Jordan Fricke, Hungry Hollow Ranch, 2021 Art & Ag Farm Visit Host
Photography by: Charles McDonald
“The best part of my job is being able to wake up every day and see the beautiful landscapes of all of our properties. And watching all of our hard work pay off as we transform a piece of dirt into a fully producing olive orchard which yields the high quality olive oil we sell across the country” says Jordan Fricke, Field Operations Manager of Boundary Bend Olives.
In April artists experienced the fruits of this hard work at Hungry Hollow Ranch, one of four Boundary Bend Olives properties (combined owned and leased) located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Capay. This particular location boasts a variety of topography from the rolling hills- also home to neighbor Fritz Durst’s Cattle Ranch- to the rows and rows of 3 year old olive trees that fill this sprawling 350 acre ranch. This is only a portion of the 800 acres currently being farmed across Yolo County, with another 450-500 acres being developed into 2022.
Boundary Bend is fairly new to the region but not to extra virgin olive oil. They are Australia’s largest producer and distributor. In July of 2014, they purchased a 9-acre industrial property in Woodland which is now home to their olive oil mill, bottling facilities, lab, and admin offices – and a hub for its transportation of products to the West Coast and broader USmarket. Their brand Cobram Estates can be found at Nugget and Raley’s.
Why Yolo County? “This particular area has one of the best, if not the best, climates in the state for growing olives for olive oil production” says Jordan who manages all farming operations which includes seven varieties of olives. “These trees have 2 to3 more years until they are fully producing. They will be roughly 15′ tall and 10′ wide. “Boundary Bend holds high expectations that the trees are managed with the best intentions of the land in mind. Areas that do not have trees are left for wildlife and native plants to flourish.
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On this visit, artists had elevated views of the property overlooking the barns and orchards. We are grateful for this opportunity to experience Hungry Hollow Ranch and as Jordan describes, “to enjoy the way the hardy olive trees grow – with their green and silver leaves, the grey bark, and- when the timing’s just right- the yellow flowers that turn into olives that holds one of mother nature’s gifts, extra virgin olive oil.”