Orchard manager Michael Mensik and his brother-in-law, David Swanson, have finished installing the irrigation system for the entire front and back section of the orchard and have planted 495 trees to date. They are currently preparing the back section for the planting of 400 additional trees being brought in from Santa Rosa, CA. We are really excited about these new trees and plan to have them in our fine Texas soil by the first week of June.

The back section will add two new olive varietals for us:

• The Coratina tree originates in Italy and is the primary source of oil in the Puglia area of Italy. Traditionally, Coratina is harvested when quite ripe, resulting in fruity oil with floral and cherry notes and moderate bitterness and pungency.

• The Leccino tree, also from Italy, is dense and has gentle drooping limbs with lots of blooms. The olive from the Leccino is one of the most popular varietals grown in Italy. The oil is sweet, fruity, and characterized by cinnamon spice notes.

We are thrilled about these new trees and believe the oils from the Leccino and the Coratina will blend wonderfully with our existing varietals, adding an even more delicious taste to our olive oil.

Lastly, we are well on our way with plans for a millhouse, office, and gift shop. We also plan to build an outdoor kitchen for cooking demonstrations and parties at the orchard. The outdoor kitchen will have covered trellis seating and a dining area that will offer beautiful Hill Country sunset views where our guests can enjoy the beauty of our family orchard during upcoming special events and other activities.