A whole century of work and tradition, producing quality extra virgin olive oil
The origins of our Farming Cooperative
The Cooperative L’Agrícola i Secció de Crèdit La Palma SCCL was inaugurated the 17 of August of 1919 with the name of Agricultural Union. The total number of the first founder partners was of one hundred and twelve. The first year, because of the lack of electricity, a dynamo that worked whith coal was installed.
In the past, everything was done by hand and the legacy of our grandfathers is still visible if we look at the tools they used and which we have lovingly and proudly kept at home in their memory. If you come to visit our cooperative, you will be able to see some of these tools which were used 100 years ago.
If you visit us, you will be able to see with your own eyes, our hundred year old underground vats known here are “trulls” which were always used for storing olive oil. To this day, they are still in use and they allow our extra virgin Arbequina variety olive oils to be kept in unique and exclusive storing conditions, which conserve their natural properties and flavours, keeping them until they reach your table.
Our olive oil on the black market in post-war Spain
This took place in the Forties and Fifties, in post-civil-war Spain, after all the bloody fighting and desperation which this armed conflict inflicted on our country, when life in the villages was harder than ever. The after-effects of the war were still in evidence and coupled with drought and overall misery, the country’s population suffered badly. This suffering was also felt in the village of La Palma d’Ebre. On the back of this, the black market flourished and everyone who was able, to guarantee the subsistence of their family and friends, tried to make extra money with their olives.
La Palma d’Ebre was no different. In those days, our extra virgin olive oil was as, or more, sought after than now and yet taxes took a large percentage of our production. With the very same non-conformist spirit which had always characterized us, our parents decided that in order to guarantee the subsistence of the local population, they had to sell on the black market and this is what they did.
In those days an extra room was built in the basement and kept hidden. It ran parallel to the one where we still keep our underground vats or “trulls” nowadays and where we store our prized olive oil. This room was where a large vat with a false wall and bottom was located. It was as big as any of the official ones and was only accessible from the outside by a small hole. This hole was well hidden and big enough to run a hose to it, which allowed us to get the olive oil and take it to our houses in the dead of night.
If you visit our cooperative, you will be able to see for yourselves these old vats with false bottoms which are still there today. It is an honour to pay homage to our mothers and fathers who struggled so much for our survival.
Innovation and quality, our commitment to the future
Over the years they have evolved techniques in oil processing, the main product in the local economy: first molas and prepare pasta systems were modified; then installing “Italian reels”, the centrifuge, …
The year 1974 the millstones and rollers of stone were changed and a new machine was brought: Hydraulic press with the system bombs, the deposit to the central body, loader and elevator. Also the ceramic tiles were changed for ones of stainless steel so as to give better results in the production of the oil. By the year 1993 the system of continual extraction for centrifugation was implanted. At present it has two lines of continual extraction with operation to two phases with capacity for pressing 100.00 Kg of olives every day.
L’Agrícola i Secció de Crèdit la Palma SCCL has at present 134 active partners that produce annual average of 400.000 Kg oil. The oil Produced in the cooperative is of high category, extra virgin olive oil and it has been recognized with different prices in the last years, in local, provincial and also state field, how is the price “Románico Esencia” to the best oil of arbequine olive the years 2006, 2009 and 2014.
