May in the Olive Grove

​With some timely rain your olive trees would have had the refresh needed to help them through to pending harvest.
Make sure you check the weeds and grass under the trees so they don’t interfere with your harvest method.  Keep it clear and clean.
Continue to monitor your fruit for ripeness (see last month’s Maturity Index) and organise a harvest and pressing date to maximise your fruit’s potential for flavour and oil content.

Harvest 2025
We will start taking bookings from 7 May but the Press will not be open for pressing until 19 May.  Do not pick any fruit until you have a booking as this is going to be a busy season and space will be carefully allocated.
The first thing you need to do is read the Supplier Responsibilities form which outlines our Food Safety and Workplace Safety requirements.
Next you must fill out the Supplier Declaration and email that to the Booking Coordinator at [email protected] with a proposed delivery date and estimated volume of fruit.  We cannot make bookings without this paperwork.  We will then negotiate a delivery time.
When you deliver the fruit you will need to bring in your completed Supplier Delivery/Collection Declaration along with clean and appropriate receptacles for your oil and something to take away your pomace waste. All clearly labelled.

Appropriate Receptacles for oil are: food grade plastic or stainless steel storage containers.  Ideally these should be a minimum capacity of 5 litres as it is very fiddly and time consuming to fill smaller containers.  Glass is unacceptable.  We will reject inappropriate or dirty receptacles.

Pomace Waste containers: these should be leak proof and large enough to hold an amount equivalent to your fruit volume.  They could be the container you bring your fruit in if appropriate.  Pomace is sloppy so a lid may be useful.  If you are unable to take your pomace you will be charged a waste fee on top of your pressing fee.
​
Leaf blowing:  please ensure your fruit is as clean as possible.  If it is full of leaf, twigs and other debris it will have to go through the leaf blower and you will be charged a fee for this.  Excess leaf will be identified at weigh in.
 
The Press will be open all through June and into the first week of July.  Demand will be high this year with good crop levels all through Marlborough so don’t rush to harvest.  There is plenty of time to pick and enjoy the annual abundance with friends and family.