One of the things I've always wanted to do is to visit an olive farm, especially this time of the year when the harvest is beginning in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
The best method to harvest olives, is done by hand where workers have nets around their necks or waists to drop the fruit
into. Olives picked like these are the ones we eat, because they
have not been damaged or bruised. Sometimes, the branches are cut from
the trees and then the fruit is separated from it, which in turn helps
the tree for future production.
There are olive groves throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, California, Peru and Chile. In the case of Peru and Chile they will not be harvesting the olives right now because they are entering Spring time. But, if you are in Italy, France, Spain or the Middle East, you can take advantage of the harvest all the way through December in some place.
Olive trees are one of the strongest because they resist the most extreme conditions of cold and heat. It's been proved that many olive trees near the Mediterranean and the Middle East, are as old as 2000 years, some of the dating back to Roman times.
The olive tree and its branches have been a symbol of peace and victory for centuries. Olive branches have been used by brides and olive farms have become very popular, amongst them, as the place to hold wedding parties.
Have a great and peaceful day!
