Unimpossible Life: Olive Harvest

In Palestine, October is all about the olive harvest. My darling wife and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity this past Friday (October 21) to take part in the harvest. It was a long day and we worked hard, but the day was filled with good conversation, laughter, food, and drink. We were probably 35 in total--a dozen or so internationals trying to keep up with our Palestinian companions--mostly from the family that owns the land.

Those of us based in Ramallah gathered at 7:45am in the center of town--Al Manara--and then drove north of the city for about 45 minutes before turning off the main road and bouncing down a dirt road through a forest of olive trees for several minutes before arriving at our destination. We were served coffee and given a quick tutorial on olive picking. Olive picking is about the easiest harvesting activity possible--first you and your friends lay a few large tarps under the tree, weigh it down with the conveniently and plentiful rocks, and then you simply grab a branch and pull the olives off of the branch by running your closed fingers along the branch. Leaves, twigs, and olives are all fair game and get sorted out later. Many branches are within easy reach standing at the tree. To reach the taller parts of the tree, ladders are employed or the brave soul simply climbs the tree. Large, mature, well pruned, trees are surprisingly easy to climb and are so inviting that the opportunity is relished by young and old.

After a tree is stripped of all its "national treasures," the olive-filled tarp is emptied into a bag to be taken to the olive press or to be pickled.

Not only was the work relatively easy, but we were also treated to several breaks throughout the day. Coffee, tea, water, and fresh juice were regularly provided. Breakfast was served at 10:30am; cake was served at 3pm; and at the end of the day we gathered for a generous dinner of freekeh soup, rice, and musakhan.

Photos and additional explanation follow:

The Friday morning gathering point--Al Manarah in Ramallah's city center. In the background is the inspirational & symbolic chair for the UN when it is given full statehood.

Foreign (possibly 'illegal') day-labor olive pickers

The olive pickers have arrived...

After coffee and a quick tutorial, we started picking.

Olive trees, a tractor (for hauling our day's picking), and the Palestinian countryside.

The plump olives were sorted and set aside for pickling, but most olives were bagged to be taken to the olive oil press.

A support crew made sure we were well fed and never thirsty.

Breakfast is served.

We had only picked for an hour and a half, but we were hungry. This hearty breakfast sustained us through the day.

Our host, Fareed, takes a rest under one of his family's olive trees.

Perfect olive picking technique

Tree climbing was encouraged, fun, and productive.

The crew takes a tarp to an unpicked olive tree.

The olive trees serve many important purposes.

Late in the afternoon, the pruned olive branches were burned.

Fruits of our labor

The tractor is loaded and ready to take the bagged olives to the press. Meanwhile, a youngster still has enough energy to make a daring leap from the tractor.