- The liquid gold coming freshly from the oil mill
During what time of the year the olive harvest is going to happen?
The harvest is held every year beetween the end of October and
December. The exact start of the olive harvest may vary some days, according to the grade of maturity of the olives
In a year with many olives the harvest can even last until the first two weeks of December.
How warm is it in November?
November in Umbria is mostly warm and sunny, much warmer as for instance in England at the same time of the year.
During day time temperatures can superate 20° Celsius (68° Fahrenheit)
Yet it can be already cool at night. Thus you might need warm clothing as well as let´s say some t-shirts.
How hard is olive picking?
Please consider that picking olives can be physically exhausting if you want to take home bigger quantities of olive oil and thus pick the whole day. Often it is necessary to climb up ladders to reach the upper branches. Hence we do not expect you to pick large quantities but hope that you will rather enjoy this way of intense contact with nature.
What do I do, if I cannot climb on trees anymore
Normally three to five persons join to build a picking team. In most cases one of the group likes to take a look at the landscape from above, picking the higher branches. The others can pick the olives which can be reached from the ground.
How long do I have to pick olives each day?
There are no rules. You can pick as long and as much as you wish. If you want to, you have always enough time for excursions and sightseeing in the surroundings. Of course you can take with you more olive oil if you pick more olives.
If you find out however, that olive picking is not to your liking this is absolutely no problem. Simply enjoy yourself discovering the manyfold culinary and cultural treasures of Umbria.
Do you offer half board during the olive harvest?
During the oilve harvest we do not offer food but the group of pickers often prepares meals together in a common kitchen. Our apartments are well equipped for selfcatering, the next possibilities for shopping and restaurants are at the village of Castel Rigone at 4 km distance from La Rogaia. On the last evening we will invite the group of pickers for the traditional “rinfresco”, an informal dinner.
How long takes the olive harvest?
We start with the olive picking on Sunday morning after a short introduction and pick until Thursday evening or Friday noon.
What about the oil mill ? Can I watch the pressing of the olives?
According to the quantity of olives we bring them together to a small oil mill two or three times a week There they are pressed and we can take home immediately the oil from the olives you have picked.
Of course you can and shall come to the oil mill. You can watch the complete pressing from the beginning to the end. Of course you have the possibility to ask questions as well.
How much olive oil do I receive?
Half of the olives you pick are yours and you can take home the oil pressed from them. Depending on the year, the weather during the week and how much time you spend picking this can be between 2 and at maximum 15 litres (but this rarely is the case) olive oil per person per week. For the pressing of the oil the oil mill will charge about EUR 1.80 per lt. oil.
Please consider that the yield of high class olive oil you can get from 100kg (22 pounds) of olives normally is somewhere beetween 10kg and 15kg (22 to 33 pounds).
In rare case it can be slightly less or more, depending on the weather conditions during the olive blossom and while the the olives are maturing.
Consider also that you do fairly well if you pick about 40kg to 50kg (88 to 110 pounds), of olives a day, specially if you have few experience with manual work.
Why do I not receive the complete oil I picked?
The olive harvest is only one part and the highlight of all the work to be done in the olive orchard during the year.
The trees have to be pruned regularly you have to cut grass and spines and work the soil. Of course the trees have to be planted and grown first. And of course it is not cheap to buy an olive orchard…
Holidays in Italy Villa La Rogaia 