Why we still pick by hand

Machines are faster. Hands are kinder. On our slopes, kindness wins.

An olive bruised at harvest starts to turn before it reaches the mill. You cannot taste the bruise in one fruit, but you can taste a thousand of them in a bottle. So we pick the way the family always has: combs, nets, ladders, and patience.

It takes longer. It costs more. It is the single decision that shapes our oil more than any other, and it is not one we intend to revisit.