Unwanted olives into liquid gold: 2025 harvest!

Last year, our olive adventure was all about small victories… 41kg of olives, a crash course in brining, and a lot of laughs (and a newfound respect for anyone who’s ever tasted a raw olive, yuck!)
This time we’re aiming higher and need help to turn Warrnambool’s overlooked olives into delicious, locally made oil.

What’s the plan?

We’re on a mission to rescue as many olives as possible from backyards, parks, and street verges before they go to waste. Here’s are some options to get involved:

1. Drop off your olives

Harvest your olives (Thursday or Friday for freshness) and bring them along. We’ll weigh them, confirm your details, and if you’d like a share of the oil, a $5 donation helps cover project costs.

When: Saturday 31 May, 10am–12pm
Where: Warrnambool Community Garden, corner of Grieve and Derby Street

Olive harvest tips

Pick your olives no more than two days before drop-off for peak freshness.
A mix of green and black olives is great but avoid any that are damaged or spoiled.
Pick by hand, shake the branches onto a sheet, or use a ladder (safely!).
Unsure how? Check out the CERES Olive Picking Guide for handy tips.

Always ask before picking from trees on nature strips or in parks, as they might be cared for by local residents.

2. Share a tree

Know a tree loaded with olives but no one to pick them? Let us know! Fill out the share a tree form and we’ll do our best to organise a crew to harvest.

3. Volunteer for the mega-harvest

Keen to get your hands oily? Sign up on our volunteer page and join a community picking session on Saturday 31 and Sunday 1 June. We’ll send you the details and meeting points beforehand.

4. Olive oil magic

All olives will be whisked away to Grampians Olive Co. on 2 June for pressing. Once the oil is ready, for those who have donated, we’ll email you to arrange pickup. Bring your container and get ready to taste the freshest olive oil you’ve ever had!

Why get involved?

Reduce food waste: So many olives go unpicked every year, we can put them to good use!
Connect with community: Meet your neighbours, learn new skills, and share in the harvest.
Taste the results: There’s nothing like fresh, local olive oil…. especially when you’ve helped make it.