General
What is Abandoned Grove?
Abandoned Grove restores abandoned olive groves and produces extra virgin olive oil within the natural limits of land and season.
We work where quality, land stewardship, and community intersect. Exceptional extra virgin olive oil is the vehicle that makes restoration, biodiversity, and long-term care visible and sustainable.
Do you sell olive oil directly?
No.
Abandoned Grove has never sold olive oil in stores or through third-party platforms. Every bottle is tied to membership and care of real trees in real groves.
This model protects quality, traceability, and the integrity of the land. When trees are fully allocated, access closes.
Where are your groves located?
Our current groves are located in the hills surrounding Florence, Italy, approximately 3–5 km from the city center.
We may expand to other regions in the future, but only when restoration capacity and long-term care can be guaranteed.
Membership & Guardianship
Why is membership required?
Membership is the structure that sustains the system.
It allows us to:
- Care for groves year-round
- Work within biological limits
- Protect quality and traceability
- Support farmers, artisans, and local communities
Is this a subscription?
Not in the conventional sense.
Membership renews annually to maintain continuity of care, but it is tied to real trees and real seasons—not consumption or volume.
You are notified in advance of renewal and may choose not to continue.
Can I join at any time?
Yes, while trees are available.
When all trees in active groves are under care, participation pauses until new groves are restored.
What is Root Membership?
Root Membership is the foundation layer. Tree, Gifts and Family guardianship build on top of it
It sustains the system as a whole and provides:
- Seasonal updates and communications
- Eligibility for reserve oils when available
- Invitations to gatherings and experiences
- Ongoing connection to the work
What is Guardianship?
Guardianship is the active responsibility of caring for one or more rescued olive trees.
Guardianship:
- Includes Root Membership
- Renews annually
- Does not confer ownership
- Does not guarantee harvest in any given year
What guardianship options exist?
- Guard a Tree: One rescued olive tree
- Guard a Family of Trees: Four rescued olive trees
- Grove Custodian: Long-term, multi-tree responsibility initiated by conversation
All guardianships operate within the same rules of care and restraint.
Can I add more trees later?
Yes, eligibility to expand guardianship may be offered over time.
Additional responsibility is layered onto an existing relationship and is never guaranteed, automated, or promised.
What happens if I don’t renew?
If membership or guardianship ends:
- Tree care returns to the community system
- Harvest access pauses
- No future yield is promised
Trees & Harvest
Do I keep the same tree each year?
Yes, as long as guardianship remains active.
Each tree is geo-tagged, photographed, and tracked within its grove.
How much oil does a tree produce?
On average, each traditional Tuscan olive tree yields two bottles per harvest.
This varies by season and tree health, but the system is designed to honor this biological reality without pushing trees beyond their limits.
Do I always receive oil from my exact tree?
Oil is produced by groves, not individual trees.
You receive oil exclusively from the grove you support. No outside olives. No external blending.
If a specific tree underproduces, allocations are balanced within the same grove or through the Community Reserve.
When do I receive my oil?
- Tree and Family Guardianships: Oil ships after harvest, typically early in the new year, once testing is complete.
- Founder’s Reserve: Ships earlier, usually late November or early December.
- Community Reserve: Launching in 2026, with availability throughout the year.
Shipping follows the rhythm of the work, not retail timelines.
What happens if the harvest is small?
Nature determines yield.
To protect continuity, a portion of the trees is set aside as the Community Reserve, which helps absorb variability and support members during lean seasons.
We never source oil or olives from outside to compensate.
Oil Expressions
What is One Tree One Bottle?
One Tree One Bottle is the grove-specific oil allocated through guardianship.
Each tree yields two bottles per harvest, both shared with the guardian. The name honors the origin of the idea, not division.
What is the Community Reserve?
The Community Reserve is a communal allocation held back from each harvest.
It exists to:
- Stabilize access across seasons
- Support onboarding and continuity
- Hedge biological risk
What is Founder’s Reserve?
Founder’s Reserve is an early-harvest expression curated annually by Fil Bucchino.
It is:
- Limited
- Seasonal
- Available to active members
- Sold by the case of six
Gifting
Can I gift a tree?
Yes.
Gifting a rescued olive tree includes:
- One-year guardianship
- One-year Root Membership for the recipient
- A geo-tagged, photographed tree
- A digital certificate
- A handcrafted olive wood nameplate
- Two bottles of extra virgin olive oil after harvest
Can gifts be personalized or scheduled?
Yes.
You may include a personal message and choose a notification date. We confirm when the gift is claimed.
What happens at the end of the gift year?
At the end of the year:
- The recipient may renew guardianship
- The relationship may naturally conclude
- No obligation is imposed
If not renewed, the tree returns to community care.
What if the recipient is already a member?
The gifted tree is added for that harvest year without altering their existing membership.
Grove Custodianship
What is Grove Custodianship?
Grove Custodianship is a deeper, long-term responsibility for the care of many trees, typically 40 or more.
It is:
- Not ownership
- Not a product
- Initiated by conversation
- Shaped privately based on alignment and capacity
What does Custodianship include?
Custodians may receive:
- Oil from the trees they sustain
- Direct relationships with the Abandoned Grove team
- Invitations to harvest experiences and on-the-ground visits
- Physical and digital markers of care
These are outcomes of responsibility, not incentives.
Events, Gatherings & Community
Do members receive invitations to events?
Yes.
Members are notified first about:
- Tastings
- Intimate dinners
- Cultural gatherings
- Harvest travel
These moments emerge from the work and are offered selectively. They are not scheduled publicly or sold as events.
Quality & Integrity
Is your olive oil organic?
Our practices exceed most organic standards, focusing on biodiversity, soil health, and regenerative systems.
While not all groves are certified organic, every harvest undergoes rigorous multi-residue testing, consistently returning zero detectable residues.
Is the oil filtered?
Yes.
All oils are double-filtered immediately after extraction to ensure stability, longevity, and clarity without compromising aroma or flavor.
How should I store the oil?
Store in a cool, dark place, away from heat and light. Always reseal the bottle after use.
Contact & Support
How can I reach you?
For general questions, membership support, or collaboration inquiries, contact:
We read every message and respond thoughtfully.
