The Hamper Emporium 2022 Christmas Catalogue - Catalog - Page 41
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K.I.
OLIVES
M I C H A E L E SP O SITO’ S STORY
The best time to pick olives
for oil is a matter of slight
contention between two
generations of the Esposito
family.
‘If you’re talking to my
father, it’s Easter time,’ says
General Manager Michael
with a smile. ‘That’s just
when we harvest. But now
that I’m coming into the
business and making those
decisions, it really depends.’
Michael explains his
process, and it seems he is
guided more by the fruit
itself than by the date on
the calendar.
‘You go to the tree, you pick
an olive, you cut it open.
50/50 on the inside and it’s
time to harvest.’
Together, Michael and
his father Dom run the
family farm known as ‘Little
Liguria’. Guided by a deeply
held belief in respecting
nature, the business
operates with a focus on
regenerative agriculture
and sustainability when
it comes to farming.
Essentially— the healthier
the soil, the healthier
the food, and in turn, the
healthier the human.
Sounds pretty wonderful,
right?
It tastes wonderful,
too. Kangaroo Island
Olives are known for the
mouthwatering range
of table olives and extravirgin olive oil. With Dom
running the daily farming
activities and Michael
heading up business
operations, they are able
to consistently produce
award-winning fare. Even
better, they’ve honed their
olive farming method so
that high-quality produce
doesn’t have to come at an
environmental cost.
‘It’s a carbon-positive
farming practice,’ says
Michael.
‘If you prune at the right
time, a lot of those clipping
and prunings can be
mulched back into the soil,
and over time you build up
that organic matter and it
just goes around in a cycle.’
From harvesting their
fruit to maintaining
relationships with suppliers,
everything is done with
longevity in mind. There’s
no doubt that Kangaroo
Island Olives are in this
business for the long haul.