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The varieties of olives that we grow...
We grow a large variety of olives some of which are for table eating olives and some for oil production. Over the years we have discovered what types of olives grow best in this region. The varieties grown at Fylde Fields include Verdale, Ascolano, Leccino and Koronekei.
How we cultivate our olives...
Conditions in New Zealand are quite different than where most of the olive trees originate from and each season is different from the last throwing up new challenges to the successful cultivation of olives. At Fylde Fields we only use approved methods of cultivation that gives the best results with the minimum interference to nature’s delicate balance. The trees are checked daily and general maintenance is done as-and-when it is necessary and while regular preventative actions are scheduled it is ultimately up to the weather conditions as to when they are actually performed. The smaller scale of our operation lends itself better to the hands-on approach to most of the activities in the grove, so we do not use heavy machinery and we are able to get closer to the individual trees to see how they are doing.
How we pick our olives...
Picking olives is a festival affair at Fylde Fields where friends and family gather around to lend a hand as has been done in olive groves throughout history. Nets are spread out under the trees and pickers use olive-rakes from the ground or by hand atop ladders to pick the crop. Laughter and conversation can be heard through the grove as youngsters, their parents and grandparents all work side by side in the fresh air. When the work is done everybody gathers together around a table to relax and enjoy good food, drink and company, happy in the knowledge of a good days work well done. The experience is so rewarding that our pickers often return year after year to lend a helping hand.
How we press our olives...
At Fylde Fields we do not have our own olive press, instead we take our freshly picked olives to another grove that has a traditional olive oil press that has been imported from Italy. The olives are graded and hand checked for quality and to remove anything not wanted before they are processed into a paste that is spread onto mats that are then stacked vertically ready for the compression pressing. The olives are cold pressed once only to ensure that the oil that comes out is of the best quality.
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