Although our family originates from Germany, our great passion for Italy is unsurpassed and has been passed down through generations. My grandfather spent his time in the military in Southern Italy and my godmother studied Italian in Tuscany.

It was love that first brought me to Italy 20 years ago. First to Tuscany, then to Bernalda in the Basilicata Region. It was love at first sight when I first saw this land. Not a day goes by that I am not surprised by this wonderful territory, it’s amazing landscapes, it’s unique historical centers and, of course, it’s welcoming people.

Francis Ford Coppola, who is from Bernalda, invested in a luxury hotel here, knowing what a wonderful and unique place it is. For me, it feels very natural. Whoever visits this amazing place, falls in love with it.

Many olive groves in Basilicata are in disrepair, uncared for, especially the smaller groves. Many years ago my first harvest came in from the groves belonging to our family. These groves must be preserved and the land must be maintained or we will lose these wonderful groves.

I believe I was born with this passion for Italy from my family. This project Olivam stems from that passion to preserve a treasure that is very valuable to the agricultural heritage of Basilicata.

Ulrike Wyrwoll, founder Olivam

The project Olivam aims to preserve and protect the agricultural heritage constituted by olive trees, actually in a state of neglect, through the mechanism of sponsorship (the so-called “adoption”). Through those sponsorships it will be possible to preserve the look and stance of landscapes, reactivating the productive mechanism.

Part of the income deriving from adoptions will cover the costs of:

– Maintenance of Olive Groves (e.g. pruning, cleaning etc.)

– Production of Olive Oil (Olive Harvest, Milling of olives, Bottling of Olive Oil etc.)

– Management and organization.

The remaining part will be used to activate a series of initiatives aimed at education in agriculture focusing not only on the technical aspects but also those related to marketing and commercializing of agricultural products in the world.