Gina was tending the olive stand when I visited. She is the daughter of Georgio Zografos, founder of the California Olive Oil Farm (Corning, CA). Gina explained to me that her dad is Greek and her mom is Mexican. 25 years ago her dad arrived in California and started growing olives. Today the family together grows, prunes, tends, and waters the trees, and later harvests and cures the olives. At the farm they grow 6 varieties of olives, cure them in 9 different ways, and pit 3 styles. The day I visited, the stand carried Sevillana, Picholene and Kalamata olives, made from 6 different curing processes. All the olives are grown through natural processes, and all cured in brine. With her mixed heritage, Gina loves being an ambassador of the Mediterranean diet in a Latino community, opening people’s ideas to food, in a neighborhood in which she has many friends. She’s travelled about world, from Brazil to Italy, during which time she’s gained a greater appreciation for slow food and sharing food. Gina is happily back in California participating fully in the family business philosophy which is to build relationships directly with consumers, and build a community around healthy local food. For our tables, the California Olive Oil Farm also offers buttery, grassy or pungent olive oils, and a few olive spreads. With different family friends, they’re also producing and offering Apple and Plum Cider, as well as wildflower, sage, blue curls, and crystal honey. Gina welcomes opportunities to talk about food in the Mission… How about Thursday?
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