APROLI is a farmer’s co-operative with office in Bari. Although its members only represent 6% of the Province’s olive growers, its 22,000 hectares of productive land makes up a good 15% of the Bari area production, and production adds up to 75,000 quintals of extra virgin olive oil.

APROLI’s main goals are to make use of, promote and market the oil produced by its members. Aside from promoting development, study and research programs, APROLI also carries out agricultural promotion, crop adaptation and rationalization programs with direct actions intended to improve oil quality, without detriment to the environment or to food safety.

APROLI implements an integrated production system that allows organizing and making use of its members’ olive production, guaranteeing and certifying Italian olive oil and emphasizing the quality typical of the production areas.

The Bonamini oil mill was born in 1965 in the green countryside of Illasi, 20 km East of Verona.

In the highest parts of the hills, on the terraced lands, olive trees of the autochthonous Grignano and Favarol varieties are grown, along with traditionally Italian ones such as Frantoio and Leccino.

Due to the unique characteristics of the area, all stages of the growing cycle, including harvest, are done by hand, which ensures the integrity of the olives all the way to the oil mill.

The farm’s philosophy has always been to maintain a strong bond with the land and to respect traditions as well as the environment. Thanks to the farm’s strategic location for exporting to Northern Europe, it can quickly respond to customer demands.

In 1996, the Bonamini oil mill was one of the founders of the Association for the protection of extra virgin olive oil of the Veneto region.

 

The Coletta Filomena Olive Farm is located in Rave Bianca and Sant’Adamini, two towns from the Sonnino municipality, in the Lazio region.

The farm’s large, centuries old, olive groves grow on rocky soil, in dry-wall terraces, typical of the hills in this area.

The olive groves mainly face South-West and are near the sea, in an especially favourable microclimate that is very good for growing olives.

The harvest is done by hand picking with mechanical aids in the period between October and December. Immediately after the daily picking, olives are crushed with the farm’s own oil mill, using low temperature processing, and the oil is bottled after being allowed to settle naturally, without being filtered.

All processing stages, from tilling to marketing, are certified by the Unaprol system, in compliance with the UNI 10939:2001 standards.

The Cocco Luigi Farm spans 10 hectares of the hills around the old town of Boville Ernica, an area with longstanding olive growing and oil making traditions.

Constant pruning by experienced personnel and fertilization done with organic substances are the only instruments used in production. The experience, which has been passed down through generations, is fundamental in deciding the right time for harvesting, which is done as quickly as possible. Olives are taken directly to the farm’s own oil mill where they are processed at temperatures lower than 27°C. Oil is then nitrogen-stored in steel silos in a climatized environment, thus avoiding contact with air and preventing its degradation.

Aside from extra virgin olive oil, the unique olio al limone (Lemon flavoured oil) is produced here, by adding slices of the lemons grown on the farm during the milling stage.

 

The Frantoio Fuselli e Guzzini is located in the immediate vicinity of the walls of the city of Recanati, famous since the middle ages for its extra virgin olive oil production. The shop, where oil can be purchased daily, is right beside the oil mill, while the farm’s olive groves are on the nearby hills.

The Fuselli and Guzzini oils, which have won numerous awards, are produced using the traditional stone mill method, as well as with the help of modern mechanical equipment. Oil is stored in constant temperature environments and bottled when orders are placed.

The centuries old family records bear witness to the fact that the history of the Spagnoletti Zeuli Counts goes back beyond the 17th century. The story told by these documents confirms a strong bond with the land, which survives to this day with the S.Domenico and Zagaria estates. Located at the foot of Castel del Monte, these beautiful estates span 400 hectares and are ideal places for growing olive trees and producing oil. Its calcareous land and gentle climate, which is dry and sunny even during winter, help the plants grow. Coratina and Cima di Bitonto olive varieties are "goblet” pruned, with trees 3 to 5 metres high with a space in the middle, according the local centuries old tradition.

Recently, the farm set aside 6 hectares for experimental nurseries of Leccino and Frantoio “monocone” olive trees, which makes pruning and mechanical harvesting easier.

 

The Fagiolo Farm is located in hilly Sabina, an area which has been known for its olive farming and oil production since ancient times, as witnessed by olive pits that have been found dating back to the 7th and 6th century B.C.

The farm is multipurpose, focusing on animal husbandry, cereal crops, olive growing and processing.

Olives, which are hand picked right off the tree when still green, are stone milled, while the oil is cold centrifuged so as to retain its important organoleptic properties. The growing methods comply with the EEC 2078/92 environmental standards.

The Fagiolo Farm also offers farmhouse holidays and educational farm vacations. At the farm, in fact, people can taste the local products (like honey, traditional pastries from the Sabina area, cold cuts) and spend the night at the Agriturismo La Raia (La Raia Agricultural Tourism), where products can also be purchased.

Founded in 1932 by grandfather Ciro, the D’Erchie Oil Mill is currently run by the third generation.

Initially intended to process only the produce of others, in the last few years it has started to produce and market its own brand of extra virgin olive oils, investing in the latest technological equipment and focusing efforts on monitoring the whole productive cycle.

In what concerns marketing, the D’Erchie Oil Mill has created a sales network that reaches customers throughout the whole of Italy: the D’Erchie brand olive oil, in fact, is sold in restaurants, wine shops, small supermarkets, and shops that sell organic products.

 

Recently formed in Bettona, a town of Etruscan origin located amongst the green hills of Umbria, the Decimi Farm has the whole family involved in closely supervising their olive grove, partly located on the charming hills between Bettona and Cannara, partly in the area of Giano dell'Umbria, by the San Felice abbey.

The farm spans 6 hectares and has 1500 olive trees (some of them centuries old) of the Moraiolo, San Felice, Frantoio and Leccino varieties.

Olives are carefully hand picked in the period between the end of October and the beginning of December, and are taken to the oil mill and crushed using a traditional pressing system on the same day they are picked.

Finally, the oil is filtered and is nitrogen-stored in steel containers in a climatised environment.

 

Marco Lucchi and Carlo Guastalli have been running the farm that bears their name since 1995. In 2002, a PDO and Organic certified oil mill was added.

The Razzola variety olive trees are pruned to an umbrella shape and cover approximately 6 hectares of land, fertilized using low environmental impact techniques.

The oil mill has two continuous cold processing lines. Thanks to the two-phase processing and the technology used, there is no sewage, and olive residues are used for energy renewal, as foreseen in a pilot project of the Liguria Region. The oil, which is allowed to settle naturally, is stored in stainless steel containers in a climatized environment.

The oil mill welcomes families and tour groups on educational or cultural-gastronomic visits. Visits include tastings of the products and information on tasting techniques and the organoleptic properties of the oils.

In 1930, Silvestro Abbruzzetti purchased an oil mill in Monterubbiano, 10 km away from the sea and at an altitude of 465 metres above sea level. The facilities, currently run by grandchildren Loriana and Silvio, have been renovated both architecturally and mechanically. There are two milling plants, the traditional one and the continuous one. Olives, which are milled within 8 hours after picking, are stored exclusively in plastic boxes, which are constantly shaken mechanically. Oil is nitrogen-stored in steel tanks in a room at controlled temperature.

Above the oil mill there is a Bed & Breakfast for people who would like to visit the farm and enjoy the natural beauty of this ancient area.

 

The Marcinase Organic Farming extra virgin olive oil comes from olives grown in the centuries old olive groves of the Torre Minervini estate, which looks out onto the sea, and has belonged to the family since they year 1700, and from other hilltop farms which were purchased later.

The farm harvests approximately 600 quintals of olives, which then produce approximately 100 hectolitres of oil yearly.

Since 1993, Maria Massari, manager and co-owner, has registered the farm in the organic control system and has diversified production into three flavours for two main reasons: the different times for ripening of different olive varieties and the desire to produce the right kind of oil for every dish, from the most delicate to the richest.

The Marcinase extra virgin olive oil is made from Ogliarola, Cima di Bitonto and Coratina olive varieties. The harvest is hand picked and olives are cold pressed using the traditional stone millstone technique.

Since the year 2000 the farm’s oil has enjoyed the Terra di Bari PDO recognition.

The Matichecchia Farm is located in the countryside around the town of Mottola, in the Taranto province, amidst the greenery of the Gravine Park, in a hilly area at 200 metres above sea level and approximately 6 km away from the Ionian Sea. The property, which faces South and is surrounded by Mediterranean maquis, spans 6 hectares of land that for thousands of years has been devoted to olive growing. Olives, which are hand picked, are mostly of the Primicera, Leccino, Frantoio and Coratina varieties.

All of the farm’s products are traced with the Unaprol system, in compliance with UNI 10939:2001 standards.