Travels by Tom: Ojai

Asquith Farm, Ojai Olive Oil

Asquith Farm has a combination of 100 year old Olive Trees as well as newer plantings of Olive Trees in their Organic Orchard.

Ojai Olive Oil

Our host was the current owner-farmer and Grandson of the founders of this Farm. Asquith Farm has remained a small family run organic Olive Oil Orchard and Olive Oil Pressing plant. Olive trees grow for hundreds of years and are very water friendly, an ideal crop in drought parched California.

Our host

Young Olive orchard

Learning about the history of this Farm under the hundred year old Olive Trees.

Learning

We got a quick lesson on pressing Olives into Olive Oil and the various terms used for Olive Oil. For instance, Extra Virgin Olive Oil of EVOO is defined as Olive Oil with acidity below 1%. Unfortunately, Olive Oil acidity goes up with age so if a low cost EVOO is rated at 0.99 % acidity to get classified as EVOO, by the time it reaches the consumer it may indeed by over 1%. The claim about Ojai Olive Oil is the acidity is 0.5% allowing many months before it exceeds EVOO limits.

Olive Oil Pressing Equipment

Olive Oil Press

These tasting rooms are popping up in towns across the country. We even have one in our home town. We got to sample many herb infused Olive Oils as well as Vinegars to compare.

Olive Oil Tasting Room

Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Area

Ojai Olive Oil harvesting and pressing operations.

Asquith Farm, home of Ojai Olive Oil

Proceed to Downtown Ojai

Churchill Orchards, Ojai

A small organic tangerine grower in the Ojai Valley has carved out a niche by focusing on an incredibly sweet miniature tangerine which he has coined the Ojai Pixie. The sweet fruit is delicate and not able to be shipped. It is primarily sold locally at Farmers Markets and restuarants and also driven North in small quantities to Berkley restaurants and Farmers Markets by co-owner Lisa Churchill.

Ojai Pixie Tangerines

Farmer and Orchard owner of Churchill Orchards was our guide

Pixie Tangerines in the Ojai Valley

After a short walk in the tangerine grove we stopped to admire trees laden with fruit.

Very rare California rain drops on Pixie Tangerines

When frost is imminent a diesel powered wind machine serves to mix the warmer upper air with the lower cold surface air.

Wind Machine

Grower Churchill demonstrated grafting techniques by slitting a Bacon avocado trunk then trimming a HAAS avocado cutting and inserting it into the slit.