Dear All:

A year ago I got that inkling that I should, perhaps, spend the remainder of
my working era by doing something more pleasant and enjoyable than what I've
been doing over the past 40 years or so. Olive oil. Didn't know anything
about it apart from loving it and having a tantalizing hunch about an
opportunity that might be developed on an island in the Adriatic Sea in
Croatia. On the island of Cres there were 320.000 olive trees harvested at
the beginning of the 20th century and today's number barely reaches 80,000
attended trees. There is only one, obsolete, pressing facility owned by the
island's agricultural cooperative. The oil is in the 0.15% acidity range and
reigns supreme organoloptically. (A magnificent terroir!). And the production
is organic, predominantly. (Free-roaming sheep take care of fertilizing the
trees there.) Farmers produce it for their own consumption and sell the
remainder, from their homes' doorsteps, mainly to Italian tourists (commonly
in 2-litter plastic soda bottles).

In trying to learn something more concrete about olive oil production &
business I came across this Olive Oil Group. Eventually I started downloading
and making files. A year went by. Last May I got some Cres grovers
interested in working together with the idea of a better organization,
improved productivity, marketing etc. About 3 weeks from today I'm stepping
into the shoes of the Cres Agricultural Cooperative general manager on a
full-time basis. Good bye Manhattan - hello Mediterranean Cres!

Will it work? Who knows. But of this I'm certain: the OliveOil group
exchanges were, and remain, invaluable to me. So, I'm most grateful to all of
you who talked and shared your concerns and experiences openly, without
reservation. What a valuable source of information and a terrific learning
opportunity you've extended to me! And the more interesting tidbits I picked
up, the more comfortable I felt in my intent.

My phone and internet access will be disconnected this Friday. I fly to
Croatia (from where I originally come from) on Saturday. So I'll miss good
wishes that some of you might think of sending me. But I look forward to
rejoining the Group in a few weeks and, in due time, perhaps even venture
into participating actively. Until then -

Best to all of you - and Cheers!

Zdenko Sulc