Restoration of groves, cultural practices, oil making and artifacts using historical methods.
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MISSION OLIVE GROVE PLANTINGS:
Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad: On February 10, 2001, 150 trees were planted and this mission
became the first Mission Olive grove planted on mission property since the mission days over 170 years ago.
The trees were planted from truncheons and cuttings.
Additional trees planted at a later date.
Mission Santa Cruz: On February 9,2002, 15 trees were planted in this California State Park.
Cuttings that were used are from original Padre planted trees.
4 additional trees planted March 18, 2005.
Mission Santa Ines: 21 trees planted between February 10, 2001 and April 18, 2007.
Mission Sonoma/ General Vallejo Home: 2 trees planted January 30, 2005.
Mission Santa Barbara/Huerta Project: 2 trees planted April 18, 2007.
Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo: 3 trees planted April 27, 2007.
Mission San Rafael: 2 trees planted December 10, 2007.
Missions Model Museum at Cline Cellars: 3 trees planted September 21, 2005.
Santa Barbara Presidio Research Center: 3 trees planted April 18, 2007.
California State Capitol Park: 1 tree planted September 17, 2006.
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Since 1998, Mission San Francisco Solano has hosted an annual Blessing of the Olive Harvest. Local olive growers bring baskets from their groves to be blessed by Father Aurelio Villa.
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| ARTIFACTS:
Location and restoration of original presses, grinding stones and stone troughs at the missions.
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OIL:
MISSIONS HARVESTING AND PRODUCING OIL
Several missions have begun harvesting their trees and selling oils in gift shops for visitors to enjoy in their kitchens. These include:
Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma became the first mission in recent times to harvest its trees once again for oil in 1998.
The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose in Fremont began an annual harvest in 1999.
An ancient grove once belonging to Mission La Purisima Concepcion harvested in 2000.
Many missions planted olive trees during the 1900’s. Almost all of the original groves have been destroyed, or their locations unknown. Through generous donations of the Nick Sciabicca and Sons and of Pietra Santa Winery olive mills, the olives were pressed onto oil. Now olive trees again play a productive role in the missions. Spear headed by Missions Santa Ines, Soledad, and the Dominican Sisters (trees from Mission San Jose) and with the help from MOPREP volunteers, the missions once again harvest their olives.
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| SACRAMENTS:
The Catholic church uses olive oil in baptism sacraments, last rites to the dying, and anointing the hands of newly ordained priests. In the spring of 2000, Nick Bianchi, director of Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, provided oil harvested from California’s missions to be blessed to use for Catholic sacraments, marking the first time in modern history that oil from the missions was again used in the Catholic church.
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CASE STUDY
PLANTACIÓN DE LOS OLIVOS NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA SOLEDAD
The Story of Replanting a Grove
The Mission Olive Preservation, Restoration and Education Project (MOPREP) and the leadership and community of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad shared a mutual vision that bore fruit on February 10, 2001: the first full-scale Mission Olive grove planted on Mission property since the early 1800’s.
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| 1. SOURCE OF AUTHENTIC TREES AN ANCIENT MISSION GROVE IS RESTORED
1998-2001 - An original grove was discovered in 1998 on private land near Mission La Purisima Concepción. Originally planted by Chumash Indians and the padres in the early 1800’s to provide oil for Mission La Purisima, this grove had not been attended to for over 100 years. Through the help of MOPREP volunteers, olive consultant, Antonio Isern, and a generous private donation, the olive grove has undergone restoration.
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| THE OLD GIVES RISE TO THE NEW
APRIL 15, 2000 - Pruned limbs and leaf cuttings are picked up by volunteers of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad to be propagated at the nurseries of MOPREP volunteer, Bruce Golino, owner of Santa Cruz Olive Tree Company.
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| 2. PROPAGATION - THE LAND IS PREPARED
MAY 1, 2000 — Volunteers of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad community prepared the ground of the olive “nursery” and future olive grove.
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| PROPAGATING OLIVES AS IN MISSION TIMES
MAY 19, 2000 — Project volunteers used the hardwood method to propagate new trees. Two to six inch diameter logs were cut into 12” sections (truncheons) and “incubated” in warm, moist soil until buds swelled on the bark. Most likely, this was the old method used by the padres to grow the original Mission Olives trees — using hardwood cuttings sent in supply ships from older missions in Baja California to the new missions in Alta California.
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| LAYING OF TRUNCHEONS INTO “NURSERY FIELD”
MAY 27, 2000 - The budded truncheon was covered with soil and lovingly tended by the Soledad Mission Director Nick Bianchi, and volunteer Bud Sarmento of Soledad, until green sprouts appeared. After 6 months, they were ready to be planted as individual trees.
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| 3. PLANTING BEGINS
PRE-PLANTING —JANUARY 2001 Project volunteers dig rooted truncheons from the olive “nursery” in the field where they have been tended for about 9 months. Candi DePauw, lead horticulturist for Mission Soledad, and Mission director, Nick Bianchi, rejoice as they hold the first rooted cutting removed from the “nursery” field.
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| PUPILS FROM NEARBY MISSION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLANT FIRST TREES
Each student planted a tree and learned about the significance of the olive in Mission life.
Participation of children is important to educate future generations of California’s cultural heritage.
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| 4. OFFICIAL PLANTING & BLESSING OF NEW GROVE
THE MASS OF LOS OLIVOS - FEBRUARY 2001 - The Blessing ceremony for the Olive Grove began with a bilingual Mass of Los Olivos held in the Mission Chapel for the community and MOPREP volunteers. The chapel was decorated with olive boughs and trees to be planted.
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| THE GROVE IS DEDICATED AND BLESSED
Most Reverend Sylvester Ryan, Bishop of Monterey Diocese, officially planted an olive tree, joined by attending priests who blessed and anointed the Grove. A total of 150 Mission Olive trees were planted.
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