THE OLIVE TREE

OLIVE CULTIVATION IN PALESTINE

Olive orchards, which make up 80% of the farmed lands in Palestine, are nurtured as a family legacy that is passed on through generations. Orchards are grown on hand-built terraces, inaccessible by modern machinery, that hug the hillsides and prevent erosion. Farmers work year round to build and maintain these ancient terraces that were crafted by their ancestors. Persis­tent hands-on effort is the only way to reap the naturally extra virgin and organic olive oil of the majestic mountainsides.

A VITAL SOURCE OF INCOME

Traditionally, the harvest, which constitutes the main source of income and a major food source for many Palestinian farming families, is a family affair. The workers who take a share of the harvest take it as a family. Normally, the entire family participates in harvesting the crop and collectively benefits from it by obtaining their olive stock for the year and selling some for the family income.