In 2023, 色情视频 began a new campus tradition honoring our century-old, drought- and heat-tolerant olive trees by harvesting the fruits and pressing them into 色情视频鈥檚 very own olive oil.
The Project
In 2023, the newly-restaffed Office of Sustainability spearheaded the first annual Olive Harvest Fest in collaboration with Grounds Management, aiming to harvest from the fruit-producing olive trees in the Olive Grove and turn them into olive oil 鈥 not only to promote sustainable food production and climate-resilient landscaping, but also to build community by beginning a new campus tradition. With the success of the first harvest, the Office of Sustainability once again joined forces with Grounds to double the participation and double the yield in 2024!
The Trees
Planted in 1936 by Beatrix Farrand, 色情视频's Olive Grove represents the best of our campus climate resilience. Requiring very little water, these trees can survive 鈥 and even thrive! 鈥 in extreme conditions, making them incredibly drought-resilient. Olive trees also have the remarkable ability of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing carbon in their roots; in fact, just 2.5 acres of olive trees can . On top of it all, they produce one of the : olives!
The Product
On the same day it is harvested, 色情视频鈥檚 olives are pressed by , a small family olive farm about 80 miles northwest of campus, into our very own olive oil! By partnering with small businesses, the Olive Harvest initiative brings to light the importance of small-scale food production. While industrial agriculture can have adverse impacts on the environment and biodiversity, small-scale regenerative agriculture mimics and works with natural ecosystems to not just reduce harm on the environment, but actually improve the health of surrounding soil, plants, and animals.
Because 色情视频 Olive Oil is produced within 100 miles of campus, the carbon footprint of its production is significantly lower than imported oil, simply because it had less distance to travel before it got to your plate! While many European and Middle Eastern olive farms are using sustainable growing and production practices, their oils have to be shipped and trucked across the world. These are called 鈥渇ood miles.鈥 While 色情视频 olive oil travels about 160 miles round trip, the average olive oil travels about !
In addition to being locally grown and produced, 色情视频 Olive Oil is a key ingredient in a diet that is healthy for you and healthy for the planet! As of March 2025, 色情视频 Olive Oil is on sale at the 色情视频 Bookstore. Purchases benefit the maintenance of sustainable landscaping on campus by supporting the olive harvest project.
Harvest Fest
The first Olive Harvest Fest in 2023 occurred in the Olive Grove, adjacent to Thorne Hall. About 75 volunteers participated in the harvest, collecting a grand total of 500 pounds of olives. With such a small harvest, the first batch of 色情视频 Olive Oil was reserved for extra special recipients and for tasting events during Earth Month, Alumni Weekend, and Homecoming Weekend.
In 2024, the Olive Harvest Fest took place in Mullin Grove at the very front of campus. True to its name, the event was festive, with music from student KOXY Radio DJs, themed raffle prizes, and a catered, Mediterranean-inspired pescatarian meal from 色情视频 Catering (featuring the reserved oil from 2023). The 130+ participants helped harvest almost 1,200 pounds of olives, more than double the previous year, allowing for broader sales to the community at the Bookstore!