The Temecula Olive Oil Company located right outside of San Diego, California has a little over 7 acres of Mission olive trees. Thom Curry manages the olive oil company and production, and started the business with his wife Nancy over 10 years ago. Making olive oil and managing a a grove of trees sounds interesting, but the real interest is in what is done with the scraps that don't make it into the company's well-regarded culinary oil.
Only about 20 percent of the olive is actually used to produce the oil, which leaves quite a bit of skin, pits and unprocessed flesh. It is this residual waste oil that the Currys extract and filter into the diesel engine tractors used out on the property. Since they started, the Currys have seen more neighboring farmers in the area employ this waste-to-fuel processing method. Employing the use of the waste product has allowed the company to become mere self-sustaining. Unfortunately, the company hasn't seen significant financial savings, but the rewards of doing their bit to help save the environment have been worth it.
The husband-and-wife team has also experimented with other potential biofuels from plants processed on their property. They have experimented with making ethanol out of cattails grown on their property and using olive pits to stoke fire boilers used.
Sustainable Oil-Guzzling Tractors
Temecula Olive Oil Company Uses Leftover Olive Oil for Fuel
Trend Themes
1. Waste-to-fuel Processing - Using residual waste oil from olive production as fuel in tractors creates an opportunity for other industries to explore waste-to-fuel processing methods.
2. Biofuels Innovation - Exploring alternative biofuels, such as ethanol from cattails and olive pits, presents opportunities for the biofuel industry to develop sustainable and renewable fuel sources.
3. Environmental Sustainability in Agriculture - The practice of using leftover olive oil as fuel highlights the potential for environmental sustainability in the agriculture industry, encouraging other farmers to adopt similar practices.
Industry Implications
1. Agriculture - The agriculture industry can explore using waste-to-fuel processing methods, like the Temecula Olive Oil Company, to promote environmental sustainability and reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels.
2. Biofuel - The biofuel industry can capitalize on the experimentation and innovation in alternative biofuels demonstrated by the Currys, emphasizing the importance of developing sustainable fuel sources.
3. Waste Management - Waste management companies can consider integrating waste-to-fuel processing methods, inspired by the example of using residual waste olive oil as fuel, to reduce waste and promote environmental stewardship.