutrients. They produced alfalfa for their first five years on the farm.

In 2003, because of low yields, it was clear that the alfalfa’s development cycle had waned, and it was time to start a new crop. Gail and Don knew that olive trees fared well in the region and were suited to their farm’s boron-rich soil. Don’s Italian-American heritage also influenced their decision to grow olives.

Support and guidance from then-COOC Board President Bruce Golino helped the Della Ninas kick-start their operation. Golino, owner of the Santa Cruz Olive Tree nursery in Watsonville, introduced them to olive production techniques and helped them acquire starter trees. Gail and Don opted for young Mediterranean varietals (two- to threeyear-old trees) that were shipped from a nursery in Tuscany, Italy.

The Della Ninas planted the trees in September 2003 and, although the trees were young, they produced olives that same October. The Della Ninas harvested and pressed 10 gallons of olives that season. The “Olio Bello d’Olivo” (which translates as “beautiful oil from the olive”) brand was born.

Gail and Don have been members of the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) since they started their orchard and say they have reaped many benefits from that association. “Anyone who’s a serious olive oil producer would be a fool not to use them [COOC],” says Gail.

COOC alerts the Della Ninas about every upcoming event where they can market their olive oil. Additionally, when Council staff attend a marketing event, they bring samples of Olio Bello d’Olivo for people to taste. Gail reports that membership in COOC has brought them many new customers from all over the country.

Olives from their orchard, the only one in Byron, are hand picked and cold pressed into both filtered and unfiltered extra virgin olive oil. In 2006, their orchard produced 500 gallons of oil, which carries the COOC seal.

Olio Bello d’Olivo has won many awards. In 2006 alone, it won five awards, including two silver medals and a bronze medal at the International Olive Oils of the World competition. It won two gold medals at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival.

By Anne Todd





July/August Table of Contents