Fourth Generation Olive Producer Adds Value

“My grandfather used to produce olive oil, mostly to give to friends and family. His father also was an olive farmer as is my father. Olives are in my blood,” Dewey Lucero told me on the phone. I was talking to him prior to my talk in Red Bluff, CA.

He went on, “I got a degree in mechanical engineering at Cal Poly but have always loved farming. In December, 2005 with the help of my parents I started producing Lucero Olive Oil. We started small but have grown the business each year. Today we sell three different brands and have grown from 2,000 gallons the first year to over 8,000 gallons this past year.”

Dewey is teaming up with 4 other olive farmers to put in an olive press in his hometown of Corning, which bills itself as the Olive Capital of America. Having the press will allow him to have better control over the product and to grow the business into a full time operation.