Olive Harvest/ Raccolta delle olive

Yesterday the Stoic One and I joined our friends from Calagrana, and participated in an olive harvest referred to in Italian as the "raccolta delle olive." Next to the "vendemmia" or grape harvest it is one of the most evocative agricultural experiences in Italy. The memories of this harvest bring to mind a simpler world where families gathered to help grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, but always family, gather in the olive groves to hand-pick the latest crop. Once in the fields, families shared their experience, laughing as the children tried to help but were mainly in the way, and listened as the old ones told stories of times past, and then at the end, when the harvest was complete, sitting down together and enjoying a meal "a tavola", at the table. Now the world has changed. Many families have moved away from the farms and into the cities, separating family members from one another, but the call of the olive harvest remains in the blood of most Italians and they return to the farms to help, if they can. Even if they can't participate, they respond with a far-away, dreamy look in their eyes (that is usually associated with food) followed by that deep Italian sigh and the expression, "che bello" or how beautiful when we tell them we have participated in a raccolta.

Olive oil has deep roots in Italian culture. There are more than 600 varietals of olives in Italy, the most common variety in our part of Umbria is Moraiolo which is known to produce olive oil that is both potent and elegant. Olive trees in Italy have been around since pre-Roman times. The oldest trees in Puglia are estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, although the majority of trees used now to harvest oil are less than 50.

Although olive oil is produced in all 20 regions of Italy,  Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily bring in more than 80% of Italy's total olive oil production. Tuscany comes in at 3% and our beloved Umbria at a little more than 1%. Spain leads the worldwide olive oil production, at over 1 million tons per year, and Italy ranks second with about half of that production. If you are buying olive oil in the US there is a good chance that it comes from Italy, Spain or Turkey. Check the bottle to make sure that you are getting what you think you are paying for.  There have been many scandals in recent years regarding people who have diluted olive oil with other oils, so make sure you check the label.

The "raccolta" in Umbria, as in most of Italy, is done by hand. It is for this reason that olive grove owners call up family, friends and neighbors to come and help once the time for harvest has been proclaimed. (In California recently some of the olive harvest is done by machines that wrap around the olive tree trunks, shake the tree and then, once the olives have fallen to the ground, they are picked and sorted. Needless to say this is not a popular idea on the small farms in Umbria who look alarmed as I described this American efficiency.) Our friends Nancy and Luther had participated in the raccolta previously and this year, we decided to join them and help pick.

Hand picking olives is a slow if basic process. Find the tree you want, make sure there is netting underneath it, and  with your bare hands and pull the olives from the branch, and let them fall in the net below. Some people use short handled plastic rakes or very long handled rakes to reach the top of the trees. I liked to use my bare hands and enjoyed the feel of the olives as I slid my hand down the branch and watched the olives roll into the net. It was very satisfying if exhausting work.

The Stoic One was particularly prized because of his height and so was able to reach the higher branches. The trees we worked on were in sore need of a good pruning. I now see why this is such an important part of the spring ritual. It certainly makes the autumn picking much easier.

The olives were mixed in color. Some were a ripe, dark purple color, others were the colors of plums and others the green you would expect.

Luca was his ever helpful self.

If ever you have the opportunity to help out in an olive harvest, I recommend it. It is a grounding, connective experience in a world that often seems at loose ends.