THE rows of olive trees have been chainsawed back to the blackened stumps, but the profusion of green suckers shows promise of future bounty.

Barfold grower George Brajevic says his son, Jason, believes the trees will fruit again next year, two years after they sustained major heat and fire damage in the Black Saturday bushfires.

"I don't believe it," George said.

"I reckon it's going to be at least a couple more years."

Fortunately for the Brajevic family - which includes George's wife, Pam, and Jason's partner, Sandra Rickard - business has boomed, despite the loss of their 2200 seven to 10-year-old trees.

The shed has been replaced, a new faster processing plant imported from Italy and the family has been busy contract processing more than 100 tonnes of olives for their other clients since March.

Unable to produce their estate blend of extra-virgin olive oil, they have still been able to buy enough olives to make oil to sell as blended or infused under the James Selection label.

They also have hand-harvested kalamata olives from other growers for pickling in various mixtures of brine and herbs.

The Barfold Olives products are sold through the farm shop and at numerous farmers' markets in central Victoria.

George said he almost gave up on the project four months after he watched helplessly as the Black Saturday fires claimed the grove, sheds, machinery, Jason and Sandra's house and the house he and Pam had been building on the 16ha former cattle property.

But they plugged away, replacing what they could when they could, cutting off dead wood and pruning most of the new growth on the trees to leave four or five of the stronger limbs as a sound foundation for the new tree canopy.

"I'm glad we've moved on," George said.

"The dams are full, the trees are not producing but they look lovely.

"All our oil customers are coming back which is great. I think it's a good decision."

Other nearby farms also are moving on.

Neighbours Kyneton Olive Oil lost 2000 of its 10-year-old olive trees, a house and cattle, but saved the processing shed, plant and oil stocks.

Its 2009-harvested oil later went on to win an award and the owners celebrated their annual harvest launch with open days at the weekend.

And Ruperts Ridge winery has just completed this year's vintage after losing a house, machinery and the 2009 crop.