Karen Volk
The SunBird Garden Club members kicked off their season with a delightful field trip following their first meeting on Oct. 9. Several members traveled to the Queen Creek Olive Mill—the only working olive farm and mill in Arizona. This family owned operation sits on 100 acres and is home to 7,000 to 9,000 olive trees representing nine different olive varieties. These olives are carefully cultivated to produce hand crafted extra virgin olive oil.
Our group participated in the Olive Oil 101 Tour, where we learned firsthand how olives are harvested and pressed into fresh extra virgin olive oil, from tree to bottle. After the tour, members browsed the shelves of olive oils and enjoyed tasting samples that tempted everyone’s taste buds.
The Queen Creek Olive Mill offers a welcoming, family friendly environment with picnic areas, refreshing gelato, and delicious Italian inspired dishes served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This agritourism experience blended education, culinary delights, and specialty products—truly a must see destination.