How California Olive Oil Producers Are Adopting Regenerative Agriculture

Forbes

6 days ago

In the Sacramento Valley, rows of olive trees are punctuated not by bare earth but by a thick carpet of green cover crops—vetch, clover, and rye. These olives are destined for a bottle of California Olive Ranch's Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
A few hours south, in the Central San Joaquin Valley, at Enzo Olive Oil's family estate, olive trees are surrounded by almond wood mulch that has been scattered by hand. Though miles apart, these two producers, amongst others, share a singular vision: to grow olives in ways that improve the land rather than exhaust it.
For much of California's agricultural history, the focus has been on extraction and short-term yield. But amid a changing climate—marked by relentless droughts, intense heat waves, and unpredictable rains—farmers like those at California Olive Ranch and Enzo Olive Oil, among others, are looking more closely at how to make their groves more resilient for the changes ahead.
California Olive Ranch's approach involves several interlocking practices: planting diverse winter cover crops to feed the soil, using sheep to graze beneath trees without herbicides or heavy machinery, spreading composted prunings as mulch, and employing high-tech drip irrigation systems calibrated to match the tree's needs. 'These things improve moisture retention, build organic matter, and foster soil biology,' she explains. 'They help the trees withstand drought, pests, and diseases better.'
Just last year, California Olive Ranch became the first company in North America to receive formal regenerative certification from A Greener World for over 4,600 acres on their own ranches. While the brand works with more than 50 growers across the Central Valley, who have yet to all get certified, they're starting with their own properties -- particularly as the term 'regenerative' still needs some defining.
California Olive Ranch opted for A Greener World because it is flexible enough to cover all their fields -- including non-organic ones -- and is focused on data and soil health. This, she says, was seen as more realistic for them, as they fine tune what works and doesn't work. Plus, it's more appealing to those who may be open to transitioning and improving their practices but are not entirely organic. 'It's more geared on data, and improving our practices, than asking for rigid perfection from the get-go," says Mary Mori, VP of Quality and Product.
Plus, there are nuances between row crops and tree crops, she adds. For olive trees, the issue is less about tilling (which is generally frowned upon in regenerative agriculture), but more so pest control management -- and what kinds of applications can be used around the trees.
For instance, she says that last year, they added a cover crop between the trees that attracted a few too many crickets. To get rid of the crickets, they had to do an application of pest control in a limited area. Farming is about responding to the needs of that season, and that particular issue, rather than following a rigid checklist, she says.
That also led to a learning: 'We decided we actually need to trim our cover crop sooner so that it doesn't get so tall that the crickets have access to the trees.' These small tweaks, she explains, are essential; while there may be learning costs upfront, with time, she argues it'll improve their farming practices (and thus, ideally reduce costs).
One of their groves has been producing some eye-opening data, she notes. Planted nearly 30 years ago, it was converted to organic about 7 years ago. 'Since then we've seen a dramatic increase in the soil organic matter and the bulk density of the soil, which we were not expecting."
In addition, one of their partner farms in the Sacramento area is actually seeing higher yields with organic farming. 'He had been doing regenerative practices, without any certifications and has been organic for years. He's not only producing more, but the quality of his olives is, well, really good, and often at the top.'
California Olive Ranch hopes to collect more data like this – which makes a business argument for regenerative and organic farming. It's not merely done because of the values involved, but because it requires fewer inputs, is less costly, and in the end fetches the grower a fair price and a decent livelihood.
A few hours south, Enzo Olive Oil's story echoes similar themes. Founded by the Ricchiuti family, now in its fourth generation of California farming, Enzo is certified organic – and has been adopting regenerative practices.
'We take what others might see as waste—like wood chips from retired almond orchards—and spread it as mulch in our olive groves,' says Vincent Ricchiuti, the company's chief operating officer. This mulch suppresses weeds, locks in soil moisture, and feeds microbial life beneath the trees. By avoiding burning, they avert air pollution and bring nutrients back into the ground.
It doesn't stop there. They've found a creative way to use the waste in olive oil production.
'We recently started an olive pomace project,' Ricchiuti explains, 'where we take the waste from the olive crush (i.e. the left-over pits and pulp), put it out in the field to dry and then once it's dry, we spread the pomace back into the field as supplemental soil amendment or fertilizer. This is an eco-friendly waste mitigation project and helps the olives because the pomace contains carbon, which helps feed microbial activity in the soil.'
The farm also runs partly on solar power and processes olives entirely onsite, emphasizing freshness and control. Enzo's irrigation system uses precision logic to deliver water and nutrients exactly where needed, cutting waste and energy use. Plus, they too try to keep the ground covered with grasses in between the rows of trees.
Vincent notes that these practices do more than nurture trees; they transform olive oil quality. 'Healthy soils produce healthier fruit,' he says. 'That translates into oil with richer flavor and more antioxidants.'
The regenerative turn is not without hurdles. Investments in machinery, training, and new systems can be costly. Certification remains a moving target, with a multitude of certifications, each offering slightly different criteria, leaving producers navigating an uncertain landscape.
Moreover, regenerative agriculture demands patience. The benefits of cover cropping or microbial renewal often take years to yield visible results, and market pressures from global competitors drive cost concerns.
McEvoy Ranch, located near Petaluma, California, in Sonoma County, has been an organic olive orchard for 25 years. Samantha Dorsey, President of McEvoy Ranches, notes that the proof is in the soil, and that long-term evolution. 'Over the course of three decades, we have increased soil organic matter at McEvoy Ranch by over 4% in some areas. Even some of our tightest soils have loosed up over the years, giving more space for the olive tree roots to breathe.'
It's also helpful in absorbing more water – given that fertile, loose soils can store more rainwater rather than leading to runoff in a heavy storm.
McEvoy Ranch has six catchment ponds to hold rainwater and runoff for irrigation use, Dorsey adds. 'But the largest water reservoir on the property is our soil profile. The soil holds more water than our six ponds could ever dream of! The essential key to keeping the ponds healthy and the soil acting as the biggest sponge is reducing the potential for erosion – this means that we are very serious about our no-till farming practices. Throughout the past three winters when the region has been pummeled with intense winter storms that deliver incredible amounts of water all at once, our ranch has been steady and resilient and has emerged from these 'atmospheric rivers' refreshed, recharged, and unscathed.'
While not certified regen, she notes that the property has been managed with these practices in mind: no-tilling, have little barren soil, having plant diversity, composting their waste and using only organic inputs. When asked if they saw value in a regenerative certification in the future, she responded: 'Yes, as long as the certification does not cost the farmer too much because our margins are already so slim. Agriculture is like playing poker, but if you win, it just means you can stay at the table for another hand next year.'
Ricchiuti is in the same boat. 'Yes, [regenerative certification] is certainly something we'd be open to in the future,' he acknowledges. 'However, it is a time and resource intensive process that we haven't yet had the bandwidth to pursue.'
Thus, getting more properties certified regenerative may take time – but the farmers and brands note that they're already doing 'regen,' not merely because it's a marketing fad, but because it has tangible impact on their soils.