Bariani Olive Oil

FARMLAND: 137 acres on the outskirts of Sacramento, about 100 miles from our market

PEOPLE: The Bariani family: Santa, Angelo, Sebastian, Enrico, and Emanuele (fourth son, Luigi, helps for 2 months out of the year during peak pressing season)

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: The Bariani family is from the northern Italian region of Lombardy. They moved here in 1990 for the great economic and educational opportunities offered in this country. They bought a 100 year old olive orchard, and in 1992 began producing olive oil. They purchased a traditional system of olive oil extraction, consisting mainly of a stone crusher and presses which they keep on the premises, so all of their olive oil is "Estate-grown, produced and bottled." They use a time-tested process of cold pressing following Italian tradition, a process that they have been developing and refining over the years. They use a mixture of green and black olives and combine the oils of the Manzanillo and Mission olives to get a balanced everyday oil that is also delicious on salads and bread.

The big season of work for the Barianis happens when the olives are ready to be harvested, from October through the end of December. During the harvest time, the Barianis harvest and press the olives daily. The fruit is picked by hand so that it is not damaged. The fresh olive oil is kept in air-tight and temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks so that it doesn't oxidize, and is bottled fresh every 4-5 weeks. Every bottle of Bariani Olive Oil features both a harvest date and a bottling date.

SOIL: Clay soil was amended with horse manure when new acreage was planted 7 years ago. Olive paste from the pressing process is put back onto the soil as a fertilizer.

PEST MANAGEMENT: None needed.

WATER USE: Well-water is used in a low volume-jet-sprinkler irrigation system, conservative water use.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: None.