Forty-one years ago, as a young boy, I joined my family in Crete for the olive harvest just before Christmas. Three generations worked side by side in the orchards—cutting branches, spreading nets, and gently striking the trees to release their fruit. Under my grandfather’s guidance and my father’s watchful eye, what began as chaos slowly became rhythm, tradition, and purpose.
THE HARVEST
That evening, they announced we had produced nearly six hundred kilos of olive oil. We gathered around the table, sharing a simple meal of wild greens and goat soup, drenched in the fresh, peppery oil we had helped create that very day. My grandfather tasted it, smiled, and called it “good.” In that moment, I understood that we were not just harvesting olives—we were continuing our family’s legacy as olive oil producers.
