Community Building in the Washington, DC area!!

SFP Editor: How did you get involved in the olive oil business? Peter: My family has owned the land and olive trees in Greece for over four generations. The olives have always been harvested and processed for family and local consumption. However, I returned from my last trip home with several kilos of olive oil and the response that I received from friends who received the olive oil as gifts convinced me to import it here for sale.

SFP Editor: What type of products do you plan to provide Washingtonians?
Peter: In addition to the olive oil, I plan to sell olive oil soap and honey which is produced by my mother from our olive groves. The olive oil soap is made from the residues of the olive pressing. The honey is a direct byproduct of the bee colonies that are kept for olive tree pollination.

SFP Editor: Where in Greece is your facility and describe the region?
Peter: My home is located in coastal village of Agios Nikolaos which is on the Peloponnese peninsula in the southeast area of the Messinia Mani region. It is 20 miles southeast of Kalamata, the capital of Messinia. The population of Ag. Nikolaos is about 300 and the majority of residents are farmers and fishermen. My village is a very popular destination for German and British tourists.

SFP Editor: What is it like running a family business?
Peter: Producing olive oil relies on the coordination of different family members who are each responsible for a facet of the olive harvest and processing. Since moving to the United States, my primary responsibility is participation in the annual harvest of the olives. Depending on the harvest cycle, I will spend between three to six weeks in the groves manually harvesting the crop. To maintain the quality of the oil, most of the harvest is done by hand to limit bruising.

SFP Editor: What do you enjoy the most about Washington, DC?
Peter: I have lived in the Washington D.C. area for the last 13 years, most of that time spent in Alexandria. I enjoy the architecture and history of the city as well as the ability to interact with people who come to this area from all over the world.

SFP Editor: What do you miss the most about Greece?
Peter: I miss Greek summers spent on the beach, home-cooked food and the intrigues of village life.

SFP Editor: What is the most exciting aspect of starting your business?
Peter: The most exciting thing about starting this business is the opportunity to share an authentic taste of Greece. And since the olive oil products are produced by my family, share my family as well.

SFP Editor: What is the most challenging about starting your business?
Peter: My primary challenge and goal is to make sure that I have all the necessary paperwork to run this business with minimum government intrusion.

SFP Editor: How do you plan to market and distribute your products?
Peter: I will initially market my products through the local farmers markets. This will give me the opportunity to interact with customers directly.

SFP Editor: What about your olive oil do you think makes it superior to other products?
Peter: For the last 26 years, no chemicals or artificial fertilizers have been used on the olive trees. The olives are grown organically.

SFP Editor: Got any recipies to share using your olive oil? ts?
Peter: Although there are multiple ways of using olive oil in recipes, my favorite is drizzling the oil directly on tomatoes and bread.