We are fully certified organic; caring for our valley, the animals and plants we share it with only with natural methods of pest control and fertilisation. We aim to create the freshest most natural olives and oil that can possibly be produced, whilst respecting our beautiful valley and its inhabitants with which we share it.
Our organic farming practices include growing cover crops between the olive trees to encourage insects. They in turn eat the pests that affect the olives growth & quality and have been a very successful method of pest control.
When ploughed back into the soil the cover crops also act as fertiliser adding essential nutrients. This extra organic matter is rich in nitrogen, a key component in the healthy growth of our trees.
During the annual spring pruning we use a chipper to mulch our cuttings. This mulch is then spread around the base of the trees to decompose adding goodness back into the soil. By concentrating on the root area under each tree the mulch keeps weeds down that would normally compete with the tree for nutrients. Some is also ploughed directly into the soil to help aeration and to stop the soil becoming waterlogged in the winter.
Through specially designed gates in our boundary wall we encourage wild boar and other animals from the surrounding forest to come into the olive grove. Along with our own pigs they do an essential job in turning over the soil and adding manure, a very rich source of valuable nutrients.
