Early start to harvest

Staff at the Grampians Olive Co, formally Toscana Olives, started picking and pressing olives in April.

Owner Greg Mathews said they usually didn’t start harvest until mid-May.

“We were about four weeks earlier than usual,” he said.

“We had a lot of long, sunny days and dry conditions, which caused it to be earlier.”

Mr Mathews said despite the early start, harvest was going well.

“I’m a little surprised actually at how well the fruit is looking,” he said.

“We had record dry conditions and it could be better if we had more rain, but overall it’s good.”

Harvest at the Laharum grove will go for another six weeks.

“It takes about two months all together,” Mr Mathews said.

“We typically work 13 to 14 hour days during harvest.”

He said overall the growing seasons had been challenging.

“The lack of rain in spring didn’t little to help the fruit set,” he said.

“But we seemed to have just enough rain during summer to keep the trees growing.

“The roots are pretty far down in the ground though to try to get moisture.” Mr Mathews said grove staff were also busy pressing the olives. 

“People can buy oil straight form the press,” he said.

“We press the olives straight after we pick them, so it’s all happening at the same time.”

This year was extra special for Mr Mathews with his daughter Lucy helping with harvest for the first time.

“She’s only 18 months old, but she has had a lot of fun picking the olives off the trees,” he said.

“Whenever she sees a tree with fruit on it, she runs up to it. She’ll be a future worker no doubt.

“It’s pretty cute.”

The grove combined its two brands Toscana and Grampians Olive Estate in July to form Grampians Olive Co.

The name is a throwback to the grove’s original name, Grampian Olive Plantations Co.

The grove was renamed Toscana in the early 1960s - honouring Italian involvement in the grove’s establishment and similarity in climate and scenery to the Toscana region in Italy.

The grove was established in 1943.