People

Angelo and Santa Bariani and their sons Sebastian, Enrico, and Emanuele; the fourth son, Luigi, helps for two months out of the year during peak pressing season.

Farmland

187 acres on the outskirts of Sacramento, about 100 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Farm History

The Bariani family is from the northern Italian region of Lombardy. They moved here in 1989 for the great economic and educational opportunities offered in this country. They bought a 100-year-old olive orchard, and in 1992 began producing olive oil. They purchased a traditional system of olive oil extraction, consisting mainly of a stone crusher and presses which they keep on the premises, so all of their olive oil is “estate grown, produced, and bottled.” They use a time-tested process of cold-pressing following Italian tradition, a process that they have been developing and refining over the years. They use a mixture of green and black olives and combine the oils of the Manzanillo and Mission olives to get a balanced everyday oil that is also delicious on salads and bread.

The big season of work for the Barianis happens when the olives are ready to be harvested, from October through the end of December. During the harvest time, the Barianis harvest and press the olives daily. The fruit is picked by hand so that it is not damaged. The fresh olive oil is kept in air-tight and temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks so that it doesn’t oxidize, and is bottled fresh every four to five weeks. Every bottle of Bariani Olive Oil features both a harvest date and a bottling date.

Certification

None

Soil

To maintain soil fertility, the Barianis mulch and incorporate olive paste and trimmings into the soil.

Water Use

Well-water is used in a low volume-jet-sprinkler irrigation system, conservative water use.

Pest Management

None needed.