In 2019 our family took on the care of a five-acre olive orchard in Valley Springs, in the Sierra Foothills of Calaveras County. The trees were already old. Family stories put them at well over 100 years, true centenarians, planted the Old World way, about 40 feet apart, with room for each tree to spread.
Olives have deep roots in this part of California. Some Calaveras orchards date back to the Gold Rush, and our neighbors in the county have been making award-winning olive oil for years. We knew we had something special. We just had to learn how to care for it.
The Brothers
The boys learned the orchard one season at a time: pruning in winter, watching the fruit set in spring, praying for rain, and hand-picking every November and December. In 2022 they decided to turn that work into a business, Rose Brothers Olives. They still do the work themselves, and they take pride in knowing the people who buy their oil.
Chase and Travis Rose in the family orchard
How We Farm
- Rain-fed (dry-farmed). Our trees live on rainwater and sunshine. No irrigation.
- No pesticides or herbicides. We farm with pruning, hard work, and patience. We're not certified organic, but we don't spray.
- Picked by hand. We harvest by hand in November and December for a balance of fruit and pepper.
- Milled fast. Our olives are kept temperature-controlled after picking and milled by Nick Sciabica & Sons within 48 hours to protect flavor and freshness.
- Bottled unfiltered. We leave the fine olive particles in for a fuller taste.
Our Promise
Every bottle is real extra virgin olive oil from our trees, independently lab tested every harvest (December 2025: 0.15% free fatty acids and 381 mg/kg polyphenols). It's truly small-batch: about 150 gallons in a typical year. If you ever have a problem with an order, call or email us and a Rose brother will make it right.