Hailing from the UK, Andrew Liley, Director of Juno Olives, had qualified as a doctor and was working in the industry for 25 years before he decided to move into New Zealand’s primary sector.
Of the many things he looked into, growing olives was a good fit for him, as the potential to produce a product with proven health benefits was a strong incentive.
This season has been great for Liley, as Juno Olives has produced more olive oil than in any other year, which Liley said was a testament to the changes made to land and tree management over the last five years.
“Like anything in farming, you make a change on a hunch but may not see results for several years afterwards. Sustainability is not all about what you do day to day, but what you can achieve over a year, a decade and longer,” he said.
“We are trying to be increasingly sustainable and biodynamic. I’m certainly of the opinion that we don’t want to be poisoning the ground we have been given to care for, and if we look after it, the olive trees will be all the better for it.”
At Juno Olives, the canopies have been managed to improve airflow and sunlight, reducing disease pressure and, in turn, spraying frequency. All pruning and solid matter is done after pressing and is ultimately returned to the grove.
Customer feedback has shown Liley that people seemed generally amazed by what was involved in growing olives to produce the best-quality product.
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