The olive-groves of the producers who bring their olives to Moulin de l'Olivette are all grown in a 30 km radius around Manosque. This locality is the territory of the AOC olive oil from Haute Provence which stretches from the Luberon to the Gorges du Verdon along the Durance river.

Olive trees in this region are to be found on the hills and plateaux. The tree of peace needs a Mediterranean climate and our relatively cold winters are fatal to the olive fruit fly. Therefore olive-growing has few requirements here and the olive tree is very hardy. The producers cultivate their trees most of the time with no treatment and when they have to in supervised control. The largest part of the olive-growers’ (olive producers) task is working the soil and the yearly or twice-yearly pruning of the olive-trees.

A few AB approved (Organic Farming) producers cultivate their olive trees within the framework of Organic Farming.

The dominant variety of olives in our region is made up mainly of the Aglandau. This olive has the particularity of remaining green for a long time. It darkens on ripening with colours ranging from mauve to purple. It rarely turns black.

It gives all the oils we produce a palette of tastes which are essentially vegetal with aromas of raw artichoke, freshly mown grass and even violets. The sharpness and bitterness are present in varying degrees.