This exclusive collection of Alive & Well Olives are grown by small family farms and village co-ops in Greece, who follow the same traditional agricultural methods used in the region for thousands of years. They represent the essence of sustainable agriculture, using natural fertilization, dry-farming, reliance on seasonal rainfall, and expert pruning to ensure the robust health of the trees.

The families involved cultivate and tend the groves, harvest the crop, and transfer the fruit to communally owned vats in the vicinity of the olive groves. Unlike conventional olive growing, the fruit is handpicked and quickly prepared for fermentation, promising optimum freshness and taste. Fermentation occurs spontaneously as the cultures carried on the skin of the olives become active in the brine within hours of picking. The fermentation brine is made with unrefined sea-salt from regional salt flats. These natural cultures include several varieties of lactobacillus, yeasts, and enzymes, specific to the location. This rich diversity of cultures is responsible for the special character of olives from a particular location. The olives remain undisturbed in the fermenting, “mother” brine until they are packed for shipment to market. The communal facility has jar-filling and labeling equipment run by members of the group as well.

You’ll find Alive & Well Probiotic Olives in the refrigerated section. These can only be found at Kimberton Whole Foods and other independent, natural retailers.