In the hills of Sicily rests our 800+ acre organic farm which comes to life for fall.
At the beginning of the season the weather becomes mild and fresh, enhanced since our land lies at an altitude of 2500 feet above sea level.
Through the blue sky, occasionally clouds can be seen, and the autumn rains begin to fall. When the rain starts, the earth gives off a scent of natural, wet dry grass, truly authentic and pleasant. The prevailing colors of the landscape gently vary from yellow to orange to brown. The territory of the farm is vast and rich in variety. On a hill, a beautiful lecceto, a wood of oaks, allows with its shadow the growth of a fresh and fragrant moss. In these environments, during the autumn, several varieties of edible mushrooms and some renowned black truffles are born.
During the autumn period, the activities of the Farm consistently grow. Starting in September, the fall wild herbs are harvested, commonly grapes and tomatoes. At the end of the month our olive harvesting begins.
Home to more than 12,000 olive trees (some of which are from 600 to 1500 years old), watered by a natural spring and cared for by generations of Sicilians, our farm is the source of our globally award-winning organic olive oil used to craft our clinically proven, high performance skincare formulas.
Our harvest must be substantially finished by October in advance of many other olive crops to guarantee the highest quality of the oil, avoiding the aging of some olive on the trees or fall on the ground, and consequently be far distant from acidity and oxidations matters. So in less than two months there is a lot of work to be done, since each tree is stripped manually, and each olive is pressed within 24 hours of its harvest. About 20 farmers work at the farm in the Autumn, from 7.30am to 5.00pm.
“For us, the olive tree is an individual. Every plant is an individual. Generations of farmers have worked on this species of olive tree. We want to preserve the genetic heritage that has been given to us because it is the embodiment of sustainable agriculture.”
-Pasquale “Mimmo” Marino, Ph.D, our Chief Scientific Officer and Botanist
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I worked an olive harvest 7 years ago at the age of 58. It was an organic farm using nets to capture the olives. It was probably the hardest physical job I have ever done but most rewarding. I have the fondest of memories of my life during this time. The harvest took 7 weeks from laying down the nets to bringing the olives to be pressed to rolling up the nets and kissing the ground good bye. It was in Puglia. In Sicily I worked on an avocado and citrus farm. All organic. I love Italy and can’t wait to return.