VIRGIN TERRITORY

Maggie and Brooke grow frantoio or J5 olives, a topproducing commercial variety that is disease-resistant and well-adapted to Northland. Their Shaken Down Olive Oil is certified as extra virgin. To qualify for certification, the oil must contain less than 0.5 per cent oleic acid, meet bottling and label standards, and must be approved by a panel for its fruitiness. Olive harvesting is all about the sun. Wet weather will change the percentage of water in the crop; if it’s too wet there will be more water and less yield (and less money). Brooke and Maggie press and bottle their olives at Olivado in Waipapa, sell some of their oil back to the production plant, and retain a small quantity for private sale. northlanding.co.nz