{"id":32257,"date":"2025-11-28T16:49:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T14:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/?p=32257"},"modified":"2026-03-05T17:18:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T15:18:01","slug":"growing-greener-olives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/28\/growing-greener-olives\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing greener olives"},"content":{"rendered":"

A hundred years ago on the island of Lefkada, Greece, Andreas’ grandfather planted sixty Asproelia Lefkadas<\/em> olive trees.<\/p>\n

For thirty years after his death the plantation was abandoned. Today, Andreas Dimitrakopoulos<\/em> has taken the farm back in hand and is producing some of the finest olive oil in the world …winning a Silver medal in the New York World Olive Oil Competition<\/em>; and \u00a0another Silver in the London 2025 International Olive Oil Competition<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Lefkada Mico Farm<\/a> believe they have become the first to grow, harvest and extract their premium oil solely by using sustainable energy.

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Andreas – who says his previous farming experience was limited to once growing a pot of mint for his mojitos – made a decision to revive the grove and turn it into a business when his previous job in corporate management failed to nourish his soul. What followed was a whirlwind of learning, and working with a respect for nature which resulted in international acclaim within four seasons.<\/p>\n

What sets Lefkada Micro Farm apart is its commitment to chemical-free farming and renewable energy. Producing less than a thousand litres of olive oil each year, the farm focuses on quality: high-phenolic, antioxidant-rich olive oil from an indigenous variety, tested annually for more than 200 chemical residues\u2014and consistently coming up clean.<\/p>\n

To maintain purity, the farm operates completely off-grid.

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Every activity on the farm is powered by solar energy: lighting, refrigeration, washing machines, ventilators, and the air-conditioning that protects the heat-sensitive olive oil in the shop\u2014 sometimes running for 20\u201324 hours a day. Even the handheld olive-harvesting machines are solar-powered. This year’s harvest was 100% solar-powered from tree to bottle, making it one of the most environmentally friendly olive oils produced anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n

Modern harvesting tools, powered by petrol or diesel, emit fumes which risk contaminating the olives. Solar-powered equipment eliminates that possibility entirely, preserving both flavour and purity.

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The power system consists of :<\/p>\n