As Spain’s olive farmers have been struggling with drought and Italian olives are being destroyed by a bacterial outbreak, the timing couldn’t be better. Americans use a whopping 80 million gallons of olive oil each year, according to the Florida Olive Council. Oddly enough, American farmers produce less than two percent of this oil currently, and most of what is produced in the United States comes from California.
Given California’s ongoing problems with drought, many University of Florida agricultural experts believe olives could be a boon to state growers and the next ‘big’ commodity. The downside? It will likely take another seven years or more before growers will know if it’s not only possible but potentially profitable to plant, harvest, and market Florida olives.
Ports in Paradise
Miami is known as the “Gateway to the Americas”—and for good reason. There are three major ports serving the Greater Miami area, including PortMiami, Port Everglades, and Port of Palm Beach. “We utilize all three of these major ports,” says Douglas Tannehill, president of Global Perishable Services LLP, who exports perishables to the Caribbean.
