Harvest 2021 – from bust to boom
2021 September
2021 National Olive Industry Virtual Conference Grove establishment Frost – reducing the risk Climate adaptation Organic olive growing
We know the value of materials
Making the most of resources, without wasting resources. OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND AGENTS NSW-QLD-ACT-VIC Town & Country Tractors & Machinery Pty.Ltd. 18 Airds Rd - Minto, NSW 2566 Phone 02 98248444 - Fax 02 98246670 paul@tctractors.com.au - tornado@pacific.net.au Contact: Paul Blasutto, 0419 273668
SA-VIC W.E. Ware & Co. Pty.Ltd. 19 Papagni Avenue - Newton, SA 5074 Phone 08 83653200 - Fax 08 83653187 warrick@weware.com.au Contact: Marjorie Ware and Warrick Philpott
PIERALISI CIRCULAR THINKING
www.pieralisi.com
WA Directus Equipment Services Contact: Scott Unthank, 0438 023120 scott@directus.com.au Contact: Peter Gates, 0411 734048 peter@directus.com.au
Contents
Contents Incorporating Australian Olive Industry Journal Published by the Australian Olive Association Ltd Publisher Australian Olive Association Ltd Executive Editor Michael Southan ceo@australianolives.com.au Managing Editor Gerri Nelligan editor@olivegrower.com.au Advertising Gerri Nelligan editor@olivegrower.com.au Production Sandra Noke production@olivegrower.com.au Subscriptions A one-year subscription (four issues) is: Aust $44 (AOA member discount rate $40), NZ $56 (ONZ member discount rate $52) and international $100. Visit www.olivebiz.com.au to subscribe. Circulation & Advertising Enquiries editor@olivegrower.com.au Contributions Articles and other contributions are welcome and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Photographs are best received as high resolution jpg files via email, and as separate attachments not embedded. Printing Lane Print & Post Adelaide Australian Olive Association ABN 57 072 977 489 PO Box 3012 Allambie Heights LPO Allambie Heights NSW 2100 Ph: (+61) 0478 606 145 E: secretariat@australianolives.com.au ISSN 1448-5486 Conditions The opinions expressed in Olivegrower & Processor are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated. All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. All material in Olivegrower & Processor is copyright © Australian Olive Association Ltd. All rights reserved.No part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.
September 2021 Issue 121
News AOA advocacy achieves EPA licence discount for SA processors World’s biggest virtual olive oil tasting event: sign on and help break the record Negotiations continuing on EU GI protection for Kalamata
4 5 6
Regional round-up NOVA rejuvenation reaps harvest rewards
8
News - awards Garden of Eden a tempting taste for Royal Adelaide judges Record entries for 2021 AIOA 2021 AIOA Virtual Gala Presentation: sit back and celebrate at home! Retiring judges leave lasting knowledge legacy Production potential a champion choice for Romley Estate
R&D Insights – Hort Innovation
12 14 14 17 20
23
Conference and exhibition Meet up online for 2021 National Olive Conference 2021 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference Sponsors
31 32
Grove management Bella Olea: organic, successful and in demand Grove establishment best practice Frost and chill injury of olives Climate adaptation and environmental best practice
34 38 39 42
Olive business Making the EVOO connection Strengthen your online presence (while you’re stuck in lockdown!) New sales opportunities from consumer pandemic pivot
44 45 46
Olive R&D - health Study shows EVOO improves endothelial function and heart health
47
Products and services Control table olive fermentation with Lyoflora V-3 cultures
What’s on/Advertiser index
49
50
Cover: After several low yielding drought years, the bumper 2021 harvest has seen satisfied growers across the country, with record, high quality crops for many. Romley Estate grower Monica Parvin and processor Dominic Scarfo of Diana Olive Oil were obviously very happy with the EVOO they produced together this year. Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 3
News
Gerri Nelligan Managing Editor
What a great time to be part of the Australian olive industry. As predicted in my June column, the 2021 harvest has been declared a record: such a sweet reward for our hard-working
growers after a couple of very ordinary (understatement!) years. And it’s not just that there was lots of fruit. Overall it was great quality fruit, and that has translated into a fabulous supply of great quality EVOO - if the early competition results are anything to go by, really great quality EVOO. So it’s not surprising that the industry’s in a fallback position of positivity and proactivity at present, rolling out marketing and promotional activities, and getting down and dirty with serious improvements to grove, business and sustainability practices.
We’re also getting ready to share more information and inspiration at the annual National Industry Conference, again via Zoom (thanks COVID!) and set to be another great knowledge sharing event. We cover all of this and more in this edition, so please read, use, sign up and get involved! Editor Gerri Nelligan and the OG&P team.
AOA advocacy achieves EPA licence discount for SA processors The AOA has gone into bat for South Australian olive processors and achieved a great outcome, negotiating a dramatic reduction in Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) licence fees. The new arrangement will see the opportunity to cut base fees by two-thirds of the previous rate, a saving of around $6500 a year for each processor.
SA EPA licensing
Under the EPA’s system of environmental protection activity, there is a range of activities which require a licence to undertake. These include things like wineries, wastewater plants and the processing of agricultural material in quantities above 500T, the category within which olive processing falls. All businesses undertaking these activities need a licence under the EPA, which incurs an annual fee charged on a fee unit basis. The EPA regulations specifically names olive processors and sets out a compulsory set of 12 fee units, each just under $800. All up then, it’s a significant annual fee. Also within the regulations under the act are activities which can enable complying businesses to reduce those fees - things like environmental improvements, wastewater treatment plants and woodlots, etc. Previously, however, that opportunity to proactively earn a fee reduction has not existed for olive processors.
AOA request
The AOA was informed of the situation by a South Australian processor and asked to help ‘even the playing field’ for the olive industry. They did so early this year, requesting the minister to allow olive processors the ability to reduce their fees if they were operating sustainably and within their licences. The Minister listened and acted, providing the opportunity to substantially reduce the base licence fee, from 12 units down to just 4 units a year.
Compliance and sustainability
EPA Senior Environment Protection Officer Tim Gubbin said the base fee reduction is not automatic for all olive processors, however. “The bottom line is that with any of the listed activities, you need to be compliant with the EPA Regulations. The opportunity to obtain the fee reduction is then an incentive to do even more,” he said.
4 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Olive processors can now proactively earn a fee reduction through activities including environmental improvements, wastewater treatment plants and woodlots.
“The reduction in the base fee can occur when businesses demonstrate they’re operating sustainably - re-using waste water, managing solid waste etc - but if they’re not operating sustainably then they’re not eligible for that fee reduction. “It’s a waiver at the moment because actually re-writing the Regulations will take a couple of years. That is the intention, however, and in the meantime the Minister is using his discretion to allow this reduction to happen: where everything is being done sustainably and the conditions of the licence are being complied with, a fee reduction will apply.”
News
World’s biggest virtual olive oil tasting event:
sign on and help break the record If you want to get global attention, setting a Guinness World Record is a great way to do it. And the focus will be firmly on the Australian olive industry in October, as Cobram Estate hosts a bid for the largest olive oil tasting session ever held - anywhere. In May 2009, 12,909 people gathered in the Spanish city of Jaen and set a Guinness World Record for the biggest olive oil tasting event. Inspired by the success of the Australian athletes at the recent Tokyo Olympics, Cobram Estate is now challenging Australians to go for gold and break that Spanish record. On Thursday, 28 October, Cobram Estate will host what it hopes will be the biggest olive oil tasting ever held across the globe. COVID restrictions naturally mean the best option was to create a virtual event, with participants joining Dr Joanna McMillan, chief oil maker Leandro Ravetti and Cobram Estate co-founder and chairman Rob McGavin online for a mass tasting session. “It’s been a tough 18 months for everyone, but we saw what an uplifting occasion the Olympics was for Australians, particularly those who were in lockdown,” said McGavin. “So we thought it would be great to get as many people as possible involved in an event where they could go for gold too, and the idea of a world-record tasting began to form.” McGavin hopes more than 13,000 Australians will join in, ensuring the Spanish record is well and truly beaten – and creating a buzz around Australian EVOO.
Fun format
“Our virtual masterclasses are always a lot of fun, but this one will be even better,” McGavin said. “Leandro will lead the tasting and talk about food pairings, Dr Jo will tell everyone about the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil and the Mediterranean diet, and there’ll be a live Q&A session providing even more information. “And as an added incentive, we’re giving away a year’s supply of Cobram Estate EVOO to 10 lucky participants, as well as 10 limited edition bottles of Ultra-Premium Hojiblanca ‘Liquid Gold’.”
Celebrity support
A number of high-profile Australians have already registered, giving the event serious promotional clout, including iconic chef Neil Perry, St Kilda Football Club legend
For all of your pneumatic & electric hand held harvesting and pruning requirements, the trusted name with over 60 years experience
Go for Gold tasting event details What: Cobram Estate Go for Gold virtual EVOO masterclass and tasting When: Thursday, 28 October from 7.30-8.30pm AEDT Cost: $10 - includes delivery of tasting pack of oils, cups and olive leaf tea selection Tickets: To ensure time for pack delivery, sign up before Thursday, 30 September at www.cobramestate.com. au/virtual-tasting and Celebrity Masterchef contestant Nick Riewoldt, and TV presenters Diana Chan and Catriona Rowntree. “This is a great opportunity to show Australians are world beaters at every level, while also introducing even more people to the incredible flavours, versatility and health benefits of Australian EVOO,” McGavin said. “We’re hoping everyone in the industry will join us for the masterclass, and help create a new Guinness World Record for Australia.”
AOA members’ 50% discount
This is a great promotional event for our industry, putting Australian EVOO on the world stage in a completely different arena. And it’s something we can all get behind, by taking part in the tasting ourselves (a great way to exercise your EVOO palate) and spreading the word to friends, family and associates. The Cobram Team are making that even easier, offering a 50% discount for AOA members to purchase tickets for themselves, friends and family to help beat the record and put Australia on the GBR map. Use the promo code AOA when registering to get your tickets at just $5 each.
P: 08 8351 8611 E: info@eclipseenterprises.com.au W: www.eclipseenterprises.com.au
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 5
News
Negotiations continuing on EU GI protection for Kalamata In September last year we reported on the ongoing process around Geographical Indications (GIs) being proposed as part of an Australian free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU). If approved, the GI protection would mean the names could not be used for products - including from the same species, breed or ingredient – not emanating from within the specified geographical region. Among the 172 food items whose names are on the proposed GI protection list are Elia Kalamatas table olives and Kalamata olive oil, both from Greece. At the time the EU was in similar GI negotiations with other countries, including significant Australian olive export destinations Japan, China and New Zealand. The AOA had made representations on behalf of the industry in these and other jurisdictions, submitting that: • the word Kalamata is now widely recognised globally as a variety of olive tree that is grown all over the world; and Kalamata is the most popular variety used for producing table olives in international markets; and • the Kalamata variety has been grown in Australia for well over 100 years, with Australian Kalamata table olives and Kalamata olive oil marketed domestically and internationally over that time. The association has also had ongoing dialogue with both the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water, and Environment (DAWE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Status quo
Another year on, the Australia-EU and New Zealand-EU FTAs are still in negotiation, while arrangements between the EU and both China and Japan have been finalised and are now operational.
Japan
The EU’s GI negotiations with Japan initially included a GI for Kalamata olives. The AOA, in conjunction with the Australian Government, made a submission to Japan opposing the GI and Japan subsequently rejected the EU’s application. A subsequent list of proposed GIs for agricultural products from the EU included three types of olive oil, including Kalamata from Greece. The AOA again worked with the Australian Government to raise official objections to the granting of these GIs by Japan.
The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement now in place includes, however, both Elia Kalamatas (in the product category Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed [table olives]) and Kalamata (under the product category of Oils and fats [olive oil]). A footnote for Elia Kalamatas states, however, that: For greater certainty, varietal names containing or consisting of "Kalamata" may continue to be used on similar goods, provided that the consumer is not misled on the nature of such term or the precise origin of the good. AOA CEO Michael Southan and OliveCare® Code of Best Practice Administrator Peter McFarlane said the footnote is a positive inclusion for Australian producers. “My read on it is that the name Kalamata can be used as long as the label clearly states that the olives are of the variety Kalamata grown in Australia,” said Southan. McFarlane agrees, and said the local industry’s home-grown pride means the majority of labels would not need to be changed. “Certainly the footnote appears to me a major concession that would allow for current Australian practice. A search of Australian Kalamata Olive products on the web shows that most if not all have the word ‘Australia’ or ‘Australian’ on the front label, and many also have specific regional references,” he said.
China
In March this year the EU-China bilateral agreement protecting geographical indications (GIs) in China and Europe also came into force. The agreement protects around 200 European and Chinese agrifood names, including both Elia Kalamata table olives and Kalamata extra virgin olive oil – one of 24 olive oil denominations from five countries.
Ongoing process
AOA CEO Michael Southan said the inclusion of both Kalamata olives and olive oil in the EU-Japan FTA and the EU-China bilateral agreement is disappointing, however there is still hope for a positive outcome from the Australia-EU negotiations. “It’s interesting to note that in 2013 the EU attempted to register ‘prosecco’ as a GI in Australia, arguing that only white wines produced in the Prosecco region of Italy should be allowed to use the name.
6 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia successfully opposed the move on the basis that the term ‘prosecco’ is, first and foremost, the name of a grape variety,” he said. “So while the Australian FTA is still in negotiation we’re continuing to argue that Kalamata is a cultivar widely grown around the world, and that producing table olives and oil from the cultivar has nothing to do with being in a specific geographic region. “We’ll continue to keep in contact with the government as the negotiations proceed and will keep the industry informed of both the eventual outcomes and any necessary actions stemming from those outcomes.”
Find out more
The EU’s list of proposed GIs is available on the DFAT website - www.dfat.gov.au/ aeufta/gis.
How does greater GI protection affect Australian businesses?
If Australia fully accepts the EU’s GI protection proposal and implements it in Australian law, many Australian businesses will be required to rebrand their locally produced goods. Besides the direct cost of relabelling, Australian businesses will potentially lose sales due to damage to brand recognition. The EU has not proposed any compensation to Australian businesses for the potential costs involved in changing product labelling. The example of feta The 400 GIs proposed by the EU include several product names that are commonly used in Australia. One of the most prominent examples is ‘feta’ cheese. There are many Australian cheesemakers that produce and advertise their cheese as ‘feta’ or ‘fetta’ because in Australia it is arguably a generic term that describes salty white cheese, rather than an indicator of geographic origin. However, according to current EU GI rules, only those white cheeses produced in a traditional way in mainland Greece can be called ‘feta’ cheese. GI protection could therefore potentially affect the advertising and labelling of Australian produced ‘feta’ cheese. Source: Ian Zhou and Rob Dossor, Parliament of Australia Economic Policy Section - www.aph.gov.au.
Modern Olives Laboratory
Our newly renovated Modern Olives Laboratory was certainly put through its paces in season 2021. The growth in clients and testing volume that drove the renovation, continued, and we now see Modern Olives conducting more tests, and servicing more clients, than ever before. Our new open plan layout has made testing procedures more efficient, leading to improved turnaround times for results and reporting to clients. Modern Olives is also more than a productive environment. It is also our amazing staff, who have managed to meet all of our clients and partners requirements, in what has been challenging times. Our aim is to continue this growth and improvement as a global leader in Olive oil testing.
Contact us for your testing requirements. info@modernolives.com.au | 03 5272 9570
modernolives.com.au
Regional round-up
The NOVA grove’s first harvest in 20-plus years yielded 22 tonnes of large, healthy fruit and 4441 litres of beautiful oil.
NOVA rejuvenation reaps harvest rewards This year’s harvest says it all: the rejuvenation of the University of Adelaide’s NOVA olive grove has been an unmitigated success. After more than two years of hard work and dedication by Olives South Australia (OSA) members and friends, early June saw the first harvest in the 1100-tree grove in more than 20 years. And what a harvest it was, yielding well over 22 tonnes of impressively high-quality fruit. OSA’s Michael Harbison has been at the helm of the rejuvenation project since its inception, responsible for the repair and reinstatement of the irrigation system and a constant at the ongoing pruning and maintenance working days. He also took charge of this year’s harvest, which he said was consistently remarkable across the entire grove. “All the trees were laden and the fruit was huge,” he said. “Healthy too, not one bad olive - I’ve never seen the like of it before. There were no pests or disease whatsoever.” That, Harbison said, is due to the obviously well-chosen location of the experimental grove. “I used to have a cereal farm near there. The climate is very dry and there are no olive trees anywhere near the grove, so it’s
quarantined from any spread of olive pests,” he said. “It’s so dry, and sometimes so hot, that there is no black scale on the trees at all and no other pests either.”
Ripening range
The grove was harvested by contractor John Daniel over three days, with the resulting 22 tonnes of fruit yielding 4441 litres of oil. And Harbison said that was only part of the crop. “There was still plenty there. Because there are over 100 varieties all up in the grove, the range of ripening times is very broad,” he said. “This was measured over a number of years by (RICD researcher) Sue Sweeney and it stretches over three months. So it’s a bit of a frustrating grove to harvest because you’re trying to pick at the best time, when you’ll get the best number of olives with the best quality, but there’s so much variation. “So we’ll probably go back and do some hand picks and John may come through again as well.
Renewed interest
Harbison said the bulk of the oil went to the harvesting and crushing contractors as payment for their work, while Olives SA kept
8 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
some and the rest went to the University. “They’re going sell it in the cafeteria as a promotion of the grove,” he said. “We do seem to have sparked a new interest in the grove at the University: the manager of the college farm and the dean of the college both worked had on the hand rakes during an early trial harvest and I’m confident that they’re hooked. They’re actually thinking of starting an olive club to look after the grove. “That’s exactly the result I was hoping for, particularly as we’ve seen how it responds to proper management. We’ve spent two years rejuvenating the grove and the first winter there was no fruit at all, but we’ve done massive pruning and watering and this season we’ve really been rewarded. “It was an absolute joy to see the crop this year, and fascinating to see all the different varieties of fruit in the one grove.”
Education potential
Olives SA is also hoping that the successful rejuvenation of the grove could be the impetus for a previously-discussed course in olive production. “University of Adelaide researcher Ben Pike is advancing that as best he can,” Harbison said. “There are currently no horticulture units
Regional round-up
At 95 and 92 respectively, John and Pat Harbison have been active members of the NOVA rejuvenation group, enjoying ‘a lot of wonderful family outings’ at the grove – especially this year’s harvest.
Recap: National Olive Variety Assessment (NOVA) project ou Picked for y d n a n h o by J n Pat Harbiso e th from Australian Olive t Collection a y h Rosewort College and bottled to celebrate John's 95th birthday, th of Monday 10 May 2021 500ml but Always good /6/23 10 re fo be best
95th year!
's John Henry 2021 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
d for you PickeThe National Olive Variety Assessment (NOVA) project was established to help hn and by Joresolve the confusion in olive variety identity and to evaluate the performance, in arbisonclimatic regions of Australia, of the majority of known commercial olive Pat H different the fromvarieties. There were two major components to the project: tralian Olive Collection AusNational e National Olive Collection was established at the Roseworthy Campus of the OlivThe ction at of Adelaide, north University Colle 5th of Adelaide. The replicated experimental trial was y most 9 e planted of the known olive varieties available in Australia at the time. Ros worthwith r! sourced from nurseries and government collections and accessions yeawere llegehundred CoOne ttled toAustralia and 87 of these were provisionally regarded as different olive boacross varieties. celebrate was done in two stages, in late 1998 and 1999, in what is now known as the hn's 95th JoPlanting NOVA grove. birthday, f Evaluationthofoolive varieties enry's Monday 10 John H The evaluation of varieties utilised trees grown in commercial situations on 1 2 May 20 021
2 From 2000-2004, olive growers from different regions properties across Australia. Virginfrom their olive varieties for analysis of fatty acid in Australia submitted fruit tr Ex asamples 500ml but characteristics. profiles and fruit Always good Olive Oil re 10/6/23of this study, agro-climatic classifications were used to designate For the purpose befo best different olive growing regions in Australia. Unfortunately, in 2006 both funding and the principal investigators moved on to u there was no further activity until OSA ‘adopted’ the grove and other projectsoand Picked for y commenced its rejuvenation several years ago. d n a John
by ou Picked for y rbison Pat HaSusan A small Source: Sweeney, RIRDC (now AgriFutures Australia). ohn anofdthis year’s oil was bottled Jamount y b e m th to celebrate grove supporter John Harbison’s frofull n o is The project report can be downloaded at www.agrifutures.com.au. Go to the rb a H at 95thPbirthday. Australian Publications drop-down and search for NOVA. e th m fro Olive n lia a tr s u t A Collection a 95th Olive y h rt o w e s o R t a tion ollecuniversity r! in the We’ve had a lot of wonderful family outings,” e and and cleaning 5th Ben we getCointo yeaup llegpruning withinCthe at the 9 moment. eworthy s o R led to but it’s certainly strong now he said. is keen that there should be and a that bottmonths r! olive next few and yecultivation College pickling oil production, and olive from the college “Personally, I’ve really enjoyed it. I can’t le e c bratepeople.” to led of ottpart 5th happens from here, continue to put in the same amount of shouldbbe it. No Jmatter n's 9what h o te elebra “But cthese trees wait for no man, which is though,birth Harbison said the project has time but I love the cultivation of olives, and day, 5th 9 hn'sclub th of satisfaction. Joolive where the would fit in the meantime. broughtMhim ay 10personal nry's the creation of oil and table olives, and ndmuch o John Hesince y, college will take the grove dathe birth 1 I’m hoping that “It’s been great for me especially, it feels great to have helped achieve such 2 May 20 1 of 202come 'smy parents ry n day 10th e onwithout H n up, withMor a horticultural course. live in Gawler and they’ve a successful outcome for this important h o J irgin industry resource.” Vpick. 21 interest will emerge a 20that tr x E May of The strength to prune and l 0m 2021as out on many occasions 50 500ml but Always good /6/23 10 re fo be best
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive Oil
but Always good 10/6/23 best before Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 9
MANUFACTURERS OF HARVESTING
SPEEDY 90/125 HP
B411 66 HP
SICMA S.R.L. Z.I. ACCONIA DI CURINGA (CZ) – 88022- ITALY - VAT # IT01805340799 TEL. +39 0968 78240 FAX . +39.0968 789023 WEB WWW.SICMASRL.COM - WHATSAPP/MOBILE +39 338 8316052 EMAIL: INFO@SICMASRL.COM - INTERNATIONAL@SICMASRL.COM
MACHINES FOR OLIVES AND HANGING FRUITS
F3 PLUS 125/140 HP
TR80 LINKAGE MOUNTED HARVESTER equipped with vibrating head and reverse umbrella (Ø 5 or 6 mt). fully controlled by remote control
KIT ON SKID STEER Vibrating head New Generation and reverse umbrella on most of commercially available skid steer of at least 4,5 t in weight
OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN DEALER Tornado Pumps & Sprayers Pty. Ltd. Minto - 18 Airds Rd, NSW, 2566 Phone 02 9824 8444 www.tornadosprayers.com.au tornado@tornadosprayers.com.au NSW-VIC TAS: Paul 0419273668; Tony 0414805065 NTH NSW/QLD: Robert - 0412 960 557; SA: John - 0404 088 417
News - awards
Garden of Eden a tempting taste for Royal Adelaide judges It was a heavenly surprise for Paradiso Garden of Eden owners Maddelena and Peter Eden, as their entry was pronounced Best EVOO of Show at this year’s Royal Adelaide Olive Awards. The South Australia producers were awarded a soaring 95 points for their organically-grown blended EVOO, which also took the trophies for Best Oil of Providence and Best SA EVOO. Equally as happy were Olive 1 More’s John and Sue Fielke, who collected the trophies for Best Wild Olive/Medley of Show and Best Table Olive of Show. Their winning entry also gained gold and the judges’ top score of 25.7. Other top winners included The Australian Olive Company, which took home trophies in both oil and table olive competitions. The company’s Mediterranean Gold Phoenician Extra Virgin Olive Oil took gold and Best Regional Oil in Show, while its Premium Kalamata added another gold and the Best Kalamata Olive in Show award. The flavoured oil classes again reflected the growing interest in the category, and the increasing skills of local producers. Competition was tough, with all entries awarded either gold or silver medals, while equal top scores resulted in a draw for the Best Flavoured Oil in Show award -
Longridge Olives’ Lemon Agrumato and Fedra Olive Grove’s Infused EVOO - Lemon Myrtle, Garlic & Thyme. Head Judge Trudie Michels said that local oils once again made their mark on the competition. “Sixteen of the 19 gold medal winning EVOO and flavoured oils were produced here in South Australia, including the Best EVOO in Show. It’s a fantastic outcome for SA growers, producers and olive oil users. “And it was a very high quality year. The good oils were amazing, full of complex fresh fruit characters that transferred well to the palate, whereas last year the profile was more ‘green’. The good oils also had light but creamy mouthfeels, long lingering complex flavours and a harmonious balance of bitterness, pepper and fruit. “In contrast, in the oils that did not win a medal the aromas and flavours were very mild and hard to decipher. In many cases the bitterness and pepper overpowered what fruit there was. The oils were also greasy on the palate and short in flavour, generally lacking freshness and intensity. “We hope that the judges’ constructive comments in this regard will assist these producers with increasing the quality of their oils in the future.”
12 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Entries
The 2021 competition received a total of 91 EVOO entries (up 28% from 2020) and 14 flavoured oils (up 27%), coming from VIC, SA, NSW, TAS and WA. Medals went to 88% of oil entries, an increase from 2020 (84.5%) and 2019 (71%). The EVOO classes saw 11 gold medals awarded (12% of entries), 28 silver medals (30%) and 36 bronze medals (39.5%). Nine oils received no medal (9.8%) and five oils were withdrawn for being defective (5.4%). Key faults were rancid, muddy and fusty. The trend this year was towards more mild oils (classified as 51% mild, 34% medium, 15% robust), compared to last year’s competition where the majority of oils had a medium to robust profile. The Flavoured Oil classes saw all entries receive medals, with six gold and seven silver awarded to commercial oils, along with one bronze medal to a non-commercial oil. The Table Olive competition received 15 entries, with all receiving medals – three gold, six silver and six bronze. Full results are available on the Olives SA website - www.olivessouthaustralia.org.au.
News - awards
The Australian Olive Company’s Peter Reaich took home trophies for both oil and table olives, awarded Best Kalamata Olive in Show and Best Regional Oil in Show.
Happily weighed down by awards were Olive 1 More’s John and Sue Fielke, who collected the trophies for Best Wild Olive of Show and Best Table Olive of Show.
2021 Royal Adelaide Olive Awards – Major Awards
Best Oil of Provenance - Paradiso Garden of Eden, Frantoio Best Regional Oil - Australian Olive Company, Mediterranean Gold Phoenician Best Multi-Region Oil - Diana Olive Oil Holdings, Diana Novello Best Open Oil - University of Adelaide School of Agricultural Food and Wine Best Flavoured Oil (joint) - Longridge
Olives Lemon Agrumato; Fedra Olive Grove Infused EVOO Lemon Myrtle, Garlic & Thyme Best Mild Oil - Rylstone Olive Press, Frantoio Best Medium Oil - Michaels Olives Best Robust Oil - Arkstone Olives, Manzanillo Best Green Olive - Viva Olives, Kalamata (Giant) Best Kalamata Olive - Australian Olive
Company, Premium Kalamata Table Olives Best Specialty or Spiced Olive - Kangaroo Island Olives, Smoked Kalamata Olives Best Wild or Medley Olive - Olive 1 More Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show Paradiso Garden of Eden, Frantoio Best South Australian Oil of Show Paradiso Garden of Eden, Frantoio Best Small Producer (<500L) - Arkstone Olives, Manzanillo Best Table Olive of Show - Olive 1 More
OIL TESTING SERVICE
– Wagga Wagga
Your first choice for analysis you can trust. Quality Criteria and Adulteration Testing n n n n n
jn 13651 08-2015
n
Peroxide value Free fatty acid UV absorption Fatty acid profile Polyphenols Rancimat*
n n n n n n
Pyropheophytins Diacylglycerols Trans fatty acids Sterols Stigmastadienes Waxes
n n n n n
Triacylglycerol (ECN42)* Moisture and volatiles* Insoluble impurities* Aliphatic alcohols* α-tocophenols
*Not accredited by NATA
IOC Accredited Chemistry Laboratory AOCS Approved Chemist
AOA Code of Practice n Free fatty acids, peroxide value, UV absorption and sensory analysis
Oil Testing Service Locked Bag 700 Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
For more information contact 1800 675 623 or 02 6938 1957 wagga.csu@dpi.nsw.gov.au
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au For the IOC and AOCS Period of Recognition, please refer to the website
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 13
News - awards
Record entries for 2021 AIOA This year’s sensational harvest across much of Australia has seen a record number of EVOO entries for this year’s Australian International Olive Awards. Chief Steward Trudie Michels said that, while an increase in oil entries was predicted this year, the final tally exceeded all expectations. “We knew there was a lot more oil around this year but we were blown away when we hit the 200-entry mark,” she said. “At closing we had received 205 EVOO and 35 flavoured oil entries, which is a dramatic increase and a record for the International competition. They came from producers in seven countries, a couple of which are first-time entrants, which is proof that the competition is continuing to gain
“And while table olive entries were slightly down, this was expected after last year’s disappointing harvest and there is still a strong field of contenders. “So now we’re in logistics-mode: there are already oils in Spain, Tunisia, New Zealand and with judges across Australia, and they’re on their way to Italy and China. It’s a little more complicated than it used to be but COVID or no COVID, the AIOA goes ahead!” international recognition and status. “It was also great to see so many new names among the entrants, all keen for peer review and hoping to make their mark with an award.
Medal winners will receive their results via email on 4 October, with the major awards announced at the Australian International Olive Awards Presentation (online event) on 15 October.
2021 AIOA Virtual Gala Presentation: sit back and celebrate at home! The industry ‘night of nights’ is on its way, with the big winners of the 2021 Australian International Olive Awards being announced on Friday, 15 October. As we’re all well aware by now, lockdowns and restrictions mean we’re not going to be able to get together to celebrate this year. The Gala Awards Presentation is still going ahead, though, and we’re all invited to join in as it hits the Zoom stage as a virtual event. Hosted by glamorous AIOA Convenor and Chief Steward Trudie Michels, with the dashing Kent Hallett as MC – both no doubt in full ‘glam’ as befits the occasion – it’s sure to be an exciting event as the long-awaited results are revealed. So grab yourself a beverage of choice and settle-in to watch who won the big gongs for 2021. Frock up if you’re keen or relax in your trackies, but make sure you’re there to celebrate the well-deserved medals, trophies and achievements with your industry colleages, as they’re announced.
A big thank you to our Event Sponsors: Platinum sponsor: NSW Department of Primary Industries Oil Testing Service
2021 Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Gala Presentation October 15 @ 5:30-7:00pm AEDT Attendance is FREE – all welcome (the more, the merrier!) Registration: the session will be held in a Zoom Meeting format, with access by registration. Go to www.olivebiz.com.au - Events - 2021 AOA 2021 National Virtual Conference for the link. Registrations close on 8 October – don’t miss out!
Our chemical testing laboratory and organoleptic panel is able to undertake competitively priced testing of oils and olives with a prompt turnaround time. Your first choice for analysis you can trust. More information: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/labs Ph: 02 6938 1957 E: wagga.csu@dpi.nsw.gov.au Supporting sponsors:
The NSW Department of Primary Industries operates an Oil Testing Service as part of the Australian Oils Research Laboratory, based in Wagga Wagga, NSW. We provide accredited testing services for olive oil quality, adulteration, and organoleptic (sensory) analysis, based on the latest technology and requirements of the International Olive Council (IOC). 14 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Lyoflora V-3 OLIVE FERMENTATION CULTURE
Safety Consistency Quality
PROBIOTIC LACTOBACILLUS STRAIN PROVIDES SAFETY
CONSISTENCY
QUALITY
Safety from harmful indigenous bacteria, preventing spoilage
Consistency from batch to batch
Healthy and safe table olives
AMBELLO BACTERIA CULTURES DISTRIBUTED BY
www.ambellobacteria.com 02 9631 6655 ross.dive@ambellobacteria.com
www.ambellobacteria.com
www.saccosystem.com
News - awards
AIOA winners, we want your smiling faces! One of the best things about the annual AIOA award presentation is the happy, smiling faces of the medal winning producers. Usually we capture those on camera during the event, and throughout the following year we share the images far and wide with Olivegrower, Friday Olive Extracts and OliveBiz readers; on our FaceBook page and Twitter feed; and to media. It’s an opportunity to give well-deserved recognition to our award-winning producers, and also about providing the maximum promotion possible for our winners, ensuring their brands, businesses and achievements are - quite literally - as visible as possible. So with COVID-19 restrictions again taking this year’s presentation virtual, WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!
IF YOU’VE WON TROPHY OR MEDAL - PLEASE SEND US A PHOTO! HERE’S WHAT WE NEED (LIKE THE PICS ON THIS PAGE!) • Faces - happy, smiling and looking at the camera *You, your team or your whole family, if you’re all involved in the business • A relevant background - your grove, farmshop, packing shed, etc • Holding your AIOA medal/s, trophies (and award-winning product if you want) • Names to go with the faces (first and last) • Good quality, high resolution (minimum 300 dpi) 16 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
HOW TO SEND THEM: 1. Please send full-sized images – if they need cropping, we can do that without losing quality 2. Re-name the file name with your company/brand name and medal/s won for easy identification 3. Send as a separate attachment, not embedded in the email (which also reduces the size and quality) 4. Don’t forget the names!! 5. Email to Gerri at editor@olivegrower.com.au
THANK YOU! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING YOUR HAPPY, SMILING, WINNING FACES WITH THE WORLD
News - awards
Retiring judges leave lasting knowledge legacy EVOO and table olive judging is hard. It’s a skill/art/science and something you can’t learn overnight, or by yourself. As AIOA Chief Steward Trudie Michels says, “All good olive judges have spent years under the mentorship of seriously great senior judges.” Four of Australia’s seriously great senior judges have retired in recent years so we’ve asked them to share their thoughts and experiences with Olivegrower readers. But first, on behalf of the industry, we need to say Thank you! “They’ve put a lot into the industry and trained a lot of judges, who’ve gained a lot of skills and knowledge from them” Michels said. “They’ve given vast amounts of time and energy, and are a big part of the reason we have such a high calibre of judges on our panels across the country. We’re really grateful for that. “So we want to say thank you for their efforts and support for the competitions – and for all the producers who enter, achieve and learn from the opportunity.”
Stephen Mitchell
Stephen started judging olive oil at regional shows in 2003 and has since judged both oil and table olives across the country. A Hunter Olive Association committee member since 2001, and member of the Australian Olive Oil Sensory Panel from 2007-2009, he runs assessment courses and workshops for local producers. In 2005 he established the Hunter Olive Show and has been chief steward ever since. Stephen is also an olive grower and producer of Lisborne Grove EVOO. OG&P: When did you first start judging and where? SM: In 2003 at the Cowra Olive Show. I judged there three or four times before it was discontinued. OG&P: When did you finish? SM: In 2019. I went to Adelaide for the national competition and that was my last large show. I’m still involved in running the Hunter Show but with the table olive side of it, not with oil judging. OG&P: How was the experience when you started, and how does it compare to the last show you judged? SM: Back then there were many regional shows, run by associations or show societies. These depended on the efforts of keen individuals. They were generally small but with a very friendly atmosphere, and were
with home-made slices, cakes, scones, and the judges really enjoy that. OG&P: What have you enjoyed about judging? SM: Meeting like-minded people from all over the country and developing enduring friendships. I’ve also learned a lot about olive oil and table olives along the way. I have used this learning to help educate others within the industry and the general public, and it has helped my marketing and sales within my own small olive business.
Stephen Mitchell
a great environment for learning the art of judging within a small group of dedicated judges. The regional shows have since declined due to the loss of the individuals who ran them, reflected also in the decline in regional olive associations. At the same time the bigger city-based olive shows, and the AOA national show, have grown and become more important. They’re very well organised, really professional activities, and I’ve enjoyed those too. You tend to get a more diverse range of judges - food writers, scientists, etc, as well as industry people – at those, so you meet some interesting people. OG&P: Have all those changes been good? SM: I think so. I regret the decline in the regional associations and competitions but you need volunteer time and energy to run them. There’s a lot less of that around now. Luckily the Hunter Association and show has kept going because the dedication and commitment is there. The greater range of judges is good. Associating with people is what I enjoyed and got out of judging. It’s what motivates me: doing things with people to achieve a particular shared outcome. The food at the big shows is by necessity quite commercial, though. For the Hunter Show the Hall Committee ladies come up
OG&P: What have been the challenges? SM: One of the main ones is maintaining my skills. Particular to judging olive oil is the detection and identification of faults: that’s something you’ve really got to work at, and regularly. My time with the Wagga panel helped me there but that skill has to be maintained, otherwise you lose it. Also, finding the time for the required travel, and the associated costs, have proven a bit limiting in terms of going to as many shows as I would have liked to. That influenced my decision to not judge at interstate shows any more, although once I’m there I enjoy it. OG&P: Could you please share some favourite memories of your time judging. SM: They’re associated with the people I’ve judged with and met along the way. Just working with them, getting together with people I’ve met over a shared experience. Sharing the passion for olive oil with the people you work with in the judging room is really special – both the people judging and the people running the show. OG&P: Could you comment about the importance of olive competitions. SM: Competitions are important avenues for producers to have their products independently assessed, both individually and relative to the rest of the industry. Success in these competitions certainly assists winners with their marketing and sales activities. The status of these competitions also helps to give the Australian olive industry
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 17
News - awards
a high level of prominence within the global olive industry.
Bob Barrett, SA
A University of Adelaide lecturer, Bob spent more than 25 years teaching oenology, horticulture and wine marketing. He was Chief Judge at the inaugural National Table Olive Competition in 2010, and on the Australian panel which gained IOC organoleptic accreditation. Bob has been a table olive judge at national and state competitions, and was a panel leader at the 2021 Australian International Olive Awards.
Bob Barrett
OG&P: When did you first start judging and where? BB: 1990? It was a transition from wine to olives as part of my job as horticulture lecturer at the Roseworthy College-CAE. Formal oil judge training at the Waite department was led by Dr Michael Burr. My table olive judging began circa 1978 as part of horticulture sensory evaluation at Roseworthy. Jim Smythe provided the polish. OG&P: When did you finish? BB: In 2021. OG&P: How was the experience when you started, and how does it compare to the last show you judged? BB: The early experience was heavily influenced by wine judging and chemistry. The Roseworthy-Waite wine chemistry was applied to various food chemistry/quality evaluations being done. My last oil judging was some years ago. By then we had worked through the European attitude and merged it with wine sensory methods to obtain a solid, reproducible system. At the end of my time I was happy that the result had been done thoroughly and with integrity. I decided to focus on table olives as they had become a more significant component of the industry. I was privileged to work with Jim Smythe, whose tutelage allowed me to better provide olive lectures to my students.
OG&P: Have all those changes been good? BB: The industry has moved forward as we needed to so we could compete with the international markets. Growers need to applaud the industry stalwarts who have given their time to make this happen. OG&P: What have you enjoyed about judging? BB: Being impartial - I didn’t/don’t have any interest in olives. It was part of my job responsibility but I did not know or care whose fruit it was. OG&P: What have been the challenges? BB: One, even so, being impartial. Second, learning to taste oil and judging oils for a day without going home sick. It is hard work. OG&P: Could you please comment on the importance of olive competitions. BB: Oil competitions have come of age and provide marketing credibility and quality tools controlled by Australian standards. This is the most important benefit. Some small operatives have shone, so size is not critical as long there is access to labs to maintain quality control. Table olives have benefited massively from competitions. The feedback to producers has been very useful to improve methods of pickling, growing/harvesting and packaging. Competitions have done their primary function: provided a basis for consumer choice which they can rely on. OG&P: Could you please share some favourite memories of your time judging. BB: The initial submissions were sometimes disgusting, both oils and olives. The introduction of E. coli testing at least partially protected judges from poisoning. It did not protect from ‘crazy’ additions from time to time. The ‘back room boys’ like Mrs Paul Eblen in SA, cutting apples while hubby prepared tasting samples, and many unknown people in Bendigo for their help running the first National Table Olive competition - they were wonderful.
Peter Olson
Peter started his olive journey as an analyst developing chemical testing for olive oils, achieving a commercial service in 1997. He worked with the NSW DPI testing laboratory for 28 years. In 2003 he trained as an IOC Taster, then completed the IOC International Course for Panel Supervisors in Italy. In 2005 he became the first leader of the Wagga Wagga Olive Oil Sensory Panel. Peter has been head judge/chair of judges and panel leader at competitions across Australia
18 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Peter Olson
and New Zealand. An experienced trainer of organoleptic assessment, tutoring in olive oil judging has been one of his life’s pleasures. OG&P: When did you first start judging and where? PO: Around 2003/4 at the Golden Olive awards. OG&P: When did you finish? PO: In 2016. The Sydney Royal Olive Oil judging was my last. OG&P: How was the experience when you started, and how does it compare to the last show you judged? PO: I can proudly say that, through our training via the IOC and recognition of Wagga Wagga as an official Tasting Panel, we improved the standard of judging. I think the standard lifted across all shows over the years. OG&P: Have all those changes been good? PO: Interesting question. Standards can lead to a loss of difference between shows, but I think the improvements outweighed them. OG&P: What have you enjoyed about judging? PO: Meeting people, savouring some amazing natural products and travelling. OG&P: What have been the challenges? PO: Getting some show people to change their practices and venues. Maintaining consistency in judging. OG&P: Could you please share some favourite memories of your time judging. PO: The AOA National Show always had the presentation dinner, which I always enjoyed. Presenting the Golden Olive Awards at The Wicked Virgin in Rutherglen. The NZ Awards in Wellington and then going off on a tour of the North Island with the President and Himeyo from Japan. The Canberra and Hunter Shows; and my favourite, the Sydney Royal.
News - awards
Over the 20-plus years of judging there have only been several oils that I would not want to have in my home. That makes me sad. I wish the producers would learn to taste their own oils - all that effort gone to waste. Over that time, the number of faulty oils has become less, as production and storage methods have improved and knowledge gained. It is also enjoyable to be part of an expert group of people who appreciate good oils and good food and wines. And to have an exchange of ideas and debate as to what makes a gold medal oil.
From a senior judge’s point of view, it always tickled me to think that I was teaching people how to taste. Really, it is just helping to realise or awaken their senses, which are there in all of us. OG&P: Could you comment about the importance of olive competitions. PO: It is important to aim for a goal in all activities. Olives and olive oil production is relatively straightforward, but achieving the best out of your product takes that extra attention to detail and extra care in all aspects. Competitions give producers that goal; something to aspire to, and to be recognised by your peers. It was always special to see a new producer doing well in competitions. Their enthusiasm for the industry certainly was infectious and moving.
Mary Kirkby
move the show to late winter or spring, the optimum time for olive oil freshness. Likewise in Brisbane, judging was in July and not many producers were ready to show their oils. There was strict protocol set up for judging but, being the first time olive oil had been judged at the Sydney show, there was a lot to learn. During the following year the head of Fine Food had many discussions with me about the elements of judging: was colour important, what part did viscosity play? Judging was along the lines of a wine show to begin with. Later, when the AOA shows started, more information was gained from overseas as to what to include in the judging criteria. For the first few years the shows were evolving, and the AOA did a marvelous job in keeping abreast of the world trends. Now there are methods of judging set out by international bodies and it is much more uniform. The pool of judges is greater, as more industry people, chefs, journalists, scientists and others have become proficient in the knowledge of olive oil. Also, the volume of entries has grown along with production, so the time taken to judge and the logistics have changed. From the very beginning, every show has put the interest of the growers foremost, adhered to truth in labelling, total anonymity and complete security.
OG&P: What have been the challenges? MK: Distance for me. It takes two plane or very long car trips to access the venues for judging. Each event takes a number of days and a true commitment to the industry. Keeping ones’ ‘tastebuds’ in tune is very important. A judge needs to taste oil at least a couple of times a week, from one’s own production, from a friend or from a retail outlet. Now I am no longer in the industry, I do not have the ability to access or taste oils on a regular basis, so feel I would not be doing justice to the growers to continue judging.
OG&P: When did you finish? MK: My last judging events were the NSW Fine Foods, Sydney, and the Australian International Olive Awards in Adelaide, in 2019.
OG&P: Have all those changes been good? MK: Yes. As above, the judging process has been evolving. The introduction of standardized coloured glass bottles, or portion cups, presented to judges has made the process completely anonymous. Several shows conduct judges’ refresher courses prior to commencing and this is a very good idea.
OG&P: What did you think of the experience when you started, and how does it compare to the last show you judged? MK: When I first judged at the RAS Sydney, it was held in February and the oil was at least nine months old. It was decided to
OG&P: What have you enjoyed about judging? MK: Tasting the most beautiful oils from around the world! Knowing what goes into producing and processing extra virgin olive oil, it is such a treat and privilege to taste the end results.
OG&P: Could you comment about the importance of olive competitions. MK: As a producer, I have looked at judging as a benchmark. Aspiring to gain a gold medal is in the background of each blend and batch of oil. To be awarded such an accolade from the industry is very satisfying and fulfilling. Producing is hard work and to be recognised by the judging body is very gratifying. The comments from the judging team are very important, as these help with future production. A medal is always a talking point at markets and retail outlets, and gives the consumer confidence when purchasing. Publicity from the shows helps with education of the consumer.
Margi Kirkby
Margi has been hands-on in the industry for over 25 years as a founder of Gwydir Grove Olives. First producing EVOO in 1995, her oils have regularly taken champion awards at shows across Australia. Margi has travelled to Italy, Spain and Turkey many times to learn and immerse herself in the ‘olive culture’ of the Mediterranean, including IOOC-run organoleptic tasting and production courses. A member of the Australian Organoleptic Tasting Panel from 1998-2001, she has conducted workshops and training seminars across Australia and internationally. Margi has been a judge or head judge at myriad olive oil competitions across Australia and New Zealand. OG&P: When did you first start judging and where? MK: My first IOC organoleptic training session was in April 1996, followed by a Panel Leaders Course in Turkey. This led to my first AOA judging in 1996, which continued until 2019. Since then I have judged in each state of Australia at olive oil shows for the Royal Agricultural Societies, for local oil shows and fine food events, and in New Zealand several times.
OG&P: Could you share some favourite memories of your time judging. MK: I do not have a poker face, so when a very faulty oil is sniffed the look on my face tells it all. It is impossible to keep an impartial face when faced with tasting a ‘sweaty saddle’, ‘baby vomit’ or ‘nail polish remover’ oil! The delight of tasting an oil that is clearly a gold medal winner, the ecstasy of tasting an agrumato oil that is good enough to drink, and the thrill to know (at presentation) that a certain grower has won. The comradery of associating with other judges and the experiences shared when away judging.
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 19
Olivegrower profile - 2020 AIOA winner
The Parvins purchased their tractor-operated harvester from Spain in 2017 and were so impressed they took on the Australian distribution.
Production potential a champion choice for Romley Estate Buying a property ‘with producing potential’ led to a (very) active career change for Romley Estate’s Monica Parvin, who moved out from behind the desk of her finance broking business and into an established 15-acre olive grove. It was also a successful one for Parvin and her husband Rob, who in just a few years have seen their oils become regular fixtures on competition winners’ lists across the country.
2020 Award wins
Romley Estate was among the top multiple award-winners at last year’s Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA), with a cache including two Champion of Class Awards. The Romley Estate Grand Reserve Koroneiki took Gold and Champion Greek Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the Romley Estate Family Reserve Hardy's Mammoth took Gold and Champion Other Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil, while the Romley Estate Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil filled the medal list out with a Bronze. The results were an exciting follow-up to their success at the 2020 Royal Adelaide Olive Awards, where the judges also awarded Gold to the Grand Reserve, along with Bronze medals for the Romley Estate Frantoio, Family Reserve and Garlic flavoured EVOOs.
Background
The Romley Estate story started in 2016, when Monica and Rob ‘bought a property with olives on it’ in Willunga, South Australia, on
the edge of the McLaren Vale wine region. “When we were looking to buy our forever home a few years ago, we were hoping to find something that had income producing potential,” Monica said. “We were looking around the McLaren Vale/Willunga area, as there are a number of primary production properties there and the rainfall in the region is quite good. “We found our dream home on 185 acres, which included 15 acres of olives. Me being me, I saw the olive grove and thought, ‘I can make something of this!’ and Romley Estate was born.”
Busy first years
The grove had been established in the mid-1990s and has 1370 trees of seven varieties - Frantoio, Picual, Koroneiki, Kalamata, California Queen, Hardy’s Mammoth and Pendolino. The row spacing is traditional at seven by five metres and the first major task the Parvins undertook was intensive pruning, to enable mechanical harvesting. They followed that with some serious gearing up to ensure the efficiency of their future harvests. “We purchased our own shaker harvester in late 2017 from Spain, from a company called Agromelca,” Monica said. “After much deliberation, we chose this machine over others after a visit to the Spanish factory, and also as it attaches really simply to our Kubota 95hp tractor when we need to use it.
20 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Olivegrower profile - 2020 AIOA Winner The pros and cons of life as an EVOO and table olive producer Every job has elements we enjoy and others that we just have to do, whether we want to or not. We asked Monica what she loves best about her life in olives, and the thing she really doesn’t like doing: “I love producing something, rather than just sitting behind a desk on a keyboard all day, like I used to. I really enjoy creating new products too. “I really don’t love pitting olives. I'd really like an olive pitting machine, but I can't seem to find one. If anyone can help, I’d love to hear from you!”
Having started her olive oil education as the highest scoring Australian Associate Savante, Monica’s tasting skills help ensure the award-winning quality of Romley Estate’s oils.
Their grove is obviously a very special place for Monica and Rob Parvin, who got married at home on the farm.
“It’s a very user-friendly machine to operate and we’ve been really impressed, so we’ve since taken on the distributorship for Australia.”
Progressive learning
Super-taster
Monica also set about learning as much as she could about olive oil, including attending the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes tasting course in 2017. She’s obviously a natural to the EVOO tasting game, as the end-of-course evaluation saw her become the highest scoring Australian Associate Savante to date. Since then she’s continued to hone her tasting skills as an olive oil judge – and no doubt also used them to ensure the award-winning quality of Romley Estate’s oils.
The Parvins are totally hands-on in their business and Monica says she’s become a “Jack of all trades” in the past five years. From harvesting to pickling their table olives, she’s learned how to do it all and, like many others, has found industry peers are happy to offer the benefits of their experience. “We’ve really just learned along the way,” she said. “There’s been lots of reading, and taking various bits of advice from other growers. Then it’s just getting in and doing it.” The only thing they get help with is their processing, given the scale of their fruit production. “Our machine is too small to handle the volumes we do, which was
AOA 2021 National Olive Industry Virtual Conference Tuesday, 12 October to Friday, 15 October – 3:00-5:00pm each day
Registrations Now open Full program details and register at www.olivebiz.com.au Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 21
Olivegrower profile - 2020 AIOA winner
Romley Estate’s 2020 awards cache included two AIOA Champion of Class trophies.
40-plus tonnes this year,” Monica said. “Rob also works full time, so we really don’t have time to potter about doing 300kg per hour (on a good day). So Dom Scarfo at Diana Olive Oil does our processing. “We have an excellent relationship with him and his team, and they obviously do a great job with our fruit and oils.”
Diverse product range
The Parvins produce both olive oil and table olives and sell both on their online store, along with a wide range of other olive-related products. Olive oil skincare products range from bar shampoo and soap bars (including one specifically for dogs!) to lip balm and olive leaf body scrub; condiments include tapenade, spice blends, sticky balsamic and dukkah; while a range of colourful ceramic kitchenware evokes the food and lifestyle of the Mediterranean. Monica said a diverse product range is an important part of their business. “I like to have variety, which is why I make both oil and table olives,” she said. “I have quite a range of products now, and I like coming up with new ideas to keep our offering interesting and different.”
Help and advice are Gold Monica and Rob really hit the ground running with their olive business, quickly becoming consistent award-winners for their EVOOs. With no background in horticulture, it was a huge learning curve but they obviously scaled it quickly and successfully. We asked Monica to share some tips for other new producers just starting out in the industry. “Ask for help and advice. “We have from the start, and continue to receive help and advice from a number of lovely people in the region. “We wouldn’t be producing such a beautiful product if it wasn’t for the help of these people.”
Consumer connection
They also sell their products at the renowned Willunga Farmers Market and direct to consumers at the farm gate, with many coming to them via word of mouth. Monica said that interaction with consumers is invaluable for a boutique producer. “It’s gold. I love it,” she said. “I really enjoy telling people about what we do, and how we do it. It builds a connection and they engage in our story. It becomes personal, and really helps to build brand loyalty.”
Secrets to success
Romley Estate’s high quality oils have seen them consistently win medals and trophies at both state and national competitions in recent years. Monica puts it down to a number of factors, both beyond and within their control. “Our climate must have something to do with it,” she said. “It’s also time of harvest, and we always crush on the same day or within 24 hours after harvest. Then it’s care of the oils once harvested - i.e. racking and storage in a temperature-controlled room. “But I don’t think there’s anything in particular that we do differently to other producers - although I’m not really up with what others do these days, what with having a toddler and all!” Whatever the explanation, their AIOA Champion awards – both in 2020 and previous years - were a welcome result for a job obviously very well done. “It’s such a wonderful reward after so much hard work doing the harvest,” Monica said. “It really makes you feel like you’re doing something right, and producing a beautiful product. It actually means the world to me. “Quality competitions like the AIOA are very important for us, enabling us to benchmark our product, and see what varieties and blends other growers are producing around the country. “They’re also incredibly important to consumers: if they see a gold medal, they know it’s good. I’m often asked by a customer for ‘your best oil, please’ and that would be one with a medal on it – or even better, a Champion trophy winner.”
22 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
More information: www.romleyestate.com.
THE LATEST UPDATES ON R&D WITHIN THE OLIVE INDUSTRY | SEPTEMBER 2021
R&D Insights contains the latest levy-funded R&D project updates, research findings and related industry resources, which all happen under the Hort Innovation Olive Fund. Hort Innovation partners with leading service providers to complete a range of R&D projects to ensure the long-term sustainability and profitability of the olive industry.
Monitoring and mapping project steaming ahead The collaborative horticultural industry levy project Multi-scale monitoring tools for managing Australian tree crops (various projects) has now moved to phase 2, continuing the development, trial and extension of technology-based crop mapping and monitoring tools to help growers in predicting fruit quality and yield, and monitoring tree health including in the early detection of pest and disease outbreaks. The University of New England’s Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC) and NSW Department of Primary Industries are the project partners involved in the olive industryrelated elements. Here they’ve provided an overview and update on their research, which will also enable our industry to make more informed data-driven decisions around water supply, infrastructure, planning and governance.
Australian Tree Crop Map (ATCM) The mapping of Australia’s horticulture tree crops provides the Australian olive industry with an accurate understanding of the extent (distribution and area) of production, at multiple scales. Knowing the extent of our industry helps us to understand current and future industry growth, assists in national and regional yield forecasting, and enables us to better respond to major events such as biosecurity threats and natural disasters.
In-grove monitoring equipment is part of the range of technology-based tools utilised within the project.
Without knowing where our groves are we simply can’t respond effectively. Through this project, a map of all commercial olive groves across Australia has been developed and is now directly available to growers and
industry on the AOA website - www. australianolives.com.au. The mapping application shows the extent of groves across Australia, including statistics of production area summarised by state/ territory and local government area.
2
Is your grove on the map? The Australian Tree Crop Map (ATCM) continues to be updated, with the goal to account for all commercial groves in Australia over one hectare in size. Growers are encouraged to check that their grove has been mapped and if not, complete the ATCM Survey. The survey allows growers to quickly locate their grove and submit any other details for AARSC researchers to review and interpret the information, and action updates in the map. Note: Privacy has been a key consideration in the project. The ATCM is built to meet national standards and no personal or commercial information is captured or published. You can access the ATCM Survey and other applications of the map from the university’s industry applications gallery - www.une. edu.au/webapps.
Accurate pre-harvesst yield estimation is one of the project aims.
Biosecurity response The biosecurity response to Panama TR4 disease across banana plantations in North Queensland has proven that knowing the location of groves is essential for containment and management of exclusion zones for biosecurity events - for example, a Xylella incursion. Accurate, current
spatial data for the location and extent of groves is fundamental for our biosecurity preparedness. Additionally, the spatial layer of all grove boundaries supports the rapid and regular monitoring of grove health at a national, regional and farm scale using remote sensing – also invaluable information in the occurrence of a significant pest or disease incursion.
Estimating and mapping yield variability The project team has been trialling methods to estimate and map yield variability at tree, block and farm levels. This has included the evaluation of high-resolution imagery via satellite and airplane, combined with extensive in-field sampling. Accurate pre-harvest yield forecasting offers significant benefit at a range of scales. At the farm level, forecasts guide grower decisions around harvesting, including labour, machinery, packaging, transport and storage requirements, as well as their own capacity to meet market demands. All of these aspects have the ability to improve profitability for growers and industry stakeholders. At the tree level, crop heath variability can be identified, facilitating management decisions to boost low performing areas as well as optimise crop inputs. University of New England researcher Angelica Suarez checking tree health infield.
In its second season, the project has achieved yield estimation accuracies
3
Do you have historical yield data? To forecast yield early in the growing season and without infield counting, the project is also evaluating a remote sensing approach which has proven very accurate in other tree crops. The AARSC team is seeking historical yield data for multiple different groves to enable the accuracies of this method to be determined over different growing seasons, locations, varieties and management. If you have that level of data and would like to take part in the research, please contact project team members Dr Angelica Suarez at lsuarezc@une.edu.au or Alex Schultz at alex.schultz@dpi. nsw.gov.au.
from 75% up to 99% at the individual block level (6-60 ha). These accuracies were obtained across seasons, even with the substantial yield variability identified in Picual trees (around 300%) between the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Grower access The participating growers have access to yield prediction maps through web pages that are updated as soon as new information is available, allowing them to compare changes within the blocks across seasons. The ability to visually identify lower performing trees on a map and subsequently quantify yield variability in kg/tree has provided the opportunity to perform more targeted management.
Irrigation trials An additional part of the project, again involving collaborating growers, is an irrigation deficit trial. Involving two varieties (Arbequina
The Australian Tree Crop Map shows the extent of groves across Australia.
and Picual), the trial is utilising three irrigation deficits (standard practice, 75% and 50%), two vigour zones (high and low, classified using satellite imagery) and replicates of each of these treatments. The deficits have to date been imposed for two growing seasons, with the third season currently being planned. As expected, there have been variable reductions in yield with deficit treatments (depending on variety and vigour), particularly in the second season. Areas with low vigour trees have been identified as less susceptible to water deficits, which is important if the grower needs to prioritise areas within the grove for irrigation. These findings will help guide water management decisions in years of water scarcity.
Water stress The project team has also evaluated a range of commercial technologies that will provide growers with an affordable, practical and accurate method for measuring early water stress. These include weather and soil moisture probes, dendrometers (measuring small fluctuations in trunk diameter), sap flow sensors, soil conductance and remote sensing provided by satellite and airborne (CERES) platforms. The infield sensors are connected through a wireless network, providing hourly readings online for timely indications of water stress.
From the results thus far, stem water potential and dendrometer measures appear to be the most responsive. The aerial imagery (using both thermal and multispectral sensors) has identified water stress across a grove. A derived remote sensing index, which is normalised by temperature and tree vigour, has provided estimation of stress across the site.
Optimal water use efficiency The data from sensors, imagery, tree measurements, and final yields and quality will be brought together to determine the best integration of technologies and models for supporting optimal water use efficiency by Australian olive growers. The outcomes will inform management decision to optimise the water/productivity trade-off in periods of water scarcity, considering both spatial variability and dynamic time-dependent water demand (due to weather conditions). This is a comprehensive study that offers much to the industry. This project is supported by Horticulture Innovation, through funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program, along with the continued support of project collaborators including the Australian Olive Association, NSW Department of Primary Industries, CERES, and participating growers.
4
A vastly increased preference for podcasts/webinars and on-line video validates the AOA’s decision to provide virtual events as an alternative, and addition, to face-to-face events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Survey shows support for pandemic move to webinars For the past three years the Australian Olive Association (AOA) has operated a communications and extension program for the benefit of our industry. A strategic levy investment project in the Hort Innovation Olive Fund, the Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL18000) disseminates and promotes worldbest practice and the results of R&D in grove management and olive oil/table olive production to the Australian olive industry. The project produces a wide range of resources and learning opportunities for industry members, including:
events – best practice workshops and field days
webinars and podcasts monthly Grove Innovation - R&D e-newsletter
quarterly R&D Insights lift-out –
project information and outcomes
YouTube video content for the olive industry
R&D updates on the OliveBiz
website – projects and events
Other resources as required. With the current project deliverables substantially completed well ahead of the project finish date, in June the AOA conducted a stakeholder survey to measure the impact of the program and ensure each of the resources is delivering maximum benefits for producers. The feedback has also enabled the association to identify opportunities to further improve communications and target ongoing activities.
The survey covered various aspects of the communications and extension program, including outcomes for participants, for comparison with the responses to the July 2019 ‘base-line’ communications survey. AOA OliveCare® Administrator Peter McFarlane prepared the following report on the 2021 Olive Industry Communications Survey outcomes.
Participant profile For the June 2021 survey there were 133 participants, with 127 identified as from Australia, compared to the July 2019 survey where there were 140 survey participants with 129 identified as from Australia. State of origin was broadly consistent with AOA membership distribution, confirming survey data relevance and integrity. In the 2021 survey, 73% of participants were olive producers and/or olive processors, compared to 86% in the baseline survey. The 2021 survey had a slightly older age profile than the 2019 survey, with 58% of survey participants having been in the olive industry for more than 15 years and 40% less than 15 years. In the 2019 survey only 48% of participants had been in the industry for more than 15 years and 50% less than 15 years. This data confirms the need to continue to provide introductory level information and training in an otherwise mature industry.
Communication mode preferences The preferred modes of communication were similar for the
2019 and 2021 surveys, with the most useful modes being:
websites (91%) emails and e-newsletters (90%) one-to-one face-to-face discussions (84%)
field days/workshops/seminars (83%)
on-line videos (81%) word of mouth - other growers (81%)
word of mouth - service providers (81%)
magazines (74%) podcasts/webinars (66%) hard copy reports (64%) The modes of communication deemed less useful were:
brochures/fliers (50%) social media (39%) text messages (35%) CDs or USBs with reports (30%) newspapers (30%) The major changes were an increased preference for podcasts/ webinars, from 45% in 2019 to 66% in 2021; and for on-line video, which increased from 60% in 2019 to 81% in 2021. This likely reflects the increased use of webinars and on-line videos during the current COVID-19 pandemic period, validating the AOA’s decision to provide webinars as an alternative, and addition, to face-to-face events.
5
E-newsletters and websites were nominated as the most useful modes of industry communications.
Specific communication channels Looking at specific industry communication channels, survey participants rated the following highly:
AOA Update - quarterly email
(80%) – surprising given this is quarterly, possibly confusing this as meaning all AOA communications?
Friday Olive Extracts - weekly email (80%)
AOA industry notices - ad hoc email (79%)
Significant pests & diseases of the olive tree - web page (77%)
industry field days and workshops – physical events (72%)
Grove Innovation - monthly email (67%)
Biosecurity Risk Management webpage (67%)
Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor industry print journal - quarterly subscription (66%)
AOA product labelling guides
(65%) - available on website to members
Chemical permit updates (61%) OliveCare® News – monthly
email (60%) - available to Code Signatories and technical service providers
industry webinars and podcasts (59%)
industry virtual conference 2020 (59%)
R&D Insights – quarterly, in
Olivegrower & Processor and online on OliveBiz (58%)
reviewed RIRDC resources –
Research recap
market surveys and product
PROJECT NAME: Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL18000)
available online on OliveBiz (58%) compliance (58%)
industry grove management online videos (56%)
industry statistical updates annual (54%)
Olive Growing Manual – industry reference book (50%)
This data confirms the value of the AOA’s multi-channel approach to industry communications and information transfer.
Improvements to communications “On the question of what improvements can be made to AOA communications, participant responses ranged from ‘very happy’ with current communication channels to those who were looking for more condensed information and simpler website navigation,” McFarlane said.
PROJECT AIM: To promote worldbest practice and the results of R&D in grove management and olive oil production to the Australian olive industry. PROJECT PARTNER: Australian Olive Association PROJECT DURATION: Three years - October 2018 to September 2021
2021 Olive Industry Grove Productivity and Marketing Survey The AOA also operates an industry grove productivity program and a second survey was conducted in July to measure the impact of the program and to identify opportunities for improve and extension.
“No-one said there was insufficient information. Some thought there was too much, and clearly the challenge for participants is finding the time to look at all the information, or perhaps being able to prioritise the time to do so.
The survey included questions on grove productivity, the impact of COVID-19 on markets and marketing, weed control options, and table olive varieties and production. We’ll report on the outcomes of the second survey in the December edition of R&D Insights.
“The AOA is very appreciative of the level of response to the survey, particularly in this busy prolific harvest year, and will review and implement the survey findings. Our thanks to all who participated and shared their views.”
This project was funded by Hort Innovation using the olive research and development levy, with co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.
6
The new home page has direct links to the OWI’s social media accounts, providing even more great ‘olives and health’ information and insight to share with your customers and networks.
New look, easier access for OWI website The cache of easy-to-follow recipes all featuring EVOO, of course - and the OWI’s health and wellness podcast series, are also now just a simple click away.
The Olive Wellness Institute (OWI) team has been even busier of late, producing not only its usual stream of new information offerings but also a new website to house it all. Launched in August, OWI Health and Nutrition Education Manager Abby Dolphin said the new website was created to provide more simple and direct navigation around the site and its content. “The Olive Wellness Institute website has been providing evidence-based scientific health information for close to four years now. It’s done a great job but it was time for an update,” she said. “In particular, we know we have so much science-based and interesting information to share on the health benefits of olive products and
It also highlights some of the website’s most useful and popular resources, including the myth-breaking ‘Can you cook with EVOO?’.
we wanted to make it more easily accessible to our users. We realised that there’s now so much content on the site that some of it was getting a bit hard to find. “And of course we’ll keep adding to it into the future, so it was time to get it sorted now.”
Modern and streamlined The new OWI website has a more modern look and feel, with new imagery and quick home-page access to the latest blog posts, research papers and other popular resources.
“Our website needed a new look and feel to keep our users engaged, and to help them find the information they’re after quickly and efficiently,” Abby said. “We know growers and producers are busy people, and also that they’re keen to use and share the resources on our site, so we hope the user journey on the website is now a lot more friendly and easy to navigate.” The Olive Wellness Institute is part of the strategic levy investment project Educating Health Professionals about Australian Olive Products OL19001. The project is partially funded by Hort Innovation, using the Olive Fund research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.
7
Final series of AOA Technical Webinars now underway The AOA’s ongoing program of productivity and profitability webinars has been a huge success, providing industry members with information, learning and discussion about a wide range of timely and relevant topics. A final series of technical webinars for 2021 is currently underway, with two held already and a further two over the next month: Table olive cultivars - 28 September, 12.30-1.30pm AEST A presentation and discussion with WA olive specialist Professor Stan Kailis around broadening the selection of Australian table olive cultivars, including the outcomes of the AOA 2021 survey results on table olive varieties grown in Australia.
specialist Jamie Ayton around the effects of storage containers on olive oil quality.
» metallised polyester, silver foil,
The session will cover the critical control factors for the storage of olive oil after processing, including:
containing more than one type of material.
the major risk factors for olive oil quality under storage:
» heat » light » oxygen » time
HDPE
» multi-layered products
Details As with previous webinars in the AOA program, attendance is free to all industry members. Separate registration is needed for each session, with an access link provided via email post-registration.
The session will cover a range of considerations around table olive cultivars, including:
» Pyropheophytin a (PPP),
The format for each event is a onehour Zoom meeting, comprising a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute interactive Q&A session. A virtual one-on-one with leading experts on the subject topic, the session provides plenty of opportunity clarify information or query particular issues.
what makes a good table olive
» polyphenols, α-tocopherol,
Find out more and register at the OliveBiz website - www.olivebiz.com. au/2021-technical-webinars.
cultivar?
styles of table olives suitable for the Australian market
major table olive processing cultivars - international
major table olive cultivars -
Australia (AOA 2021 table olive survey outcomes)
opportunities for Australian table olive producers.
EVOO storage considerations 5 October, 12.30-1.30pm AEST A discussion with NSW DPI olive oil
changes in oil chemistry and
sensory parameters under various storage conditions:
» peroxide value (PV), UV
absorbance at 268nm (K268) and free fatty acids (FFA) 1,2-diacylglycerols (DAGs) and Induction Time (IND) chlorophyll, fatty acid composition (FAP)
» sensory attributes The effect of different types
of storage containers on the quality of olive oil during storage, including:
» polyethylene, nylon,
These webinars are part of the Olive levy project Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL18000), funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.
8
®
‘Business as usual’ for OliveCare® as McFarlane retires After 11 fruitful years at the helm of the program, OliveCare® Code of Best Practice Administrator Peter McFarlane will be retiring at the end of September. AOA CEO Michael Southan will immediately take over the role, meaning it will be ‘business as usual’ for all program activities. “In the interim, please feel free to contact me if you have any outstanding issues to be addressed, including issuing of 2021 season OliveCare® certification compliance
certificates,” McFarlane said. McFarlane has also been involved in a number of other Olive Levy-funded projects and programs, including as AOA Agri-chemical Permits Coordinator and Tastebook® Program Co-ordinator, and since 2017 has served as the AOA’s Biosecurity Representative to Plant Health Australia.We’ll look further at Peter’s work with the industry in the December edition of Olivegrower & Processor.
OliveCare® enquiries from 1 October 2021 For all OliveCare® enquiries please contact Michael Southan, AOA CEO and OliveCare® Code of Best Practice Administrator: Mob: 0476 760 160 Email: olivecare@australianolives. com.au or ceo@australianolives. com.au
OliveCare® Best Practice webinar recordings now available Presented by OliveCare® Code of Best Practice Administrator Peter McFarlane, the Best Practice webinar series guides participants through a selection of OliveCare® Best Practice ‘conversations’ that aim to lift grove productivity, achieve product excellence and develop sustainable businesses.
Webinar 2: EVOO & Flavoured Olive Oil Production Best Practice
Webinar 3: Table Olives/Olive Paste Production Best Practice
AOA product labelling guidelines
Food safety regulations and table
The Australian Standard
Voluntary Standard for table
Recordings of the webinars are now available for viewing on the OliveBiz website:
OliveCare® EVOO Freshness
OliveCare® Food Quality Plans:
Webinar 1: Grove Management Best Practice Introduction to the OliveCare® Best Practice Program
OliveCare® HACCP Style Food Quality Plans - An Introduction
OliveCare® HACCP Style Food Quality Plans - On-farm best practice checklists
and Australian Consumer Law
(AS5264-2011) and OliveCare® product certification - EVOO and flavoured olive oil Testing and potential shelf life
OliveCare® Food Quality Plans:
The major risks to product quality - EVOO and flavoured olive oil production best practice checklists
olive production in Australia
olives in Australia (12-111) and OliveCare® product certification table olives and olive paste The major risks to product quality - table olive production best practice checklists
Access the webinar recordings, and powerpoint presentations for each session, at www.olivebiz.com under Projects - Webinars.
This webinar series is part of the Olive levy project Extending OliveCare® to foster excellence in production of Australian olives (OL17006), funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.
2021 National Olive Industry Virtual Conference
Meet up online for 2021 National Olive Conference Yes, we’re set for another national Zoom hook-up! While we were all keen to get together in Tassie for this year’s national conference and exhibition, the ongoing COVID pandemic and restrictions have once again ruled out a face-to-face catch-up. The practical decision was, therefore, to move to an online event for the second year running.
Afternoon sessions
The format of last year’s virtual conference was really popular, so the organising committee has taken an ‘ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach and this year’s event will run to a similar schedule: twohour sessions held over four consecutive days, running mid-afternoon from 3-5pm (AEST) each day. This allows delegates to complete a decent day’s work before sitting down for the sessions, with a chunk of daylight left afterwards for any remaining grove chores. Each session will feature informative presentations from experts both within and outside the industry, discussing key issues that impact olive businesses. And the interactive online format will once again provide delegates with the chance to ask questions and contribute comments live.
Cost benefits
The move to an online format also means that for AOA members, attending the conference is completely free: there’s no fee to register, no travel time or costs, and no lost work time involved. For others attending it also keeps the cost extremely low, with $100 covering registration for the entire four days – and again, no downtime.
Program overview The Big Picture
The conference kicks off with The Big Picture, looking at the sales side of running an olive business. Providing invaluable insight for future planning, Bendigo Bank economist David Robertson takes a crystal ball to the economy post-pandemic, while Austrade’s Ollie Shugg and Cobram Estate’s Andrew Burgess look at the global market and exports. A local market focus rounds things off, with Mount Zero Olives’ Richard Seymour discussing the practicalities of pivoting amidst rolling lockdowns. Get ready to hear about some really innovative marketing!
Biosecurity
Day 2 moves into the grove with the focus firmly on Biosecurity, an increasingly important element of grove management. National Xylella Co-ordinator Craig Elliot looks at our industry’s number one disease threat, asking ‘Are you Xylella ready?’ and DPIPWE Tasmania’s Andrew Bishop discusses how the renowned foodproducing island maintains its edge around plant biosecurity. There’ll also be discussion around industry pests and disease issues including fruit fly, a growing issue which affected fruit movement for processing during this year’s harvest.
Session sponsors:
2021 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference
When: Tuesday, 12 October to Friday, 15 October @ 3-5pm (AEST) Tuesday, 12 October – The Big Picture: the economy, trade, export, local markets Wednesday, 13 October – Biosecurity: Xyllela, fruit fly, other threats Thursday, 14 October - Factors Influencing Olive Yields: frost, biennial bearing, canopy management Friday, 15 October - Olives and Olive Oil in Food: table olives, cooking with olives, health and wellness **Followed at 5.30pm by AIOA Virtual Gala Presentation Cost: AOA Members FREE; Non-members $30+GST per session or full week $100+GST. AIOA Award Presentation FREE for all attendees Register now at www.olivebiz.com.au
Factors Influencing Olive Yields
We stay in the grove for the third conference session, looking at some of the most significant factors influencing olive yields - frost, biennial bearing and canopy management. Looking at how and why they affect cropping rates, the expert panel of Paul Miller, Leandro Ravetti and Andrew Taylor also provide practical approaches to managing these issues in your grove.
Olives and Olive Oil in Food
The fourth and final session moves into the kitchen, focussing on table olives and EVOO in cooking and as part of a healthy lifestyle. Culinary and technical experts including renowned chef and olive afficionado Rosa Matto, oil scientist Claudia Guillaume and dietician Abby Dolphin will join producer Jared Bettio to discuss everything from the versatility of olive products in cooking to the proven health benefits of including more of them in our diets.
Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Presentation
Wrapping up the event is the chance to celebrate the fruits of this year’s labour at the industry’s ‘night of nights’, the Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Presentation. Gather your team around, grab a cuppa or a glass of bubbles, and join in as 2021’s top EVOO and table olive producers are revealed. Will you be this year’s Best of Show winner? Register and Zoom in to find out!
Supporting sponsors:
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 31
2021 National Olive Industry Virtual Conference
2021 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference Sponsors The AOA National Olive Industry Conference is the industry’s foremost calendar event, providing invaluable information and learning opportunities across all sectors of industry involvement. Whether virtual or physical, the annual event is a significant and affordable national industry gathering which is made possible by the support of our industry sponsors. We thank them for their support and urge you all to find out more about their industry-specific products and services.
Modern Olives – Session Sponsor
Modern Olives is a leading independent analytical laboratory experienced in the olive industry since 2006. Everything we do is focused on providing outstanding service to our customers as well as being a contributor and leader in the modern olive industry. Our laboratory is available to all growers, oil traders, marketers and researchers who require their olive oils, table olives or olive derivative products tested. Throughout the entire process, from planning groves to testing oil quality, our team provides professional, olivespecific technical advice. More information: www.modernolives.com.au Ph: 03 5272 9570 E: info@modernolives.com.au
Olive Wellness Institute – Session sponsor
The Olive Wellness Institute is a science repository on the nutrition, health and wellness benefits of olives and olive products, which is all subject to extensive peer review. The institute is guided by scientific experts that specialise in the nutrition, health and wellness benefits related to olive products. This website is intended to be the go-to source of credible information relating to the nutrition, health and wellness benefits of olives and olive products, such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil and other products derived from the olive tree. More information: www.olivewellnessinstitute.org Ph: 0432 506 682 E: a.dolphin@olivewellnessinstitute
32 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Australian Frost Fans – Supporting sponsor
Australian Frost Fans is the sister business to New Zealand Frost Fans, which manufactures the FrostBoss™ range of frost fans to protect crops from frost and cold injury. The FrostBoss™ C49 (4-blade machine) is the bestselling machine in Australasia. The FrostBoss™ C49 was developed with help from former Team New Zealand aerodynamics research engineer, Richard Karn, to optimize noise reduction by using a greater blade working area. Along with the FrostBoss™ C59 (5-blade machine), the FrostBoss™ C49 is the quietest machine on the market. Over 400 FrostBoss™ wind machines are sold annually throughout New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Portugal, Chile and more, covering a variety of crops. Together, the two businesses regularly service more than 2000 machines in NZ and Australia and its monitoring software FrostSmart™ enables growers to access real-time monitoring of fans around the world. Today, Australian Frost Fans remains the only company in Australia that is 100% committed to frost fan sales, installation, servicing, upgrades & repairs More information: www.aussiefrostfans.com.au Ph: 1800 797 629 E: info@aussiefrostfans.com.au
2021 National Olive Industry Virtual Conference
Olive Oil Packaging Service – Supporting sponsor
We are Australia’s bag in box packaging specialists. Casks protect your olive oil from light and air and ensure that it stays as fresh as is possible. We can pack your oil for you at our factory, or we can supply everything you need to pack it yourself. We even provide the instructions, and can help with the labels for your casks. Just contact us for a quote or to find out more. Casks come in 1, 2 and 4 litre for home use, 10 and 20 litre for food service, and 250 and 1000 litre bag in drum IBCs. Bag in box – the modern way to package olive oil. More information: Kent 0428 829 024 or Michelle 0448 965 349 E: oops@aussiebroadband.com.au
Hort Innovation – Sponsor
Hort Innovation is a not-for-profit, grower-owned company that delivers more than $100 million in research, development and marketing activities on behalf of Australian horticulture each year. Hort Innovation’s primary function is creating value for horticulture growers and those across the horticulture supply chain. Through investment in R&D and marketing, Hort Innovation works to improve productivity, farm gate profitability and global competitiveness of Australian horticultural industries. Hort Innovation is the link between the needs of industry, the capabilities of science, and the potential of marketing. More information: www.horticulture.com.au
Australian Olive Association – Sponsor
The Australian Olive Association (AOA) is the prescribed industry body representing the olive industry in Australia since 1995. It has an experienced Board of Directors consisting of small, medium and large growers, along with other Directors co-opted for their relevant experience and expertise. The AOA provides an extensive range of services to stakeholders, including the operation and management of field days and other extension services. The organisation also assists members with best practice management for olive production and olive processing through the OliveCare® program. More information: www.australianolives.com.au Ph: 0478 606 145 E: secretariat@australianolives.com.au
Olivebiz – Sponsor
Olivebiz.com.au is the industry-owned website dedicated to olive industry related news and products. Together with current news and comprehensive event information, it also houses the digital edition of the Olivegrower & Processor magazine and the Friday Olive Extracts (FOE) e-newsletter. Olivebiz also provides open access to all Hort Innovation Olive Levy R&D information and communications. More information: www.olivebiz.com.au Ph: 0408 525 798 E: editor@olivegrower.com.au
Olivegrower & Processor – Sponsor Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor is the region’s only specialist olive publication and is the key source of communication and information for the industry. We cover every aspect of the industry, from grove management and processing to packaging and marketing, with content targeted at current topical issues. Industry-owned and led, the emphasis is on best practice management to increase quality and business viability, along with industry news, events and opportunities. Each edition also includes Hort Innovation’s quarterly update on olive industry levy-funded projects and initiatives. Published four times per year, the magazine is mailed to subscribers across the globe and is also available online for access 24/7. More information: www.olivebiz.com.au Ph: 0408 525 798 E: editor@olivegrower.com.au
See the updated list of sponsors, along with information about the products and services they offer, on the Conference website: www. nationaloliveconference.com.au.
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 33
Grove management - organic olive growing
The sheep are doing a great job of grove floor management, cleaning out suckers and eating fallen diseased leaves.
Bella Olea: organic, successful and in demand It’s been suggested that you can’t successfully grow olives organically in New Zealand’s colder and higher rainfall climate. That’s being proven wrong by Chris and Hilary Penman, whose Bella Olea grove is thriving under organic management and producing award-winning EVOO. If it’s a path you’ve considered following, their story is sure to provide practical inspiration. Not everyone would call caring for 800 olive trees a hobby but for Chris and Hilary Penman, full-time jobs in broadcasting and government business mean that for them it is - albeit, they say, an “all-consuming” one. On the outskirts of Greytown in the Wairarapa food and wine region, the Penman’s Bella Olea grove is one of just a few in New Zealand managed organically. And after 10 years of hard, chemicalfree work, they’re now just months from achieving full organic certification. They’re also multi-medal winners at both the Olives NZ EVOO Awards and NZ Royal Easter Show, and have increasing demand for their range of organic products - olive oil, table olives, olive leaf extract, and hand and body lotions.
Background
The Penmans bought the grove from a beef farmer, who in around 2000 had planted 3.5 hectares of his property with olives. Their own life practices and beliefs made moving the grove to organic production a given. “We’d always been into healthy living and spray-free or organic food consumption,” Chris said.
“This naturally translated into growing olives organically, and to learning about soil and tree health. “It hasn’t always been easy but having consumer and wholesale markets here that value organic olive oil has created a good demand, which we are now expanding to meet. Commercially, we are improving our management of the grove to increase yields and our adoption of a new bio-fungicide is showing promise.”
Management practices
The major difference at Bella Olea is, of course, that they don’t use ‘standard’ horticultural chemicals. “We use only approved organic products,” Chris said. “The bio-fungicide we use has enzymes that eat fungal spores and we are experimenting with spray rates etc. Stepping up the pruning regime and making sure the trees get the fertiliser/nutrition they need is showing good results. “The regular pruning was something we’ve learned about through experience. We were always behind while trying to do it all ourselves, so with the help of contractors we are now getting on top of it.
34 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Thinking of going organic? Bella Olea’s transformation to a more healthy and increasingly productive grove is proof that organic production can be successfully and viably achieved. Given their experiences, we asked Chris what advice he’d share with other growers thinking of moving to organic olive growing. “Speak to your customers and find out what they want,” he said. “There is a definite upswing in interest in locally produced (regional/NZ) organic olive oil, from local farmers market through to wholesale/retail sectors. And through organic certification consumers can be confident they are getting a healthy product produced sustainably. “Also spare a thought for the planet. Keep reading and researching on ways to grow healthy trees without dumping tonnes of chemicals onto your properties. “And to those who say it can’t be done with olives: watch this space! It’s certainly working for us.”
Grove management - organic olive growing
Liquid seaweed fungicide is used for disease management and is proving effective, ensuring healthy tree growth and award-winning quality fruit.
“The smaller prunings are mulched around the trees, for moisture retention and to add organic matter to the soil, and the larger branches we give away to friends for firewood. “We also have an interest in biodynamics, and will start adding biodynamic sprays and practices into our management plan soon.”
Organic value
Chris admits that growing organically - and particularly gaining organic certification – has meant jumping more hurdles than with ‘regular’ grove management, but that they’re confident the extra effort is worth it. “From the start (10-plus years ago) we have followed organic practices and a few years ago we decided to go down the certification route. That, along with
Trilogy 631
the recent government’s Food Safety Regulations, has meant quite a bit of paperwork,” he said. “Organic certification is through Organic Farms NZ and requires annual audits of grove management. The good news is that our grove is due for its final audit and will gain Certified Organic status in a few months’ time.
HORT
& AG Trilogy Trilogy Trilogy 631 631 631 Seasol Trilogy 631 For priming the photosynthesis carbon pathway
A UNIQUE BLEND OF THREE REFINED NATURAL SOIL & PLANT BENEFICIAL COMPOUNDS
OUR NEW 3 IN 1 DRUM! Seasol Trilogy 631 is formulated to boost natural soil ecosystem and plant growth processes. Trilogy is manufactured by combining three key natural extracts:
Plant photosynthesis A unique blend A unique of three blend Arefined unique of three natural blend refined of soil three natural & plant refined soil beneficial &natural plant compounds. soil & plant compounds. beneficial compounds. for plant beneficial growth Seaweed Extract for plant growth
3 in 13Drum! in 1 Drum! 3 in 1 Drum!
Seasol
60% Seasol Liquid Seaweed extract • Root growth • Stress protection 30% Powerfish Liquid Fish extract • Proteins, amino acids for soil & plant • Natural source of nutrition 10% Liquid Organic Humate extract • Microbial activity • Water & nutrient holding
Seasol
Seasol
✓ Root growth ✓ Root growth✓ Root growth Above ground ✓ Stress protection ✓ Stress protection ✓ Stress protection processes
Plant N uptake
Below ground
processes PowerfishPowerfish Powerfish
Carbon ✓ Proteins, ✓ amino Proteins, acids amino for ✓ Proteins, acids for amino acids for Rhizodeposition soil & plant soil & plant soil & plant 1000L Acceleration ofofsoil N ✓ of ✓cycling Naturalby source ✓Rhizosphere Natural nutrition source Natural nutrition source of nutrition SWE & Fish 200L Fish Extract priming of SOM Extract and decomposition for available Humic Acids 20L Liquid Organic LiquidHumate Organic Liquid Humate Organic Humate nitrogen for microbe growth SWE ✓ Microbial activity Microbial activity ✓ Microbial activity for✓root ✓ Water growth &✓ nutrient Waterholding & nutrient ✓ Water holding & nutrient holding Whatever your requirements, we now have sizes to suit your needs. Seasol Trilogy 631 is available in 20L, 200L & 1000L quantities.
John Hocking National Sales Manager 0408 455 948 johnhocking@seasol.com.au
COMMERCIAL
& AUSTRALIAN MADE OWNED For more information, please go to www.seasol.com.au or call your local area sales manager on 1800 335 508
For more information, For more information, For more information, please go to www.seasol.com.au please go to www.seasol.com.au please go to www.seasol.com.au
a better way to grow
a better way to grow a better way to growa better way to grow
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 35
AOA 2021 National Olive Industry Virtual Conference
via Zoom webinar
Tuesday, 12 October to Friday, 15 October – 3:00-5:00pm each day Program Day 1 – Tuesday, 12 October: The Big Picture • Economy • Trade & export • Local markets Day 2 – Wednesday, 13 October: Biosecurity • Xyllela fastidiosa • Fruit fly • Other threats
Day 3 – Thursday, 14 October: Factors Influencing Olive Yields • Frost • Biennial bearing • Canopy management Day 4 – Friday, 15 October: Olives and Olive Oil in our Food • Table olives • Cooking • Health benefits
Friday, 15 October – 5.30-7.00pm Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Presentation Public event: all welcome to join the celebrations! Registrations now open AOA members – FREE Non-members – $30+GST per session or Full week ticket $100+GST Note: AIOA award presentation FREE for all attendees
Full program details and register at www.olivebiz.com.au Session sponsors:
Supporting sponsors:
Grove management - organic olive growing
This year’s fruit was plump and healthy.
“We would always have been organic, whether certified or not, but it’s great to have certification that shows the market that we are serious about healthy soil and healthy trees. We have major customers who are on board with us now specifically because of our organic status.” And their organic status is providing its own commercial benefits, they’ve found. “We now manage a few other groves organically to help meet the growing demand for organic oil,” Chris said. “We can leverage off our management practices and equipment - for example, our sprayer is dedicated for organic-only use - to get an economy of scale that helps the business. “And we’ve proven that managing an olive grove organically can be successful: the recent harvest on our grove was one of our biggest ever, producing 9000kg from 700 trees harvested. That crop yield was from heavily pruned trees, so we know that even greater yields are possible after re-growth.”
Focus Grove Project participation Bella Olea has also joined the second phase of the Olives NZ Focus Grove Project, utilising a new - still organic, of course regime which includes recommendations from the FGP learnings and project consultant Stuart Tustin. The March field day report noted that the regime is obviously working well, with vast improvements in grove health since the October visit. Major areas of management focus are: Nutrition - to improve the overall condition of the grove and for productivity, using liquid saweed and organic fertiliser, supplemented with boron and magnesium. Disease management – spraying with liquid seaweed fungicide every 6-8 weeks. This is proving effective, with Anthracnose minimal this year. They also run sheep for grove floor management, cleaning out suckers, and eating fallen and diseased leaves. Pruning Pruning is ongoing to reduce tree size and density, with good extension growth now evident as a result of this and the improved disease control.
The trees have responded well to major pruning, with strong regrowth across the grove. Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 37
Grove management
®
Best Practice Series Peter McFarlane, AOA OliveCare® Administrator
The OliveCare® program is all about helping olive producers achieve quality. With that aim, the Best Practice Series of articles discusses how to increase the yield of premium EVOO through best practice management strategies from the grove to the consumer.
Grove establishment best practice The growing appreciation for locally-grown EVOO and table olives is once again seeing new groves established, and existing plantings extended. Some growers are also replacing varietals which no longer work for their market or with their current climate. For anyone about to start the process, this advice on planning and preparation provides a comprehensive checklist of considerations and factors which will help ensure a productive result for your new grove. Rule #1: Get the design right
The decisions around establishing most Australian olive groves were made by others, often 20 or more years ago. What you now have is what economists refer to as a ‘sunk cost’ – being difficult and costly to change. For those of you who have the opportunity to start afresh with a new block, getting the design right from the start will circumvent many potential problems and save a lot of money and grief. Californian olive specialist Paul Vossen# says there’s an absolute starting point. “Harvesting costs have typically amounted to half of the total production costs for olives. Therefore, the most important choice for a new olive orchard, beyond site location, is to select the best method for harvest. “Subsequent decisions on variety choice, tree spacing, (canopy) training method, and the rest of the productions system fall into place more or less simultaneously.”
Grove establishment
There are a number of important considerations when deciding where to establish an olive grove, most of which take a little research or leg work, but all are crucial to a successful result: • determine if the local climatic conditions are suitable for olives, researching; » the range of winter temperatures » the danger of spring frosts damaging buds and wood » are the summers long, warm and dry – noting that high summer moisture and humidity is problematic for fungal disease in olives » the danger of autumn frosts damaging fruit • research the site history, including crops, chemical use and disease. Avoid previous crops with a risk of Verticillium Wilt –
The most important choices for a new olive orchard, beyond site location, are tree density and harvest method.
• • •
•
cotton, cucurbits, eggplant, peppers, potato and tomato analyse the soil profile for limiting factors for water penetration (hydrophobic soils) and drainage (perched water tables) test soil chemistry – pH, sodium, chloride and boron, which may limit productivity determine water availability and quality for proposed irrigation methods – noting that inadequate water supply is the most common limiting factor for grove productivity assess critical infrastructure needs – water, electricity, transport, labour.
Grove design and olive cultivar selection
These factors will determine potential
38 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
grove productivity, and will be expensive to change, so carefully consider: • tree planting density (low density, high density, super high density) and canopy architecture • proposed harvest method • frost control • soil moisture management (berms and drainage channels) • wind breaks and staking of young trees • olive cultivar selection including; » verification of DNA status » suitability to regional environment » agronomic factors (pollination, tree vigour, precocity, alternate bearing tendency) » pest and disease resistance
Grove management
Determine water availability and quality for your proposed irrigation methods to ensure optimal grove productivity.
» frost tolerance » market attributes (oil - oil content %, extraction efficiency, flavour profile, oxidative stability; table olives flesh:stone ratio, fruit size, flesh quality (resistance to bruising, sensory profile for the intended processing method).
Case study
Australian EVOO producer Boundary Bend has in recent years also firmly established itself in the US, gaining a successful place in the market for both its Australian EVOOs and also EVOO produced from its own US groves. The company’s latest US grove expansion project was featured in a recent Olive Oil
Times article, and is a good case study for the decision-making processes when establishing a new grove. The project comprises two groves of 180 and 140 hectares respectively, planted in Yolo County in California’s Sacramento Valley. The region is one of the most fertile in the state and was chosen after analyses of climate and other relevant factors. Most significantly, the groves were planted at medium-density, rather than the usual high or super-high density spacing of most new large-scale commercial groves. The company said there were a number of reasons behind the decision, including: • the suitability of medium-density planting for all olive cultivars;
• the ability to match cultivars to growing characteristics of specific sites; • the increased range of organoleptic characteristics provided by the wider cultivar range. The new groves utilise Boundary Bend’s precision drip irrigation system, which enables optimum irrigation for both oil quality and water supply sustainability, based on monitored soil moisture levels. The system also encompasses fertigation, again based on monitoring of the trees’ growth and development cycle, and changing needs. Source: www.oliveoiltimes.com
Frost and chill injury of olives In the May edition of OliveCare® News McFarlane discussed the importance of temperature monitoring in groves, given the growing significance of frost to the Australian olive industry. He noted that frost symptoms and outcomes on olives are wideranging, and include: • damaged fruit, tip burn, leaf curl, defoliation, limb die-back and bark splitting; • lesions increase susceptibility to bacterial (olive knot) and fungal (anthracnose) infections; • increased suckering on the prevailing weather side of the tree trunk. The most common issues, however, are to late ripening fruit from early frosts, and to spring shoots from late frosts.
Knowledge is everything
Pendleton Estate grove manager and horticultural expert Andrew Taylor said one of the biggest issues with frost is actually realising it has caused damage to your crop. “The evidence of frost damage is not easy to find,” he said. “The best evidence of frost damage over the winter is that you get to spring and there are no flowers on your trees. The dilemma is, though, that people don’t realise that’s what has happened. “So this year most people have had a good harvest and next year when they don’t get a good return crop it will generally be blamed on biennial bearing. When you’re not monitoring temperatures and observing damaged flowering buds, you conclude that it’s a consequence of last year’s over-crop, or the drought or whatever, and you’ve missed the fact that there were several nights or mornings
Even light frost damage can completely ruin a crop. Image: Vera Sergeeva.
when it got too cold and the flowering buds were damaged. “For example, in Keith they were still harvesting in late July Pendolino, very healthy fruit, for very mild oil. And the flower buds for next year’s crop had already extended 10mm. “The timing is very variety and location specific but the genitalia of that plant were already exposed. And how cold does it need to get to cause cell damage to that little plant? What temperature burns those buds off?
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 39
Grove management
“There’s no hard and fast rule, but if buds are protruding more than 5mm you’re likely to get frost damage at -2ºC. “The problem is that very few people have been doing data logging to get an idea of how cold it does get in their grove, whereas if you’ve got a data logger in your grove and you find you’ve got no buds left, you can ascertain the temperature which caused the damage.”
Reducing the risk
Frost fans are an increasingly common tool in very large groves and vineyards but Taylor said for smaller growers they’re not always affordable. “If you’ve got the money to spend that may well be the way you want to go but for growers on a tight budget cultural practices are the things we need to factor in,” he said. “They’re not going to completely negate the risk of frost, but the right grove management practices can dramatically reduce the risk.
Let it drift
“Moving air or drift reduces the freezing ability of surface water – for example, heavy dew – on small parts of plants like flower buds,” he said. “And if not pruned properly, the trees themselves can reduce the movement of cold air in the grove as there’s no natural drift. “So pruning your trees well and keeping a good one-metre gap between the canopy and the ground means you continue to get the natural drift across the grove, reducing the freezing effect of the frost. “And if you’ve got a grove on a slope, and you’ve got a woodlot or shelter belts, they also need to be trimmed or pruned to enable the air to get through them. Again, anything which stops the flow of air can exacerbate the effects of frost.
While flower damage is often hard to identify, the effects of heavy frost on fruit are very obvious.
While it’s possibly the last thing most growers would think of doing, Taylor said irrigating a frost-prone grove during winter is a smart move. “Ground water in the middle of winter can be 14-15ºC,” he said. “So by applying 3-4L per dripper under olive trees during frost conditions - 0 ºC or below - you’re adding latent heat to the ground, and that has to go up. Any added-in temperature you can provide can assist in reducing the risk of frost damage.
Frost damage is a time and temperature relationship - fruit/shoots need time to decrease in temperature to reach freezing point: • olive fruit can be damaged below -1.7ºC • young olive trees and branches can be killed below -5.5ºC and • mature trees can be killed at temperatures below -.5ºC Note: these are not precise numbers because the damage varies according to the specific temperature at ground level around the tree, the duration of the cold spell, the olive variety, the age of the tree, and whether the trees have had a chance to harden off. Additional grove management practices discussed include: • mowing high grass adds 1ºC • bare soil allows sun to reach soil, which will store sunlight heat better than dry soil; keeping soil bare and moist can add 1ºC • water over trees can also assist, as the temperature of water adds heat and wet ice around fruit prevents fruit temperature falling below 0ºC. Falivene also covered mechanical aids including frost fans, helicopters and burners, and gave the following advice on planning and monitoring: • identifying frost risk areas on your property - both before you plant and when considering mitigation measures - is a no-brainer, as is choice and positioning of varieties. Some varieties are less frost sensitive and early ripening varieties should be planted in higher risk areas: frost monitoring is also crucial, due to the need to identify affected fruit and harvest/process immediately to protect oil quality. Examples were also provided examples of how to carry out an economic analysis of frost prevention aids in your grove.
Increase soil biology
Frost and EVOO quality
Optimise tree health
“Lots of leaves on a tree - and healthy leaves – can also help protect the tree. Every plant cell is giving off a tiny amount of heat and if it’s healthy that can prevent flower buds being burned due to frost. “Like any other major stress, a healthy tree can always survive better through a frost.”
Winter irrigation
“Which brings me to the last practice, which is really important: increasing the biology in the soil under our trees and increasing the carbon content in our soil, which in turn increases the environment for biology to increase, will increase the soil temperature. “In short, more heat is radiated from healthy, active soil during cold frost conditions than from sand, so while it doesn’t remove the risk it will assist our groves to combat frosts.”
Resources
NSW DPI Citrus Development Officer Steven Falivene gave a presentation on frost management in olives at the AOA National Olive Conference in Albury in 2019. Don’t Get Burned - How to Manage Frost provides an overview on how frosts events occur, and more information on the on-farm practices that can be implemented to reduce the intensity of frosts. The presentation also included information on the thresholds for olive frost damage#2, as follows:
Modern Olives Laboratory Manager and sensory expert Claudia Guillaume also presented at the 2019 Conference on the Impact of Frost on EVOO Quality Parameters: “Frost is one of the most important weather-related hazards for the Australian olive industry,” Guillaume said. “Early frosts will normally affect the fruit, leading to significant changes in the chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the oils. Testing of quality chemical parameters in particular showed significant differences in oils produced from frost-damage fruit. “Those chemical parameters were not significantly different in the oil produced from fruit immediately after being frosted, however sensory characteristics and the biophenols profile showed significant changes even with oils produced within a short time after the freezing event. “Those changes became more evident with the oils produced at increasing timeframes from the moment of fruit freeze.” Guillaume’s presentation provides an overview of the research
40 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Grove management
Cultural practices to reduce frost damage 1. 2. 3. 4.
prune the canopy open improve and maintain optimum leaf health mow grass and control weeds under trees manage and utilise irrigation on the coldest nights – water under and over trees 5. mulch all prunings and introduce biology by way of compost to improve soil biology
Poor siting of this grove means the road embankment acts as a dam, holding back the cold air and leading to frost-damaged fruit in most years.
They can be applied either prior to or following a stress event and contain nutritional elements for energy, photosynthesis and cell integrity. They are also said to assist in drought conditions, as well as with pest and disease incursions. Frost-damaged fruit is not pretty – or usable!
conducted, which studied the quality parameters of at three varieties of fruit - Frantoio, Barnea and Picual – at four stages: before frost, immediately after a frost event, two weeks after a frost event and four weeks after a frost event. The tests carried out included FFA, PV, UV coefficients, IND and Biophenols profile, along with sensory analysis. Stand-out results include: • Picual: FFA levels almost trebled in oils produced four weeks after a frost event, while IND (induction time, an indicator of shelf life) decreased by seven months and PPH were a quarter of the original content; • Frantoio: FFA levels doubled in oils produced two weeks after a frost event and were outside of specifications in oils produced four weeks after a frost event, while IND decreased by nine months and PPH decreased by three-quarters in oils produced four weeks after a frost event and PV was outside of standard specifications in oils produced two weeks after a frost event. • Barnea: FFA levels doubled in oil produced four weeks after a frost event, while IND decreased by seven months, PPH decreased to one-fifth of the original and PV was outside the standard specifications. Most importantly, all oils registered significant sensory defects immediately after frost and those produced two weeks after a frost event were classified as Lampante (not fit for human consumption). This is just a cherry-pick of the wealth of greater detail in both presentations. The slides and videos of both are available for viewing on the OliveBiz website - www.olivebiz.com.au. From the home page go to Events – Conference – 2019 National Conference & Trade Exhibition Presentation Videos and Powerpoints – Presentations Day 1.
#Ref: ‘Organic Olive Production Manual’ by Paul Vossen, (Chapter 1: Site, varieties, and production systems), available for purchase through various on-line booksellers. #2Ref: www.oliveoilsource.com/page/frost-prevention.
Now in an improved EcoSolution * For the control of black scale in olives Improved safety profile: previously schedule 5, now unscheduled
Plant protection products
Another option in the grower toolbox are agricultural plant protective products. Formulated to increase a plant’s natural resistance by activating the plant’s own defence system, these products aid recovery from a stress event (including frost) and act as a key plant ‘protection’ mechanism.
www.sumitomo-chem.com.au * Water based solution. Admiral® is a registered trademark of Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 41
Grove management
®
Best Practice Series Peter McFarlane, AOA OliveCare® Administrator
The OliveCare® program is all about helping olive producers achieve quality. With that aim, the Best Practice Series of articles discusses how to increase the yield of premium EVOO through best practice management strategies from the grove to the consumer.
Climate adaptation and environmental best practice A recent Agriculture Victoria webinar explored planning for the impact of climate change on primary production over the next 30 years in that state. There were some very concerning predictions: “Climate change impacts are a significant challenge for Victoria’s primary industries. “Victoria is likely to become hotter and drier, and may experience more frequent and/or extreme events such as heatwaves, bushfires and drought. “The availability of fresh water is likely to become a more critical issue.”
Projections and planning
The Primary Production Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan 2022-2026 is part of the Victorian Government’s planning strategy, and provides further detail on projected climate changes and trends. Most significantly: • since official records began in 1910, Victoria has warmed by 1.2ºC; by the 2050s, Victoria’s annual temperature may increase by up to 2.4ºC compared to the 1986–2005 average (under a highemissions scenario), with around twice as many very hot days. Warming has already led to: • a decrease in average rainfall, especially in cooler months; • increased frequency of extreme heat events; and • an increase in dangerous fire weather and the length of bushfire season. These climate trends and associated impacts are expected to continue. The latest climate projections also suggest: • due to natural variability, extreme rainfall events will still occur. They’re likely to be more intense and potentially increase flash flooding risk in some locations; • the number of high fire-danger days in Victoria is expected to increase; • sea levels will continue to rise and by the 2050s they’ll have risen around 24 cm (relative to 1986–2005) under both medium- and high-emissions scenarios.
Key impacts on primary industry
The plan lists key system-wide impacts as including: • geographical shifts in land capabilities and land use due to increased demand for more productive land, and land with higher (and more reliable) rainfall. This will increase the potential for stranded assets; • increased risk of extreme weather events, including prolonged periods of extreme heat, fire, drought and floods. Such events are likely to impact assets and infrastructure, productive land, vegetation, animals, waterways, food safety, and human health and communities; • likely changes to seasonal patterns are expected to result in disruptions to harvesting and production cycles; • potential increased costs and less reliable inputs and services due to disruptions to value chains because of climatic extremes; • reduced availability of finance and insurance; • potential increased outbreaks of pests and diseases from current and newly introduced species (and increased unseasonal moisture - Ed); • potential decline in the health and safety of primary industries workers and their families from climate extremes (for example, heat and fire) and from increasing challenges to business viability; • associated likely impacts on the viability and wellbeing of rural and regional communities that primary industries support and rely on. Horticulture-specific impacts include: • expected hotter conditions and solar radiation reduce product quality; • projections of lower and more variable rainfall, increased water scarcity and reduced water quality are likely to result in reduced supply, increased prices and increased competition for irrigation water; increased frost risks. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the most effective strategy to reduce the impacts of climate change. However, even
42 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
if they ceased today, the climate would keep warming for decades because of past emissions. The magnitude of climate change’s impacts depends on how quickly the international community acts to cut emissions.
Action imperative
While the plan relates specifically to Victorian statistics, climate change is a country-wide – indeed global – reality. To remain viable, producers need to adapt their operations to our changing climate while also acting on the recognised causes – man-made emissions and unsustainable agricultural practices. If global emissions continue to increase, in the 2050's Victoria may experience:
Double the number of hot days
Increased frost events and intensity
More intense downpours
Average annual temperature increase of up to 2.4°C
Longer fire season with up to double the number of high fire danger days
Grove management
The olive industry already has a strong focus in that direction. Here’s a set of easyreference checklists to ensure your business is operating under responsible and sustainable industry practices.
OliveCare® environment and community best practice checklists
Carbon value and greenhouse gas emissions The Australian olive industry aims to provide a net positive capture of greenhouse gas emissions via: • climate adaptation (incremental or transformational) - plan for climate change and/or environmental threats to the crops you currently grow: » increasing frequency of high temperature events impacting on product quality and cultivar suitability; » change in rainfall distribution and variability impacting on water availability, quality and cost; » change in frost, flood, drought and fire frequency and severity; » change in pest and disease outbreaks and biosecurity risk; » disruption to supply chains and services; • utilise olive groves for carbon capture where appropriate; and • benchmark energy efficiency, and reduce enterprise energy use, via: » energy use efficiency (litres of fuel and kwh electricity/kg product) » carbon footprint for your olive products (eg kg CO2/kg olive oil).
Warming has already seen an increase in dangerous fire weather and the length of bushfire season.
• convert organic waste to value-added products, eg compost; • aim for zero organic waste to landfill. Preserving ‘natural capital’ Support and improve ‘natural capital’ (soil, water, flora and fauna), and minimise off-site impacts on environmental assets associated with soil, nutrient, pesticide and discharge water movement off-site: • olive enterprises should co-exist with the natural habitat and in accordance with local Native Vegetation Council and local government rules and regulations; • maintain biodiversity values on the property in a regional context by taking into account native vegetation, wildlife and ecosystems in business planning (EcoHort); • minimise impacts on environmental values from soil, sediment and associated pollutants entering waterways; • manage water run-off and discharge to minimise impacts on downstream environments’ • note the importance of other Australian horticulture crops having effective pollination.
ackaging S P il
OO t in
b a g-in - b
in g
ec
lis
Sources/references: Victoria’s Climate Change Strategy, 2021: State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Melbourne, Australia – www.climatechange.vic.gov.au. Primary Production Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan 2022-2026: © State of Victoria (Department of Premier and Cabinet) 2016, provided under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 international licence (www. creativecommons.org) – www.engage.vic.gov. au/aaps-primaryproduction.
• Complete packaging service - just send your oil to us and we will do everything • Self fill packaging - ‘self fill’ supplies so that you can pack your own olive oil • ‘Bag-in-drum’ IBCs, drums and replacement liner bags
ag
Sp
ia
PS
es vic er
Olive O
Farm waste Aim to minimise farm waste wherever possible: • ensure appropriate use/recovery/disposal of processing waste;
Community The olive industry is valued for its contribution to regional Australia and communities: • the olive industry makes a valuable contribution to the economic and social fabric in regional and peri-urban communities • olive groves are a valued part of the landscape in regional and peri-urban communities. The management practices checklisted above can ensure your grove is part of that responsible industry contribution within your community.
a ox p
ck
• All your packaging needs - from 1 litre casks up to 1000 litre bulk ‘bag-in-drum’
Mobile: Kent 0428 829 024 Mobile: Michelle 0448 965 349 PO Box 114 Riverton SA 5412 Email: oops@aussiebroadband.com.au Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 43
Olive business - marketing and promotion
Jared Bettio showed the chefs that making EVOO is a labour of love and a craft, aiming to change the way they think about its value.
Making the EVOO connection When Jared Bettio stopped the press in the middle of Rio Vista’s mammoth 2021 harvest, he no doubt wondered if the idea had been a crazy one. But as 14 Adelaide chefs had a light-bulb moment about fresh, local EVOO, he knew it was worth it. The setting was Rio Vista’s Mypolonga processing plant and that idea was to bridge the gap between the EVOO that chefs are using in the kitchen and the labour of love which is creating it. They’d do that by taking the chefs through the creation process, from tree to fresh EVOO.
Making the connection
“We wanted the chefs to come down and connect with the process; to actually get the context of the fruit coming off the tree, getting cleaned, processed, malaxed and finally see the oil coming out,” Rio Vista Marketing Manager Sarah Asciutto said. “When people are there and they see all the processes involved, how complex it is and how many elements there are to consider, all of a sudden they realise there’s a real art to it. And they also realise that it’s not a cheap product to make. “One of the most difficult things in dealing with chefs is that they typically want to drive down the price, but when they see it’s not just a quick or easy process, that it’s a labour of love and a craft, I think that makes a difference to how they think about its value.”
Promoting regionality
The chefs, from a range of Adelaide restaurants, then joined the Rio Vista harvest team for a lunch featuring local produce from around the area. “A secondary aim of the day was to educate them about the regionality of EVOO and introduce them to more of the amazing food produced in our region – like local buffalo mozzarella and goats cheese,” Ascuitto said.
“Not many people associate the Murraylands with gourmet food but there’s actually a lot of amazing produce made here, it’s just not on the average food map. So for us it was also an opportunity to start opening chefs’ eyes to another fabulous local food region which is right on their doorstep. “We’re now hoping to organise a second day with chefs from Sydney and Melbourne, to take that education and introduction process out even further afield.”
Taking it to the screen
The Rio Vista team then followed up with a harvest season segment on Adelady, a lifestyle TV program promoting all things South Australian. Part of an SA produce episode, the segment looked at both the production of EVOO and its use in the kitchen. “It was about ‘Everyone knows what olive oil is but do you know how it’s made?’,” Asciutto said. “They filmed Jared processing, and talked
44 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
to him about all the processes and oils, giving viewers a bit of a ‘behind the scenes’ look at olive oil. “Then they interviewed me about cooking with olive oil, which was a great opportunity to work on changing people’s perceptions about cooking with olive oil. “We know there are a lot of people – including old Italians – still using whatever’s on special, so we were trying to get the message across that when the base of a dish is a really good olive oil, that’s going to change the whole flavour of it. “And we backed it up at the end with a spread of food - Bolognese, caprese, chocolate brownies and mousse – all made with olive oil. “Again, it was a bit crazy doing it in the middle of harvesting and processing but it was a great opportunity to improve the image of olive oil. For people to be able to see for themselves how it’s made, and how special a product it is, can only do good things for the industry.”
Olive business
Digital marketing: big opportunities for small business Lauren Hamilton, Digital Narrative
Strengthen your online presence (while you’re stuck in lockdown!) Frustratingly, many of us have recently found ourselves in lockdown once again. For some, this translates to more time on the property, with less hours spent on deliveries, at farmers markets and/or at dayjobs. Even for those who aren’t movement restricted, the natural ebb and flow of running a business means that sometimes a random quiet patch will appear, affording you the time needed to conquer long neglected tasks on your to-do list. If improving your digital marketing is on your mental list, you’ll be pleased to know there are things which you can tackle yourself without spending a cent. The trick is in knowing which tasks – realistically - can be handled by someone who is not a tech guru, as well as discerning which improvements will deliver the biggest bang for your buck. To give a little guidance, I’ve pulled together a list of three simple ways you can use your downtime to improve your online presence. All you need is an internet connection, a computer and a few free hours up your sleeve! Note: if any of these suggestions are confusing, or you become stuck, I advise searching for a YouTube tutorial or a blog for clarification. There’s a wealth of information out there, once you know how to ask the right questions. And of course, if the thought of anything on this list makes you want to lie down in a dark room with a washcloth over your eyes, get in touch! We may be able to divide and conquer to have your digital platforms sparkling without costing the earth. Good luck!
1) Get busy on social media
Simply posting things to your Facebook page or Instagram account even if you do it frequently - is not enough to succeed on social media these days. You need to also spend time roaming around in the app, engaging with other people or businesses via liking and commenting on their posts. You also need to post ‘Stories’ or ‘Reels’ (you can read about this in my website blog 5 Ways to Use Instagram Reels in Your Social Media Marketing) - now’s an excellent time to spend a few hours getting your head around these newer formats. Doing these engagement tasks bumps up the likelihood that the Gods of Facebook will show your own posts to your followers. This is because the system ‘rewards’ you for being an active member of the community with more views, and punishes ‘inactive’ accounts by barely showing your stuff to anyone ...
2) Add backlinks to make your website more visible to Google
Backlinks are simply links which lead from someone else’s website back to your own website. A classic example is a listing on an online directory like ‘Yellow’ (the digital Yellow Pages). Every backlink is gold for your website (they’re how the Google ‘spiders’ crawl to your site in the first place!) and the more popular the website you link to is, the better.
You don’t have to know everything to make a start, especially with a little guidance from a knowledgeable friend!
One great way of getting more links to your site is by offering to write a testimonial for a supplier and getting them to place it on their website, linking your business name to your website. Just reach out to people you’ve bought substantial goods and services from and offer a testimonial to place on their website (under the proviso they add a link to your website). If you’re a major client of a particular business and you’re on good terms with the team, ask if they have a ‘clients’ page on their website that you could be added to, again with a link to your website. And always add your business to any relevant directories you can find online, from local area directories to sites like Trip Advisor, as well as specific olive or horticultural/agricultural pages you know about. The more the merrier rule applies here - you can never have too many backlinks!
3) Give your website a spring clean
Now is a great time to go methodically through your website and look for broken links (where you click a button or other link and nothing happens), photos which aren’t sized right or typos. If your site is an online store, try to detect any ‘barriers to purchase’ points at which a customer might ‘get lost’ or feel unsure where you’re supposed to go next. Imagine the perfect route you’d like people to take through your site, from homepage to checkout or to contacting you, and identify if there are any hurdles along that journey. Then, if you’re able to, fix those problems; and if you’re not, look for a reasonably priced web developer in your network who can handle it for you. Many Olivegrower readers will know Lauren from her great 2019 AOA National Olive Conference presentation and workshop, or last year’s webinar series. We’re excited to now welcome her to our industry journal with this regular column on digital marketing for small business and are sure many of you will benefit from her knowledge and advice. And if you need help with your digital marketing, you know where to go!
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 45
Olive business
New sales opportunities from consumer pandemic pivot An international report on consumer shopping behaviour has revealed how buying habits have changed since the start of the global pandemic. Overall, the changes provide significant opportunities for olive producers, and food for thought for many in terms of their current sales and product offerings. Nearly half of Australian consumers report that their shopping habits have changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue or change further into the future. That’s the finding of the YouGov International FMCG/CPG report 2021: Consumer goods in a crisis report, which examines consumers’ attitudes to fast moving/consumer packaged goods across 17 global markets. We all remember the panic-buying at the start of the pandemic as lockdowns were announced. It heralded a huge change from the day-to-day shopping habits of most consumers and a year later 48% of Australians surveyed for the report say their shopping habits are different to those of pre-pandemic days.
Pantry items popular
With ‘stay at home’ being the norm for most people over the past year or so, shoppers have stocked up on items across a number of categories. Food cupboard items are among the top listings, with 27% of consumers increasing their consumption – and therefore purchases.
As was online shopping
And while only one in five (20%) of Singaporeans said they buy their groceries or household essentials online, just over half of the Australians surveyed (51%) had purchased online in the previous month.
Future forecast
YouGov also asked shoppers how they foresee their habits changing, or continuing, into the future as a result of the pandemic. The results may make some producers want to re-think their offering. Bigger is better A third of the surveyed consumers (34%) say they are now more likely to buy things in bulk. What it means for producers: for those packaging in small bottles only, this raises the question of whether a wider size range may be more appropriate in the future. This also supports feedback from some growers of increased demand for 2L bag-in-box packaged product during the pandemic. Online on-trend Almost as many (32%) agree they will be shopping more online. This trend is even more prevalent in younger shoppers (aged 25 to 34), with just over half (51%) intending to order more online, while only 16% of shoppers over the age of 55 said that they will make more use of online ordering and delivery. What it means for producers: despite the attitude of some older shoppers, a third of the surveyed customers means there’s a clear continuing trend to online shopping. For those who’ve resisted offering online sales, or set up temporary systems for sales during lockdown periods, this may point to value in investing in a web-shop.
A third of the surveyed consumers say they are now more likely to buy things in bulk, supporting feedback from some producers of increased demand for 2L bag-in-box packaged product since the pandemic started.
Local and sustainable Two thirds (66%) of surveyed consumers said they will make more of an effort to support local businesses and half (50%) say they will buy more sustainable products in the future. What it means for producers: there’s never been a better time to celebrate your regionality and increase your presence in your local market. Perhaps think about joining forces with other businesses to support and promote each other, and/or advertise more locally. And do your labels, packaging and website promote your ‘story’ well, in terms of both regionality and sustainable practices and products? They’re your number one marketing tools, so if they’re not reflecting what consumers want to hear (i.e. local and sustainable) it may be time for a design make-over. The full report can be downloaded at www.business.yougov.com. There’s also a different take on the subject in the article Consumers trend towards healthy, local food during COVID-19 in the R&D Insights section of the June edition.
46 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Olive R&D - health
Study shows EVOO improves endothelial function and heart health In a promising finding for heart disease prevention, new research conducted by the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center has found that the consumption of extra virgin olive oil improves endothelial function, a marker of heart health. Endothelial function is a measure of overall blood vessel elasticity, and how well blood vessels expand as blood flows through, and is considered an independent predictor for risk of future cardiovascular events. Significantly, no such benefit was found for refined olive oil.
The research
In the study, recently published in The International Journal of Cardiology, the researchers compared the effects of consuming high polyphenol extra virgin olive oil and refined olive oil respectively on measures of cardiovascular health in adults with prediabetes.
The problem
According to Diabetes Australia, an estimated 1.2 million Australians have a diagnosis of diabetes, and another two million have pre-diabetes. People with diabetes or at risk of diabetes are more likely to develop other chronic health problems such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and hypertension, and have a higher risk of dying prematurely. Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 47
Olive R&D - health
Method
The study involved a randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover trial of 20 adults (mean age 56.1 years; 10 women, 10 men) at risk for type 2 diabetes. Each participant was assigned two intervention treatments, consisting of either 50 mL of high-polyphenolic EVOO or 50 mL of refined olive oil without polyphenols, with a one-week washout in between. The olive oils were consumed in a smoothie consisting of ½ cup frozen blueberries and 1 cup (8 oz) low-fat vanilla yogurt blended together. The primary outcome measure was endothelial function (EF) measured as flow-mediated dilatation. Participants were evaluated before and two hours after ingestion of their assigned olive oil treatment.
Results
The study team found that a single 50 mL dose (about 2 ½ tablespoons) of EVOO, taken as above, led to improved endothelial function two hours after ingestion. There was no improvement from the refined oil. No short-term effect on blood pressure was found with either type of olive oil. The principal investigator of the study said that the difference between the olive oils was statistically and clinically significant. “While research over the past few years has shown that olive oil can offer considerable benefits to heart health, results of those studies have not always been consistent,” said Dr Valentine Njike, MD, MPH. “This may be due to the fact that the nutritional content of olive oil varies. For example, all olive oils are relatively high in monounsaturated fat, which is thought to be ‘heart-healthy’, but extra virgin olive oil contains higher levels of biophenols. These natural compounds modulate oxidative stress and are thought to slow the progression of cardiovascular disease.” Dr Njike emphasised the need for a larger study with a longer time frame to add to the findings of this study, as well as studies to help clarify how extra virgin olive oil influences cardiovascular health. Source: Post-prandial Effects of Highpolyphenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Endothelial Function in Adults at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial: Valentine Y. Njike, Rockiy Ayettey, Judith A. Treu, Kimberly N. Doughty, David L. Katz. DOI:https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2021.01.062 - www. internationaljournalofcardiology.com. Note: The study was funded by Cobram Estate, and supported by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
48 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Products and services
Control table olive fermentation with Lyoflora V-3 cultures Australian company Ambello Bacteria Cultures Pty Ltd has been active in the Australian food production industry since 1980, supplying beneficial microbial starter cultures. For the forthcoming Australian olive harvest, they will also have available a proven olive fermentation culture, Lyoflora V-3.
Reduce spoilage and enhance quality
Manufactured by Sacco SRL Italy, Lyoflora V-3 culture is a pure lactobacillus plantarum strain that will assist in a controlled fermentation by suppressing and/or controlling, and outcompeting indigenous bacteria that may lead to spoilage and an undesirable end result such as unpleasant flavours and odours. The culture also assists in reducing the de-bittering time and enhancing the sensorial and hygienic quality of the final product. This selected strain of Lb plantarum produces bacteriocins which are biologically active proteins or protein complexes displaying a bactericidal mode of action against gram positive bacteria and closely related species that can spoil the end result of olive fermentation. Such commercially supplied cultures are of course used in many food production fields - e.g. dairy and meat products - for consistency and safety of all batches.
Increased product safety
There are a diverse range of scientific papers written, studies where listeria monocytogenes has been found present with indigenous bacteria, on olives. The Lyoflora V-3 will assist producers in reducing the danger of listeria monocytogenes growth during fermentation. The strain of Lb plantarum used in Lyoflora V-3 was selected for its ability to suppress listeria growth and to produce high quality and
safe, fermented vegetable products such as olives, sauerkraut, pickled vegetables and kimchi.
Protective biofilm
Other studies have demonstrated the benefits of a protective biofilm of Lb plantarum on the surface of olives during storage, during olive oil production, and as a potential probiotic. We would welcome the opportunity to supply links to such studies. Ambello has been successfully supplying protective lactobacilli Sacco cultures in Australia for use in meat products (salami etc), vegetable fermentation and bread making, for many years. Sacco has also supplied cultures to the Australian dairy industry for a similar period.
Free trial and data
Free samples of Lyoflora V-3 are available to olive growers for trial production use, along with technical data, usage direction information and safety data sheets. We welcome your request for these and other relevant information, and would be happy to discuss suitability of the product to your specific production and marketing aims. For information and samples contact: Ross Dive M Sc (Hons) - Managing Director, Ambello Bacteria Cultures Pty Ltd Email: ross.dive@ambellobacteria.com; rossdive@bigpond.net.au Phone: 0498 006 864; (02) 9631 6655 Web: www.saccosystem.com/home/en
Issue 121 • September 2021 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 49
your calendar of olive events
2021 Sep
28 October Cobram Estate Go for Gold virtual EVOO masterclass and tasting www.cobramestate.com.au
10 September Entries close, 2021 Olives NZ EVOO Awards www.olivesnz.org.nz
22 October Results announced, 2021 WA Olive Awards www.oliveswa.com.au
28 September AOA Technical Webinar - Table olive cultivars www.olivebiz.com.au
Oct
What’s on
5 October AOA Technical Webinar - EVOO storage considerations www.olivebiz.com.au 9 October Presentation Dinner, 2021 Olives NZ EVOO Awards – Wellington, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz 12-15 October 2021 Virtual National Olive Conference Online www.nationaloliveconference.com.au 15 October 2021 Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Gala Presentation – Online www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia. com.au
TBC October-November Winners announced, 2021 Hunter Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW www.hunterolives.asn.au
Nov
TBC November Winners announced, 2021 Sydney Royal Oil & Olives Competition – Sydney, NSW www.rasnsw.com.au
2022 Feb Apr
TBC
February/March AOA Healthy Soils - Healthy and Productive Groves Regional Field Day - Brucedale, NSW www.olivebiz.com.au TBC April AOA Processing Workshop - Boort, Vic www.olivebiz.com.au
Planning an event - virtual or physical? Let us help spread the word. Email your event details to Gerri at editor@olivegrower.com.au and we’ll add them to our industry calendar.
Advertiser index Client
Page
Client
Pieralisi Eclipse Enterprises Modern Olives Laboratory SICMA NSW DPI Testing Laboratory Ambello Bacteria Cultures
1 5 7 10-11 13 15
Seasol Sumitomo Chemical Olive Oil Packaging Services Australian Olive Association Braud Australia
50
Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2021 • Issue 121
Page
35 41 43 36, 51 52
enefit Member B
e $100 Conferenc 1.................. x n io t a r t 22 Regis ................ $ 1 x r e n in AIOA D 50 x1 .......... $1 e e F y r t n AIOA E
Membership it makes
Member $ discount
OG & P ....... $4 n x4 .......... io t ip r c s b Su .. $60 Olivebiz .................... 1 x s d e ifi s Clas
DOLLARS and SENSE!
$336 embership Annual m 5 er = $22 s 5 ha grow t discount n e v e g in o Plus ong
**El Cultivo Del Olivo Book on joining $165 RRP
So 1st year membership benefit = $494 Peak Industry Body – Advocacy and Representation – Your voice to Government ✓ Australian Standard
for Olive oil and olive pomace oil AS 5264-2011
✓ Australian
International Olive Awards
OliveCare
The
Olive Awards
®
www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia .com .au
✓ AOA National Awareness & Education Campaigns – Everyday, Fresher Tastes Better!
✓ Biosecurity
management
✓ Grower field days
✓ AOA Facebook page ✓ Tastebook program
✓ Industry AU STRAL IAN I N T E R N AT I O N A L
✓ Consumer
and reporting and seminars
✓ Code of Practice
®
✓ Market surveillance
Industry Conference & Exhibition
✓ Point of sale
marketing merchandise
✓ PHA Biosecurity Levy
communications – Olivegrower & Processor, Friday Olive Extracts, Olivebiz
✓ Registered pesticide minor use permits holder for industry
✓ Geographical AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND
& NATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE OLIVE INDUSTRY
Indication representation
✓ Codex representation ✓ Industry Risk and
Crisis Management
The Australian Olive Association is the prescribed industry body representing all olive growers, certified importers and service providers in Australia since 1995. JOIN TODAY and take advantage of the many member benefits and services. Email Liz at secretariat@australianolives.com.au
BRAUD 9090X OLIVE WORLD’S #1
Totally Australian Owned
