The sun was blazing when we pulled into Ramona Valley. Rows of olive trees stretched across the hills, holding their ground in the Southern California heat. Andrew welcomed us with stories about soil and cover crops, while Rita brought the kind of warmth that made us feel less like visitors and more like family.
Walking through the grove, Andrew showed us the cover crops he planted to bring life back into the soil. He explained how, when the rain didn't come last November, the ground was too dry to plant. He left a small section untouched just so he could show us what it looked like. That kind of patience stuck with me.
He talked about how his soil once tested at 0.3 percent organic matter — a number so low that UC Davis experts were shocked. His solution was to mow the cover crops into fine pieces, mulch them back into the soil, and lightly rake it so the organic matter stayed put. Listening to him, I realized that farming is less about controlling nature and more about working with it.
Every morning Andrew is up at six, checking irrigation lines across the property. If a battery fails or a leak goes unnoticed, the trees can suffer. It is steady, watchful work — the kind you never see when you buy a bottle of olive oil at the store.
The tasting was unforgettable. I still remember the peppery burn hitting the back of my throat, making me cough and laugh at the same time. Andrew told us their oils tested over 700 polyphenols, nearly triple what qualifies as medically beneficial.
What touched me most was seeing how much their kids are part of the farm. They ran through the canyon, chopped weeds with sticks, and asked questions about bugs and plants. Rita told us how she uses every chance as a teaching moment. It felt less like they were living on a farm and more like they were growing up inside a living classroom.
Their oils won awards at the Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition and the California State Fair. Soon their bottles will carry medals that prove what I already knew from that first taste: this is some of the best olive oil you will ever find.
This material is based upon work supported by the Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under grant number 24FMPPCA1238. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.
