The month of April has been the busiest month we've ever had with many wonderful events.  We began construction on our store and mill house with the formation of the foundation followed by installation of the plumbing system.  We plan to pour the foundation the first week in May and begin framing the building a few days later.

We opened a booth at the Dallas Farmers Market on Pearl Street in downtown Dallas.  Thanks to our newest team members, Joseph Ballard and his assistant Tia Teague, the market has been a huge success.  Joseph and Tia work the market Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Joseph and Tia's hard work got us an invitation to set up a booth for olive oil tasting at the Texas Salute event for the Dallas Wine & Food Festival on April 23rd.  This was an unexpected but truly appreciated opportunity given to us by the organizers of the Dallas Wine Festival.

In addition, we also attended the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival at the Saltlick Vineyard in Driftwood.  Even though it rained the day before and the site was a little muddy, we had a great time and met thousands of people who enjoyed our olive oil and balsamic vinegars.  Many thanks to L.J. Wiley, Executive Chef/Owner of the fabulous new Houston restaurant, Yelapa, for assisting us with serving at our booth.

The following weekend we were at two events in two cities at the same time.  Cara Gambini, Danny Adams, and Susan Scott ran our booth at the Siena Sip and Stroll at The Grand Wine & Food Affair in Sugarland.  Our second event that weekend was the Green Living Expo in Austin.  Many thanks to another new team member, Kim LeBlanc, for making this event successful.  Each of these events gives us a chance to meet hundreds of new people and to make them into believers in the quality and health benefits of Texas olive oil.  The events also give us a chance to meet many other Texas food producers who are working to bring locally grown and/or produced food products to Texans.  Once our store is complete, you may see many of these products alongside ours out at the orchard.

As I said in the beginning, April has been our busiest month ever, but May will prove to be even busier! Please be sure to visit our events page on the website so you can keep up with our schedule, and please come out to see us at the events.  Our family looks forward to meeting each and every one of you.  Until then, we wish you the best of health and happiness.  Please remember to make olive oil a part of your daily diet.

In addition to the events we typically attend where we have a booth for olive oil tastings, this month we were fortunate to be invited to two special events.  The first was the bi-annual Go Texan chef showdown at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, hosted by our good friend, Executive Chef Javier Ortiz.  We were asked to provide the olive oil for the showdown.  This is a Top Chef-style cook-off between three incredible chefs including one from the Hyatt's own Southwest Bistro.  Over a hundred guests attended and were treated to appetizers, entrees, and desserts from each chef and, of course, Texas Hill Country Olive Co. extra virgin olive oil.

We were also invited to attend the Third Annual Heritage Gala in Dripping Springs.  This event is an annual fundraiser for the Dr. Pound Pioneer Farmstead and Museum.  Over 225 attendees were served incredible food dishes from many local area chefs and restaurants with Texas Hill Country Olive Co. olive oil and balsamic vinegar on each table for the guests to enjoy.  We also had a table in the lobby where we offered tastings.  Funds raised help preserve the 1854 farm for generations of current and future Texans so we can all see and enjoy the history of great Texas pioneers who helped build our great state. 

We hope to attend many more similar events in the upcoming months. 

April showers have brought plenty of May flowers to the orchard.  Wildflowers of every color have sprouted up everywhere, but we're mostly excited about the emergence of tiny white flowers in the olive trees.  The first blossoms popped out on April 26 and every day we see more blooms appear.  Our trees survived the cold winter pretty well, but several months of wet soil prevented proper drainage and had us worried about several trees that dropped all of their leaves.  New green growth has appeared on these trees and they are all turning green once again.  I am really looking forward to a healthy harvest in the fall.  The warm Texas weather and the beautiful flowers everywhere make this a perfect time for you to come on out to the orchard for a visit!