The Collection of the Olives

Rain, rain, go away...

As with most outdoor agricultural activities, olive farmers are slaves to the weather.

This year this has been especially true for us, as we faced consistently unsettled conditions during the harvest of the olives.

The Monti Sabini olive groves are in an area known as 'alta Sabina', or ‘high Sabine’ which, at an altitude of around 500-550 metres (1,640-1,804 feet), can be home to quite unpredictable weather conditions. The heavens may have just opened over the olive groves, but it is more than likely that it will be sunny and fine five minutes down the mountain. Olives can't be collected in the rain as it damages the trees. So unfortunately, collection has to be delayed.

In this instance, the only thing you can do is wait.

Eventually the weather would clear, and our patience was rewarded with blue skies and a bright sunshine that staved off the cold, dry air.

Nets are placed under the trees to catch the olives as they are picked. As our olive groves are on slopes, the net needs to be propped up at the bottom, to prevent any runaway olives escaping down the hill.

Everyone lends a hand during the collection; Here Paolo is with his sister Monica, and brother-in-law Giovanni.

We reach the highest olives on the trees with long wooden ladders...

...and are rewarded with beautiful views from the top.

Paolo and Monica bringing in the net.

The end of a long day...as the sun disappears over the top of the hill, we tidy up and take the olives away, ready for them to be cleaned before they are taken to the mill.