Tucked away in the serene hills between Temecula and Hemet, way off the beaten path in Southern California is where the story behind Moon Valley Nurseries amazing olive trees begins. Circa 1935, olives were widely grown in the area with hopes of providing fruit, olive oil and eventually trees for use in landscapes across the booming southern California real estate market. In the 60’s, Jim and Marian Shellaberger purchased the nearly 100 acre olive tree plantation with plans to simultaneously continue olive production while selling trees to area landscapers who were planting them across Southern California’s burgeoning housing market. Housing recessions in the 70’s and 80’s did put a damper on sales of the trees for landscape use, but Jim and Marian continued to maintain their now large olive tree plantation with the same love and nourishment as the day they started – even when most olive farms in the area were plowed under or abandoned. Since they had so many trees that were meticulously cared for and continued to flourish, the family decided to begin processing organic, craft olive oils from the fruits that still were abundant on the now 50+ year old trees on the property.
Unfortunately, before the first oil was produced, Marian passed away after battling Ovarian Cancer and never got to taste the amazing olive oil that came from the farm. In her honor, Jim and his daughter named their product Marian’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For years, Marian’s EVOO as it was known was a favorite, found at many of the areas organic farmers markets, wineries and locally owned health food markets. In fact a portion of the proceeds from every bottle sold was donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
Fast forward to today and you’ll find that Jim and Marian’s legacy is thriving through the acres of amazing trees that still flourish on the property that they founded so many years ago. In fact over 50,000 trees are still growing and professionally cared for at this plantation. Jim and Marian’s original goal of providing environmentally sensible, low water use trees for landscapes also continues to this day. Moon Valley Nurseries recently acquired this grove of incredible olive trees and will continue to professionally harvest and plant these trees for home owners and business around the Western United States.
These Olive trees have grown their entire lives in the hot and dry inland climate and make a far superior choice for landscape use when compared to olive trees from the central valley region – both for health and low water usage. In fact this grove of treasured olive trees has always been certified 100% organic for production of olive oil and has been completely disease free since its very beginning. When investing in an olive tree for your property, please consider the long term health of your tree and try to avoid purchasing from areas known to harbor potential fungal or soil borne diseases, particularly known on trees coming from the central valley region of California. Inferior trees from outside our region can not only bring you an unsightly, infected tree, it can also lead to possibly spreading pathogens among our incredibly healthy, local grown trees.
Moon Valley Nurseries is honored to continue the loving tradition that Jim and Marian started at this truly unique property. Acres of Manzanillo and Mission olive trees continue to grow, now joined by fruitless Wilsoni Olives and many other low water use tree varieties. Jim and Marian’s original, decades old olive trees are now available for purchase at all Moon Valley Nursery locations across Southern California. In addition, the original farm continues to be maintained and new trees and plants are being grown there with the same attention to detail as when Jim and Marian originally planted the first olive tree there. Allow us to bring part of Jim and Marian’s amazing Southern California legacy into your landscape!
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