This is not an olive oil story. This is a story about love, sacrifice, commitment, honest hard work and passion!
Our olive grove lies just a few meters from the sea. As I approach, I smell herbs, wild flowers and fresh cut grass. A gentle sea breeze tickles my face. Filled with excitement, my father, Vasilios, wraps his arms around me and greets me with a kiss. We embrace for a few seconds, then separate and quickly inspect each other to observe any minute changes that may have occurred during all the months we have been apart. He smiles softly and tells me how much he missed me.
His white hair blows in the breeze. His skin is youthful, with hardly any wrinkles, even as his toughened Mediterranean complexion shows the evidence of years of outdoor work. It is early December 2008, and I have just arrived from the United States to help out with our annual olive harvest, which has always been our tradition.
We begin the harvest the day after my arrival, working in the orchard every day from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. and then crushing our fruit at the olive mill every evening for the next two months. Harvesting olives is physically exhausting, and our father also invests great emotional energy in the process. He has worked outdoors all year and mustered resilience to respond to elements beyond his control. He overcame all the obstacles to reach this crucial time of the year. He agonizes about timing everything just right to ensure the highest quality fruit and the oil that will earn the best price, since this will determine and sustain the quality of our olive grove and lifestyle for another whole year.
Intense as it may be, the harvest has always been a sacred time for us to connect and bond with our father, and also to connect with our land, which has been passed down through four generations. We savor our time together, whether we are picking olives by day or recharging by night, toasting bread slices over a wood fire, then pouring on the freshly made olive oil.
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Passion – Honesty – Commitment – Family
Passion
The love and respect to our land, our olive trees, and traditions while going above and beyond what is expected of us. Our Olive Oil is the reflection of that Passion!
Honesty
Not just through our words, but knowing our quality through our transparency and actions.
Commitment
We are committed to you and ourselves in offering the highest quality,health-focused product, serviceand integrity.
Community
We are dedicated to our customers, friends, family and supporters. You are truly part of our family and a greater community.
In loving memory of our father, Vasilios Pierrakos, because some people need to be remembered.
With love, passion and dedication