From bins to liquid gold: A day at the Frantoio Sociale del Compitese

The day after we finished a memorable and sensory experience of harvesting olives on the steep hillsides of Vorno, we experienced another thrill: a high-tech grand finale of seeing our olives transformed into savory, spicy liquid gold.

We share a special moment with Shandra

We loaded up the crates and drove along winding roads to the Frantoio Sociale del Compitese in Pieve di Compito. Founded in 1976 by a small group of 45 local growers, this cooperative has grown over the last 50 years to include more than 1,300 members across the Lucchesia region. Walking into the facility—a beautiful piece of modern architecture that respects Tuscan tradition with its exposed brick and massive wooden ceiling beams—you immediately feel the buzz of a community deeply connected to the land.

This is where the olives are placed first, leaves
and twigs included. Then a shaker removes the
residue and sends the olives on their way to 
another bin, where they wait to be pressed.

We arrived at our 12:30 PM appointment to find an orderly, lively line of cars and trucks waiting to unload their precious cargo. Being third in line, our group leader, Shandra, found out it would be a short 30-to-60-minute wait before our olives hit the machinery. We happily passed the time inside the frantoio’s spaccio aziendale (company store), enjoying fantastic, locally sourced panini at a great price while surrounded by shelves of regional wines, honey, and cured meats.

Then, it was showtime.

When the workers gave us the word, we were allowed into the heart of the pressing area. Thanks to a recent €500,000 technological upgrade, the facility features a state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled continuous system that processes up to three tons of olives an hour. Bins stood lined up in a strict queue, each clearly marked with a specific number and digital tracking label. Because our final harvest weight hit roughly 280 kilograms, we comfortably cleared the mill’s strict 250 kg minimum requirement for an individual pressing (frangitura singola). This meant our olives wouldn’t be mixed with anyone else’s; we were getting 100% of our own oil.

As our number came up, we watched the computers shift the production lines. Shandra slid a shiny, pristine metal lattina (oil canister) right under the output spout. She opened the valve, and out poured a vibrant stream of freshly pressed “liquid gold.” We all stood around, grinning broadly, snapping photos to capture the culmination of our hard work.

The first canister filled all the way up to its 30 kg mark. Shandra quickly closed the valve, swapped it out for a second container, and opened it again to catch the final, rich streams as the spout eventually slowed to a steady drip, yielding another 10 kg.

All told, our 294 kg of olives produced nearly 40 liters of fresh extra virgin olive oil (about 36.6 kg). In the olive world, mill output is everything. Our harvest resulted in a 12.46% extraction yield, meaning our novice crew landed squarely in the middle of the classic Tuscan average of 12% to 13%. It was the absolute sweet spot of quality and quantity!

“It’s one of the best ten experiences of my life,” Shandra said. “I never dreamed that I would have my own oil from olives we picked by hand. The satisfaction of working together, of thinking of the spiritual implications of the harvest . . . of the work we’re putting into it and how it relates to the villa—all this made it a great and joyful experience.”

While Lucy and I haven’t had the chance to taste the oil just yet, its destination makes it taste sweet anyway. Every single drop of this premium oil is being dedicated to Villa La Fonte—the historic former convent in Vorno that Agape Italia is beautifully restoring into a pilgrim hostel along the Via Francigena. The oil will be proudly served at communal tables to weary travelers next spring and shared as a thank-you to the project’s dedicated supporters.

Knowing that our sore muscles and the laughter we shared across the branches resulted in literal fuel and hospitality for future pilgrims is the ultimate reward. We fully intend to keep donating our labor to Villa La Fonte in the years to come, and we can’t wait for the day we finally dip a piece of toasted Tuscan bread into the fruits of our very first harvest.