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Article: Arizona's Phoenician Olive Oil Co. Prepares for July Harvest.(Originated from The Arizona Republic/Phoenix Gazette)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
- Article date:
- June 25, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Jun. 25--Gnarled and bushy olive trees, growing heavy with ripening fruit, stand row upon row on the Gila River Indian Community.
This 60,000-tree orchard is the cradle of the Phoenician Olive Oil Co., a 2-year-old operation that is emerging as the largest producer of olive oil in the United States and the only American producer outside California.
The harvest begins next month, when workers will pick the fruits by hand. Just hours after plucking, the olives are crushed into extra-virgin olive oil by a modern Italian press installed a quarter-mile from the fields.
"Olive trees have been around in Arizona since Padre Kino," says founding partner Mike ...