Like many people around the world, I use olive oil for cooking, not only because it is healthy, but also because it is yummy. I wouldn't use it to make cookies or brownies, but it's just perfect for anything savory, from meat to veggies to omelets. Olive oil consumption in the United States has been rising steadily because of people like me, who heard about the health benefits, tried it, and liked it. The United States imports nearly 300,000 tons of olive oil every year. That's a whole lot of pesto, yes?
Thing is, we can actually make olive oil right here in this country, and we do. I always pictured the olive as an exotic Mediterranean fruit (yep, it's a fruit--has a pit and grows on trees, just like cherries!), but I have recently found out that we produce about 12,000 tons of olive oil annually right here in this country. In the state of Texas, for example, olive oil production has grown from zero in 2002 to 54 tons in 2012, and the number of olive trees is estimated to have grown from 250,000 in 2012 to 1,500,000 in 2013, according to a report released by the University of Texas at San Antonio. The Texas Association of Olive Oil (TXAOO), established in 2016, works with the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas A&M AgriLife and the American Olive Oil Producers Association to combine all segments of the olive industry together in one organization to effectively work to promote and develop the Texas olive oil industry.
I am personally happy to hear this: As we know, Texas has long been devoted to oil production of a different kind, and with the use of fossil fuels such a major contributor to global climate change, some drastic swings toward renewable energy will eventually have to be made. Right now, the oil and gas boom is bigger than ever within the United States, as we try to become less dependent on foreign imports, but it is necessary to move away from that, for a brighter (and cleaner!) future. Texas is developing renewable industries, such as solar arrays and wind fields, but conservatives are fighting against federal funding for such projects. I don't think anyone is raising objections to olive farming, however, so before the fossil-fuel-based economy collapses, let's get something else going. Something that feels better.
Something that smells better!
Image Credit » http://pixabay.com/en/olives-olive-tree-olive-tree-287687/
