MOTHER and daughter Joan McGovern and Anne Rathjen are a well-oiled team.

The pair - from Camilo Enterprises at Teesdale, west of Geelong - are fast making names for themselves in the often cut-throat world of olive-oil production.

    AT A GLANCE
  • Who: Joan McGovern and Anne Rathjen
  • What: olive oil
  • Why: award winners
  • Where: Teesdale
  • Report: GAIL THOMAS

In fact, their oil won a prized double - for best extra-virgin olive oil and best commercial olive oil - at the recent Royal Melbourne Show, and two silver medals at Sydney Royal Show's fine-food awards.

"We have produced only a few harvests to date so this win is absolutely phenomenal," Joan said.

Camilo's niche is producing oils that are very different, but still attractive, and a wide range of premium products.

Joan and Anne already have a sales network in Victoria, NSW and Tasmania and are also exporting their oil to Japan.

"Yet we haven't even officially launched the brand," Joan said.

Camilo Enterprises was established in 2002 on 54ha. There is now 12ha planted to 3300 olive trees of five varieties.

The olives are planted on a sandy-soil plain between a flora and fauna reserve and the Leigh River valley.

"It was drought when we initially planted and 18 months later we put another lot in but the irrigation system didn't work so the trees really struggled," Joan said.

"Once that was rectified you could almost hear the trees sing and we've had a great harvest this year.

"We are also incredibly fortunate to be able to buy temporary water rights from our neighbour."

The fruit is both hand picked and mechanically harvested using a brush on the end of an articulated arm attached to a tractor.

The olives are immediately cold-pressed on site using a small Italian Olio Mio machine but Joan said they would probably have to upgrade the equipment as their harvests increase.

"We specialise in boutique oils with premium blends containing very different characteristics and tastes," she said.

Joan and Anne also produce brined and baked olives and moisturising creams.

The oils are certified under the Australian Olive Association's Code of Practice which was introduced last year as a means of assuring quality of produce.

"We get around 20 per cent yield for oil and this year we harvested over 15 tonnes of fruit though we expect to go well above that as the trees mature," Joan said.

"All our oils have a very low acidity level of 0.2 per cent or less, compared to the international standard for extra-virgin olive oil of 0.8 per cent."

Joan said she was inspired to grow olives by a friend who had put in a grove.

A former journalist and public relations consultant in Tasmania, Joan's first job in Victoria was as a communications manager with the-then Australian Wheat Board.

As well as running the olive grove she now works as a communications manager in Geelong.

Joan said their decision to grow olives inspired 24-year-old Anne to study rural business. "We are so lucky as many older people in the industry don't have younger ones who want to stay on the land."

Anne is secretary of the Australian Olive Association's Victorian branch, and the youngest member of the AOA's national compliance committee.

She has judged at leading food awards and hopes to establish a network for young members of the olive industry.