I enjoy volunteering my time in exchange for getting in free to worthy events such as the olive festival. I’ve never heard of such, but then again, there is always a festival or two in Austin and the surrounding areas. This one took place in Dripping Springs, where I’ve never driven through at night without seeing at least one deer and an occasional stray hare.
Although I originally signed up as a “wine vendor,” all vendor volunteers were warned that we’d be expected to pitch in wherever we were needed. We were also warned that we would stand during our entire 4-hour shift. Mother Nature gave her overcast warning as well. Putting all three of those things together, I secured a spot at the only sit-down, covered vendor spot: selling olive trees. The three volunteers who I replaced gave me the lowdown on olive tree basics and then split to get their complimentary 6 wine tasting tickets and buy food.
Over the course of 4 hours, I learned more than I ever knew about olive trees. Fortunately, most people asked the same questions:
1. Which types of olive trees were for sale? Two varieties of French; two varieties of Spanish; and a lone Italian. (everyone loved the “Lone Italian” description and thought that should be the title of a movie.)
2. Do they grow in any soil? Yes, but if the soil has a high clay content, then you should mix up to 30% of sand with it and plant the tree high so the water can drain.
3. How often do you water them? While they are “young,” you should give them 2 gallons of water every two days, but be careful not to overwater them. You should pinch the stem. If it is moist, then don’t water it.
4. Do these olive trees grow the green or black olives? All olives start off green and become increasingly purplish-black as they ripen. When green olives are picked, they have to be brined to reduce the bitter taste.
5. How long does it take for the trees to start producing olives? One of the Spanish species, Arbequina, will mature in 2-3 years. The rest will mature in 3-5 years.
6. How old are the trees in the grove? the ones for sale? 4 1/2 to 8 years; 16 to 18 months
7. Do they do well in the winter? All the trees are cold resistant to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. If worried, you can place a smudge pot beside the tree to keep it warm. All the olive trees in the grove survived a few ice storms without it.
8. Do I need to by two trees for pollination purposes? The two Spanish species are self-pollinating. The other varieties need a “mate.”
9. They all look the same. How can you tell them apart? I read the tags.
10. How often do they need to be pruned? once a year
When potential buyers asked a technical question that I couldn’t answer, I’d laugh and tell them that I only knew the answers to ten questions and theirs just went off the grid. By some miracle, the owner, his daughter or the olive expert who’d given three olive mini-workshops would happen to walk by. I’d flag them down to answer the question.
Toward the end of my shift, I was nearly beside myself with hunger. Sometimes, the wind shifted and I’d catch a whiff of paella. At one point, a potential olive tree buyer took pity on me and offered a sip of her red wine. I thanked her for adding about ten more minutes of my patience while I waited for my replacement to arrive. Once she did, I gave her the lowdown and the list of olive questions and answers (which I’d neatly written out on a piece of paper) and dashed away to get my volunteer bag with a wine glass and 6 drink tickets.
I had about three tastes of wine while waiting for the latest batch of paella to finish. When it was just about done, people gathered around like it was feeding time at the human zoo. With a relaxed red wine smile I asked one of the food vendors, loud enough for everyone in the crowd to hear, “Now, you guys serve the people with dreadlocks first, right?” Yes, that did work. Thank God for the ol’ Jedi trick!As I left, I saw a bigger wine enthusiast in the bluebonnet-laden “parking lot.” The license plate read, “I (heart) WINE.” I figured it must have belonged to one of the twelve Texan wine vendors who were present. Perhaps when I have a lot of disposable income, I can have vanity plates, too. Although I think mine will read: “KISS MBA.”