It's All About the Trees

These old trees are the third member of the Sylverleaf family and have their own story to tell. In 1906, the Van Deuser family planted the trees on ground owned by Justice Waller. The Wallers and Van Duzers were rushing to cash in on the growing promise of olive trees in this area. The weather and soil in Loma Rica are ideal for growing olives, nearly identical to the finest olive growing regions in the world. In order to plant the trees quickly, these enterprising farmers didn't dig holes in the ground for the young trees. They used dynamite! Several hundred very small holes were dug along a regular grid, running north to south. A quarter-stick of dynamite would be placed in each hole, wired up and then, with a simple push of a plunger--a hole! Another benefit of the blast was that the shock loosened the rocky soil and hardpan, allowing for root growth. Next, olive cuttings were placed into the holes and secured with the surrounding dirt and rock. Finally, the orchard was flood irrigated from a nearby pond.