After so much success in our first year in business, our family would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who adopted an olive tree this year.  For any of you who adopted an olive tree as a gift, we'd like to invite you to share the latest news from the orchard as well as delicious recipes by forwarding this newsletter to the gift recipient by using the link at the bottom of the page.

We'd also like to thank everyone who sent us compliments about our custom labels and the delicious olive oil.  We greatly appreciate those sentiments.  In particular Chef Javier Ortiz, head chef at the Hyatt of Austin, sent a very complimentary recommendation. Thanks, Javier!

This Christmas, as we celebrated our first year in business, I attended a candlelight church service in Austin.  The pastor pointed out that the exquisite manger scene displayed on the stage was made from olive tree wood.  "It surely is more holy than yours at home," he said in jest. 

During the course of this year, I have continued my study of olives and the incredible history of olives.  I find it particularly interesting that for more than 4,000 years the olive tree has been a symbol of abundance, peace, and longevity.  As we end one year and begin a new one, I hope you and your family enjoy abundance, peace, and longevity in 2010 and beyond.

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

We finished up events for the year at Faraday's Kitchen Store with free tastings of our delicious olive oil all day on December 12.  We were overwhelmed by the tremendous response from shoppers visiting the store that day.  We adopted many trees and sold a large number of individual Terra Verde bottles to the Faraday shoppers. 

Faraday's is the finest culinary and cookware store in the Austin area.  In addition, they do an amazing job of promoting Texas agriculture, produce, and the people who are behind the day-to-day farming in our area.

It is with our sincerest gratitude that we thank Tony, Melissa, Sharon, and all the rest of the gang at Faraday's for making room for us to visit with their customers and sell our wonderful olive oil and tree adoptions as the customers browsed the store for great Christmas culinary bargains. 

We highly recommend Faraday's for all your culinary and cookware needs.  Don't forget to pick up a bottle of our Terra Verde olive oil while you are there!

It seems as if the "Great Texas Drought of 2009" is over, at least for the west side of Fitzhugh Road in Dripping Springs. The olive trees seem happy, and you can be assured that your tree (if you adopted one) is ready for the short winter in the Hill Country. We have all of the weeds under control, and we will begin planting legumes soon.  The legumes will act as a filler crop and will add natural nutrients to the earth to promote strong root growth for the olive trees. Our neighbor, Grady, will begin clearing the cedar trees from the north side of our land and the hard work of land preparation will start again. 

We're also expecting to receive the Italian Pines that will be planted along the boundaries of the orchard. They will provide a beautiful view for you to enjoy as you approach the property when you come out to visit us.