"We may pass violets looking for roses. We may pass contentment looking for victory." Bernard Williams
It's been a busy spring at the rancho. After the dust of harvest clears and the workers leave, the behind-the-scenes people (yours truly) get busy on getting the olive oil certified, and if that occurs, after the oil has settled a bit, the time comes to bottle, label, prep for the olive competitions and hit the ground running.
There have been improvements along the way. Our labels have been updated and polished a bit and more standardized. We have learned to use the new label machine -- although, if one were telling the truth, one would say it is not as user-friendly as we had hoped. We have an updated, hopefully more user-friendly, website.
We were also thrilled to announce that, in March, our products were actually on store shelves at the Cheese Store in Silverlake, CA, just outside Hollywood. We had a great day meeting the people who work there and their incredibly enthusiastic customers.
We continue to develop new products and use our family and friends to test them upon. We are an animal-friendly business, which is why we're testing them on family and friends.
We're also very pleased to report that, as of this date, our oils have been awarded ten medals this year, including four gold medals -- two from the Napa Valley Competition, one from the California State Fair, and one from the Yolo County Competition. We are truly honored and grateful. There is still one competition to go, the Central Coast Olive Oil Competition. A win at home would be nice, but the wins we have are very special.
We believe in our products and so the amount of passion and dedication that goes into growing them and turning them into oil and getting that oil into a bottle, labeled, and marketed is an extension of that dedication. It doesn't all happen on its own.
True, most of the time, it is the farmer and the person in the barn performing the day-to-day ranch activities, but part of being grateful means taking the time to thank everyone who helped us bring in such an outstanding crop this year, from all of our family members and friends who spent from sun up to sun down sorting olives (and YES, sorting is important, despite what the critics might say), to the crew from Custom Vineyard, to our extraordinary mill, Kiler Ridge. Gregg Bone made sure to get everyone's olives milled with the care and expertise he gives his own olives and award-winning olive oil, despite being injured and needing surgery, and also fighting battles he should not have to fight, thanks to the County of SLO.
However, we are only as good as the next olive, so while continuing to bottle, label, increase the inventory of our other products, and create new products, we now turn our eyes toward this year's olives. The buds are nearly ready to turn into blossoms. We hold our breath, hope for no huge rain, hail or wind storms. We hope for a good fruit set. We hope for a good growing year.
There are some things we cannot change. We have learned that through harsh lessons over the last 10 years, but what we have learned is that we must take the time to savor our victories and our time spent with family and friends during the journey and adventure because we do not want to pass the violets looking for roses.
Happy Spring!
There have been improvements along the way. Our labels have been updated and polished a bit and more standardized. We have learned to use the new label machine -- although, if one were telling the truth, one would say it is not as user-friendly as we had hoped. We have an updated, hopefully more user-friendly, website.
We were also thrilled to announce that, in March, our products were actually on store shelves at the Cheese Store in Silverlake, CA, just outside Hollywood. We had a great day meeting the people who work there and their incredibly enthusiastic customers.
We're also very pleased to report that, as of this date, our oils have been awarded ten medals this year, including four gold medals -- two from the Napa Valley Competition, one from the California State Fair, and one from the Yolo County Competition. We are truly honored and grateful. There is still one competition to go, the Central Coast Olive Oil Competition. A win at home would be nice, but the wins we have are very special.We believe in our products and so the amount of passion and dedication that goes into growing them and turning them into oil and getting that oil into a bottle, labeled, and marketed is an extension of that dedication. It doesn't all happen on its own.
True, most of the time, it is the farmer and the person in the barn performing the day-to-day ranch activities, but part of being grateful means taking the time to thank everyone who helped us bring in such an outstanding crop this year, from all of our family members and friends who spent from sun up to sun down sorting olives (and YES, sorting is important, despite what the critics might say), to the crew from Custom Vineyard, to our extraordinary mill, Kiler Ridge. Gregg Bone made sure to get everyone's olives milled with the care and expertise he gives his own olives and award-winning olive oil, despite being injured and needing surgery, and also fighting battles he should not have to fight, thanks to the County of SLO.
However, we are only as good as the next olive, so while continuing to bottle, label, increase the inventory of our other products, and create new products, we now turn our eyes toward this year's olives. The buds are nearly ready to turn into blossoms. We hold our breath, hope for no huge rain, hail or wind storms. We hope for a good fruit set. We hope for a good growing year. There are some things we cannot change. We have learned that through harsh lessons over the last 10 years, but what we have learned is that we must take the time to savor our victories and our time spent with family and friends during the journey and adventure because we do not want to pass the violets looking for roses.
Happy Spring!
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