FAQ

I am interested in growing olives; can you advise me?
Start by checking out our list of UC resources. Once you have done a bit of research, you may wish to connect with a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor. UC Cooperative Extension offers farm advisors throughout California who are specialists in the growing conditions for their areas. Several farm advisors have experience with olives, including Lynn Wunderlich (Amador/El Dorado Counties), Janet Caprile (Contra Costa County), Joe Connell (Butte County), Bob Beede (Kings County), Rachel Elkins (Lake/Mendocino Counties), Paul Vossen (Sonoma/Marin Counties), Joe Grant (San Joaquin County), Bill Coates (Monterey/Santa Cruz/Santa Clara/San Benito Counties), Franz Niederholzer (Sutter/Yuba Counties), and Elizabeth Fichtner (Tulare County). To find a farm advisor in a specific county, go to ucanr.org/County_Offices/, click on the county you want, then click on the “contact us” link on the left side of the screen.

Can you come out to my farm and test my soil, or tell me what varieties of olives are growing on my property?
We do not have the resources to test soil or determine your olive varieties, but there are private laboratories that offer these services.

Can you come out to my property and pick my olives?
We appreciate the offer, but we do not have the staff to pick olives off-campus.

Can I come onto the UC Davis campus and pick olives?
Liability concerns prevent the harvesting of olives on the UC Davis campus.