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The oil farm "S. Giovanni Battista" is a partnership established in 1969. It boasts at present 225 olive growers, the only suppliers of all pressed olives. These olives are exclusive to the town of Colletorto , which is located in the Molise region. Colletorto is geographically placed in a medium hilly area, specifically dedicated to the cultivation of olives.
Taking a look from the "Angioina tower", which predominates the village, one can admire all the rows of the area, where the partners of the San Giovanni Battista oil farm take the olives, which are skilfully turned in the extra virgin olive oil from Colletorto. Every year, an average of 15.000 tons of olives are produced from an area covering around 500 hectares (60.000 trees). A share of this production is achieved in accordance with the principles of supplemented and/or biological cultivation, with all due respect to the native ecosystem and the strictest environmental principles.
The olives, whose prevailing variety is the black olive from Colletorto, are harvested manually and/or by mechanical means. These procedures are carried out with care in order to ensure that the olives do not come into contact with the surrounding soil.
Once collected, the olives are transported to the oil mill in well-aired cases and are pressed within 24 hour from being picked.
The grinding of the olives entails a continuous modern system that involves the extraction of the oil in 2 stages, ensuring a constant controlled temperature (less than 27°C for extra virgin oils and less than 25°C for oils that carry the letters of distinction D.O.P on their labels). This method allows for a perfect separation of the oil from the by-products (husks and vegetation water).
The preservation of olive oil and its bottling is also undertaken in a distinctive manner by using nitrogen, which effectively lowers the processes of oxidation by decreasing the free oxygen. The whole process - from the cultivation to the bottling of the olive oil - is all documented, and precise records are kept in order to ensure a reliable and precise tracing system. The working process and the whole factory strictly observe all safety regulations. Moreover, the partnership has been awarded a prestigious certificate for maintaining a very high quality system UNI EN ISO 9001:00.