Fresh, quality extra virgin olive oil is a relatively new concept for many of us who are just beginning to enjoy the boundless options its flavors add to our culinary world. With Thanksgiving on its way, the olive oil is flowing in the creative minds and kitchens of chefs and home cooks alike. There’s no better time to get inspired by new ways to infuse a little olive oil into this year’s feast.

Tradition often reigns over the Thanksgiving feast. It’s likely a few untouchables — those dishes that have remained unchanged for generations — take precedence in the center of the holiday spread. At the risk of upsetting the family harmony, it’s probably not wise to mess with these, but certainly there’s room for a subtle twist.

Curtis M. Cord, publisher of Olive Oil Times, keeps “pretty close to the playbook” when it comes to the traditional side dishes his family loves. Cord includes butter in his family’s favorites, but he’s found that “including a few choice extra virgin olive oils can elevate the tastes from their bland buttery base.”

That elevation of taste is one way olive oil really shines at the holiday table. It takes the expected holiday fare and enhances ingredients with a range of flavors and strengths. Where butter may disguise or dominate the natural accents of ingredients, olive oil accentuates and complements them in a way that is pleasantly unexpected. Mashed potatoes are the perfect example of a Thanksgiving standard that traditionally relies on butter.

Sandy Sonnenfelt of The Pasta Shop in Berkeley, California, suggests substituting olive oil for the cream and butter this year. She recommends “a really nice buttery olive oil, not one with a lot of green notes because you want that comfort flavor.”

Spuds of the fluffy white variety are not the only benefactors of a quality extra virgin. “I particularly like it on yams or sweet potatoes,” Sonnenfelt says. “Take them out of the oven, open the skins, drizzle with olive oil and add spice: salt, pepper, cinnamon and brown sugar.” She also likes to spice them with zaatar, a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme, sumac, and roasted sesame seeds.

Continue to Next Page
.
.
.

In a redux of last Summer’s slamming of imported olive oils, the UC Davis Olive Center and the Australian Oils Research Laboratory have teamed up again to offer a critical assessment of the quality of some of America’s top-selling olive oil brands found on the supermarket shelves in California.

Today’s report, Evaluation of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Sold in California, shows researchers took into account at least some of the criticism of last year’s methods by drawing a much larger sampling of top-selling imported olive oils and using tests accredited by the International Olive Council.

The imported olive oils tested were Colavita, Star, Bertolli, Filippo Berio, Pompeian and a premium brand, Lucini. They were compared to California Olive Ranch (COR) and Cobram Estate — the largest American and Australian olive oil producers.

The report concluded “laboratory tests found that the top-selling imported brands of ‘extra virgin’ olive oil sold in the United States and purchased at retail locations throughout California often failed the IOC’s sensory standards for extra virgin olive oil.”

It wasn’t all good news for Australia and California, though.  Eleven percent of the Californian, and all of the Australian olive oils failed the “PPP” (pyropheophytine) tests which indicated they were exposed to heat and light or adulterated with refined oils. In a statement on the California Olive Ranch website, Vice President of Marketing Claude S. Weiller expressed disappointment that two COR bottles failed the PPP test. ”Our investment in technology that allows us to identify the olives used to make our oil should help us understand what happened to the two bottles that didn’t pass muster”, he wrote.

The study was conducted by the University of California at Davis’ Olive Center which is supported by the California Olive Oil Council, whose members stand to gain from the discrediting of imported olive oil.  California olive oil producers provide about one percent of the olive oil consumed in the United States, but they are developing the capacity to supply much more than that.

It’s the latest chapter in what has become a contentious industry, increasingly divided into New and Old World producers pursuing an advantage to capture more of Americans’ growing appetite for olive oil.

See also: Olive Council Issues Harsh Response to Second Davis Study of Imported Olive Oils

Jean-Louis Barjol is the newly appointed executive director of the International Olive Council in Madrid. For the past two years, he served as deputy director for the IOC in the Administrative and Financial, and the Survey and Assessment divisions.

Before joining IOC, Barjol was the director general of the Comité Européen des Fabricants de Sucre (CEFS) known as the European Committee of Sugar Manufacturers.

He will head this international, intergovernmental body until December 2014 looking at policy making issues and facing the challenge of bringing olive producing countries to work more effectively together.

Barjol holds a Master’s degree in agricultural economics from the Institut National Agronomique de Paris and was knighted Chevalier du Mérite Agricole Français for his services in Spain between 1995 and 1998.

He is married with two children. He enjoys reading historical books; he feels we can learn much by studying the trends, customs and habits of past generations.

We spoke with Mr. Barjol by telephone.

Mr. Barjol, your first official visit was to the United States where you attended the North American Olive Oil Association’s (NAOOA) mid-year meeting. What are IOC’s plans to promote olive oil there? Is this a priority market for IOC?

The US is the world’s largest market for imports of olive oil if you consider the EU as one market and ignore intra-EU trade.

For me, developing this market is a top priority. We hope to begin a campaign in July this year for the promotion of olive oil and table olives in North America for 2011 and 2012.

Invitations to tenders will be sent out as early as April this year and an agency will be selected for the launch in the United States and Canada. IOC plans to spend 1.2 million euros on the project.

Australia is considering the adoption of standards that depart from IOC. Is this a concern for you? Do you find this worrying?

It’s worrying for them, not for us. Australia does not belong to the IOC. For reasons I don’t understand, they have never wanted to become a member. They use our laboratories every year; they attend our meetings and they come to be recognized by IOC for their competence in chemical and sensory characteristics.

I say it’s worrying for them because after all, 98 percent of the world’s export comes from members of IOC.

Why do you think this is happening?

I’m not sure. Australians are quite demanding but in this specific case they are not respecting IOC and Codex standards; there are quite a few discrepancies which seem to favor home producers more than importers.

Could you give me an example of one discrepancy?

The Australian limit for campestoral of 4.8 percent is higher than the IOC and Codex standard which fixes a limit of 4 percent.

Continue to Next Page
.

By Tom Baker
Olive Oil Times Contributor | Reporting from Buenos Aires

A research facility to improve technological and agriculturual methods of olive oil production was inaugurated in the Argentinian province of Catamarca this week.

The facility is part of a project spearheaded by the National University of Catamarca (UNCA), with funding and direction coming from both the Common Fund for Commodities and the Canadian Berci International group of experts in agricultural development. The program will give a boost to regional farmers, offering them training in the latest methods of production, bottling and marketing techniques. It is hoped that the move will empower small and medium sized producers in the region, particularly those who did not benefit from tax breaks introduced by the Kirchner government in recent months.

These are tough times for olive oil producers in Catamarca who are confronting challenges led by the world drop in prices and stiff competition resulting in an increasing number of layoffs and even a state of emergency within the province’s Pomán department.

The new project is a concerted effort to help local farmers and producers make quality olive oil at more competitive rates. This point was echoed by Catamarca’s Minister of Production and Development Juan José Bellón, who said the initiative will help distinguish Catamarca as a region capable of producing the highest quality olive oil.

He went on to say that the project development was being achieved in the midst of a crisis facing the sector “…even though there are no measures from the national government to reverse the situation.”

The project will apply expertise from institutions including the Common Fund for Commodities, an organization that works closely with International Commodity Bodies (ICBs) to advance commodity sector development in member countries and policy advocacy.  Berci International will offer experts in global development projects including agronomists, scientists, agricultural economists, and project managers knowledgeable in creating high quality products and in improving market access.

In a recent talk given at the University of Catamarca, university president and project leader Favio Fama said the project will benefit more than just the farmers:

“First of all small and medium producers, who gain access to training and technical assistance in the field and at the pilot plant with the aim of improving the quality of their products. Second, the UNCA will benefit from the acquisition of technology, experience and knowledge of international researchers. And thirdly, the provincial governments, since there will be a focal point for the production of quality olive oil.”

The opening of the new training and demonstration facility is said to be just the first phase of the project in which the University of Catamarca is reported to have invested $1.5 million.

Sources
Elancasti.com.ar
Agrositio.com
BERCI International
National University of Catamarca

Today, Olive Oil Times, in partnership with NextOpening, a Rome based software developer, introduced the world’s first comprehensive olive oil app for the iPhone. It is available from iTunes for $3.99. The Blackberry and Android versions will be available soon.

Curtis Cord, publisher of Olive Oil Times, says of the app “We are committed to continuously developing new ways to present this fascinating subject and inform our readers.  Olive oil consumers, amateur and professional chefs, and industry insiders will love this new resource, which is essentially a constantly updated
and expanding guide to the world of olive oil in a smartly designed interface.”

With the app, you will be able to look up the extra virgin olive oils you’re seeing on the shelf, read descriptions of olive varietals and understand their flavor character- istics, quickly learn which are the international award winners, read expert reviews, look at menu suggestions, find delicious recipes, and access the comments of olive oil experts and enthusiasts.

There’s an engaging history of olive oil from its beginning about 8,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean basin.  A dictionary of olive varietals gives information on where they grow and their taste profiles. The production section of the app covers each step along the way, from the washing and leaf removal of the olives, to the centrifugal action, to the filtering. There’s a section entitled Producer Profiles which spotlights growers.

Users will be able to access articles on the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, for which olive oil is the keystone. The app details the criteria used by awards groups and by professional taste panels when tasting olive oil. There’s an index of the world’s most prestigious olive oil competitions, and the award-winners from each so you will have a handy up-to-date guide to the best olive oils in the world. Everyone will find the glossary of tasting terms a useful tool, and it might encourage novices to try their hand at tasting olive oil like a pro. For those who would like to expand their knowledge there are book suggestions and scholastic
programs listed.

The new app integrates with a new platform for people to share their knowledge and insights. Olive Oil Times has created a new Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oils on the popular social network Foodspotting where individuals can photograph an oil they’re enjoying, give a GPS address so others can find it, describe why it’s so good, and with what other foods it should be paired. It is a place where an amazing, but little known olive oil can gain deserved attention.

The Olive Oil Times app will be frequently updated with new features. One currently being developed will enable you to scan a bar code on a bottle of olive oil to instantly see where it was made, a profile of the producer, the harvest date, tasting points and community feedback.

The Corpo Forestale called a press conference today to review ongoing investigations.  Besides olive oil, Gorgonzola and a so-called truffle spread were discussed in some detail. The Corpo Forestale, or forestry department, is charged with protecting the environment.  Forests as well as cultivated areas are overseen by the agency and olive oil falls under the NAF subgroup. NAF, even if awkwardly translated, stands for Nucleus of Agrifood and Forestry.

The packed room was full of journalists, and there was some disappointment when it was announced that the new Minister of Agriculture, Saverio Romano could not attend (Giancarlo Galan has moved on to being Minister of Culture).  On the table at the head of the room, where the speakers were seated, were items that had been unmasked as counterfeit or fraudulent by the Corpo Forestale.

There were bottles of wines, jars of jam, and olive oil. One of the bottles of olive oil had its labels blacked out with magic marker, which of course made it all the more conspicuous. Even with the Carapelli name masked over, one could tell it was the Grupo SOS brand. After the conference I asked someone from the ministry why the name was blacked out, and he replied it was because the company is very powerful.

Most of the speakers touched on the fact that Italy is very rich in geographically indicated foods. With 221 products, it has more than any other country in Europe. Cesare Patrone, head of the Corpo Forestale, said that “because Italian foods are the most prized in the world, it’s clear we also have primacy in falsified foods, which are sold annually for more than 50 million euros.”  To combat fraud, the Corpo Forestale in the past year stepped up their activities with more investigations, and with the number of criminal cases reaching 102, well over the 75 of 2009.

Amadeo de Franceschi a chemist and officer of the Corpo Forestale, reported on the investigation dubbed “On the Trail of Deodorized Oil.” He said the Corpo was carrying out routine inspections, making sure that companies were complying with European Union laws requiring careful attention to the origin of olive oil, when they discovered the irregularities. In September 2010 that they found documents which had been altered. They were puzzled why the transit documents were falsified since the oil in the Carapelli Nobile bottles (sold at 8 € each) didn’t purport to be all Italian, but had European Community as the origin.

They were also puzzled by the prominent “Low Acidity” label on the bottle. Their hypothesis is that the oil was deodorized. During his talk, De Franceschi showed a slide of an asphalt yard in Spain with a mountain of olives and at the base there was oil pooling from the huge weight. Deodorized oil is mostly made from overly ripe olives, or olives that have been improperly handled. For higher quality olive oil, not much time should elapse between harvest and extraction, and the olives should be treated gingerly.

While the Corpo thought it should be sequestered, the Florentine magistrate did not agree. The Florence court is investigating, and three executives of Carapelli have been indicted.  On July 4th the court will convene again to reveal what scientific analysis had to say about the confiscated oil.

This is a breaking news story.  Check back for updates.

Have you ever wondered where your olive oil comes from and who produces it?

The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Messinia seeks to answer these questions with a new sleek video clip. Messinia, located in the southwestern part of Peloponnisos in Greece is home to the famous Kalamata olives and high quality olive oil. The union was founded in 1987, when seven local cooperatives joined together, reaching 26000 persons as its members. Its aim is to protect the interest of members and to ensure the superior quality of the crops produced in Messinia. Among their goals is the marketing not only of their products but their methods of production.  What better way to do that than with a catchy video clip?

The film was produced for the union by foodstandard SA, a Greek company that provides services in food quality and food marketing through studies for food chain partners, agrofood industries and non-governmental organizations. According to Michael Manousos, assistant general manager of foodstandard, the company has been working with the UAC of Messinia for over 6 years. Foodstandard wanted to strengthen the communication aspect of the union, making it more effective and useful, while at the same time showcasing the innovative actions their company has introduced to the union.

The film has 2 purposes: to promote the olive oil of the UAC of Messinia, but also the activities of foodstandard, the company behind these cutting-edge activities. “A visual presentation is more powerful, so we wanted to show in a few minutes the activities of the union as well as our innovations,” Manousos explains. One of those innovations is efarmer, a mobile application designed to interact in real time with the producers in which all cultural operations are recorded, such as plant operations, fertilization and harvesting.

The noted Greek director and cinematographer Takis Zervoulakos directed the film, a high quality and costly production, as all the shots in the film were original. During filming actors were not used, but instead the central characters of the clip were the actual employees and farmers of the UAC of Messinia and foodstandard. Manousos tells us that it has not been decided how the film will be used in the future, but most likely it will be in a variety of settings. “It will certainly be played in expositions but it can also be used in local television shows,” Manousos says. Until then you can view the film here at Olive Oil Times and learn more about the renowned olive oil of Messinia.

AIFO, the Italian Association of Olive Oil Millers, held an all-day workshop on March 23rd at Rome’s San Sebastiano al Palatino. The charming Palatine Hill church complex feels as if it’s in the remote countryside, but is, in fact, close to the superhighway-like street that connects the Colosseum to Piazza Venezia. The group, made up of olive oil producers with small to medium sized businesses, gathered to discuss how to position high quality extra virgin olive oil in a world where low cost is most valued.

The group heard from members, speakers from the academic world, government agency representatives, and consultants. Everyone seemed to agree that differentiation from mass-market brands was key, and that it would take a long time and a lot of hard work for high quality olive oil to garner the price it deserves. There was also a spirited discussion of how the byproducts of olive oil extraction should be treated.

Piero Gonnelli, president and founding member of AIFO, in order to highlight the consequences of low prices on the sector said, “Today, olives in Puglia are being ripped out to make room for photovoltaic farms. This makes me shudder. In Tuscany 50 to 60 percent of the olive groves have been abandoned.” Gonnelli, who was profiled by the Olive Oil Times, grows olives and produces and bottles oil in Tuscany. The last figure is particularly preoccupying since Tuscan olive oil carries a premium over oils from other regions.

Italian shoppers buy a liter of olive oil, on average, every ten to fifteen days. Consumers are buying enough oil but, according to AIFO members, it lacks quality. Mauro Loy, a marketing expert and former supermarket chain executive, reported that some 85% of extra virgin olive oil is purchased at supermarket chains.  Selection is largely guided by what’s on sale.  AIFO members want consumers to have the choice between their elevated quality oils and the standard extra-virgin olive oil of the big brand packagers. (Italian consumers already have the choice of two types of milk, standard and high quality.) AIFO members are not only looking at Italian consumers, but are studying ways of reaching expanding markets, such as the US, the Far East, and Russia.

Giampaolo Sodano, vice president of AIFO, whose profile appeared in the Olive Oil Times and who chaired the event, explained that the seminar  leads up to the annual meeting in May where documents will be assembled in order to lobby the European Parliament in Brussels. AIFO is particularly interested in receiving recognition of the profession Mastro Oleario or Master Oil Producer. In the same vein, some members, such as Gonnelli, believe the word and concept artisanal best describes what they are doing and it should be used to connect with consumers. Gonnelli noted that consumers are already familiar with the artisanal beer and artisanal pasta.

Professor Maurizio Servili of Perugia’s university, made the point that differentiation and the concept of Italian high quality was essential since too liberal international standards were being undercut by even more watered down standards introduced by individual countries. Professor Servili said, “Argentina is now a member of COI (International Olive Council), all the same, Argentina has made itself a nice little standard, allowing for extra virgin olive oil to have a linolenic acid of 1.5 percent instead of the international limit of 1 percent. They’ve set themselves standards which allow for campesterol which can be at 4.5 percent instead of the international limit of 4 percent.” Servili followed this by saying that the new standards opened the door for adulteration with safflower oil, and that Australia had created standards similar to Argentina’s. According to him, it will devolve into a free-for-all.

Various speakers discussed what defines “High Quality Italian”. Some, but not all, DOP and IGP would be considered for the category. A number of speakers voiced the opinion that there were geographically indicated oils that were not sufficiently good for the category. Objective chemical analysis will be critical in vetting the oils. Sodano said that consumers should be presented with clear labels that “should give a precise (minimum allowable) number of polyphenols.” This was considered important in regard to health since high quality oil is richer in health improving properties than a standard extra virgin olive oil.

Professor Massimo Pizzichini gave an interesting presentation on his projects and patents involving the capture of polyphenols from the waste created during olive oil extraction. He spoke of polyphenols and their role in the life of olive trees, which include being a preservative, and also protect the tree and fruit from the olive fly and harmful bacteria.  At the professor’s entrepreneurial company PhenoFarm, pomace and vegetation water, which contain 98 percent of the polyphenols available from olive oil extraction, are isolated through the use of membranes. He foresees strong demand for polyphenols from food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies, and chided olive oil producers for not buying into his projects. His anger was met with a hush, gasps, and nervous laughter and kept everyone alert well into the afternoon.

At the Accademia dei Georgofili in Florence, a March 11th conference gathered hundreds of intellectuals, political wonks, and agriculture buffs from across Italy to discuss some very old farming history.  The school, which is the center for agricultural study in Italy, was celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Rivista di storia dell’agricoltura (Journal of the History of Agriculture) with a day dedicated to changes and continuities between ancient Roman times and the Middle Ages.  Entitled “Agriculture and Environment through the Roman and Middle Ages”, the conference focused on the historical realities of this thousand-year period and its significance for today’s highly consequential balancing of farming and environment in Italy.

One of the most significant themes for all present was that of continuity — the presence of crops and even methods that began with the Romans and continued through the Middle Ages, and in some cases even up until today.  The Romans of antiquity, immensely focused on cultivation and expansion of crops, introduced plants from the far corners of its empire and made them plentiful throughout the Mediterranean region and larger Europe.

With olive trees from Greece and grape vines from the Bordeaux and Bourgogne region of France, the Romans spread production of olive oil and wine throughout the continent, shaping cultures and cuisines for millenia.  In Italy, especially in southern regions such as Puglia, many of the trees used to produce today’s olive oils date back a couple of thousand years and were planted by the Romans. The conference highlighted the ways that current farming culture is as much descended from the Roman and Middle Ages as is the artistic and social culture of Italy today.

However, the other theme of the conference was change — change generated by the environment and environmental change precipitated by agricultural practices.  Sharp variations in food production, such as olive oil, had severe consequences at the end of the Roman Empire.  As Paolo Nanni, Professor of Agriculture at the University of Florence, explained at the conference, “Suffice it to say that Rome, which was the largest city in the world, went from eight hundred thousand inhabitants to sixty thousand in the space of two hundred years, from the fourth to the sixth century.”

Italy remains a very pastoral country with rich agricultural activity, and the conference, while focused on a very distant age, was very much addressing the current age of agriculture and the threats to the environment.  In foregone ages, first Rome and then the smaller central cities of the Middle Ages organized agriculture around them along pathways of transportation and communication, thereby leaving plenty of untouched forest and natural land.

With today’s ease of transportation, cities are no longer the hub of local trade and there are no limits on land-use.  It is, as Paolo Nanni concluded, “doubly important that agriculture is done in a sustainable way, both economically and environmentally… and that the government recognizes the importance of the ecological strategy.  This is why we held this conference.”  As with so many of the modern problems of humanity, we look to antiquity for answers.

By Alice Alech
Olive Oil Times Contributor | Reporting from Vidauban, France

The Town Council of Sanary, a port town on the Mediterranean coast of France believes that educating young children is a great way to achieve and maintain a healthy olive oil culture for future generations.

Located in the heart of the Provence, one of the sunniest regions in France, Sanary is perfect for olive oil cultivation. The early learning program put into place will educate school children in the growing of olives and olive oil production. This is the first year of the pilot plan.

It all started in 2003 when the mayor of this Provençal town, Ferdinand Bernhard, decided to launch an action program for 21st century sustainable development. Determined to preserve the natural heritage as well as the environment, he rescued seven acres of abandoned wasteland formerly used for growing olive trees. After much clearing and cleaning among the old stones and hundred year old olive trees, the area was ready for planting.

In 2005, three hundred new olive trees were planted. Le Jardin des Oliviers (the olive tree garden) became a true olive grove paradise using environmentally friendly cultivation techniques. Today, the restored Jardin des Oliviers provides an ideal location for the activities of L’éducation à l’environnement pour un développement Durable (education for sustainable development, or EEDD)

Teaching school children about olives and olive oil is part of the pilot project launched by the mayor and EEED to educate children on sustainable development.

Early education of olives and olive oil mean doesn’t mean taking the 52 classes out to admire the fruit and trees. It is a well thought-out planned exercise.

The Town Council has taken on Chrystel Massa to oversee the project. As program manager for EEDD, she is responsible for coordinating, promoting and implementing pedagogical methods in schools. In addition, she is in charge of all visits by the children (olive oil mills and Le Jardin des Oliviers) as well as organizing experts to talk to the children.

“Learning activities will be mostly outdoor this first year. Three pedagogical outdoor studies are planned for next year to be followed by teaching in the classroom. Pedagogical methods will vary and be adapted according to class,” Chrystel said. The children, aged between five and eleven will take part in workshops, visits and fieldtrips; EEDD has already appointed three teachers for this first year.

November 25 was an exciting, fun and informative first day for organizers, teachers and children. Two classes, chosen for the pilot study this year visited Le Jardin des Oliviers and hand picked almost a hundred kilos of olives; each class was also allowed to plant an olive tree.

Jean Luc Granet, Delegate for the Environment at the Sanary City Council accompanied the 53 school children from schools in and around Sanary. A farmer and native of Sanary, Jean Luc recently trained in olive trees and organic olive oil farming. He was able to share his knowledge on the history of the site and the benefits of organic farming with the children.

He said “The teachers, pupils and I really appreciated this first experience even though we combined a class of kindergarten (four to five year old) and primary schools (10 to 11 year old) the teaching material was very well adapted.”

The second part of the project will involve a guided visit to an olive oil mill; classroom activities will include history and geography of olive trees as well as the health properties of olives.

The third part of the project planned for the spring will show pupils how growers deal with insect threats to the groves.

The children will each receive a bottle of olive oil obtained from the olives they picked on their first visit. Tapenade and olive oil bread made from traditional Mediterranean recipes will also be sampled by the lucky children.

Jardin des Oliviers is clearly a success. Planting of olive trees six years ago has produced 621 kilograms of olives and almost 100 liters of olive oil the first year. Today, the orchard contains 400 olive trees with at least a hundred different varieties. (Oleo Cayon, Cayet bleu, Grossanne)

And, the community continues to grow. The municipality has recently bought adjacent plots and more planting and growing will take place.

Jardin des Oliviers is in their second year of conversion hoping to have the French national AB label by 2013. Organic regulations in France stipulate a three year period of “bio” conditions before obtaining the organic label.

Jardin des Oliviers and Ecole des Oliviers are offering practical solutions in sustainable development. Significant Changes are being made to improve the environment with a community working towards a common goal.

Equally important, Ecole des Oliviers will be beneficial to the olive oil industry in France; when kids go to L’école des Oliviers they will learn how to nurture the long time culture of olive oil farming.

Photos: Bernard Laire