PBS features South Texas Olive Oil

Special to the Parade

Television station KMBH and the Texas Olive Oil Council celebrate the burgeoning US olive oil industry and the South Texas Northern Mexico growers who make it in a new documentary film called El Camino Olive Trail.

The South Texas and Mexico olive growers recently harvested a bumper crop of the freshest, extra virgin olive oil on the planet, oil that is now competing with the best oils from Europe and the Mediterranean. To celebrate this achievement, PBS Television station KMBH Ch-38 is staging a Texas Olive Oil Fiesta for the community at their station in Harlingen, Texas on Dec. 10, as part of their television broadcast that night.

“I see this as a great small business opportunity for the Agricultural community in South Texas,” said station General Manager Robert Gutierrez. “The Rio Grande Valley has played such an important role in the agriculture history of Texas, and helping to promote the burgeoning Texas olive oil industry is part of the core educational mission of KMBH Television.”

El Camino Olive Trail is a film about people of vision and passion. Pioneers in a land of sun, drought, and sometimes broken dreams, just across the US/Mexico borderline along a historic route where Spanish priests established Missions and planted trees. The film is about people who persevere against the odds, who driven by a romantic notion see to revive the magic land along the fabled El Camino Real.

The film also features Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, whose support has been crucial to the new Texas olive oil industry. “Texas consumers want to know where their food comes from and have access to locally grown products,” said Commissioner Staples. “The good news is the olive oil is thriving in the Lone Star State, proving once again that anything is possible in Texas. The Texas olive oil industry has enormous potential when you consider that 95 percent of the olive oil we rely on is imported. So as we grow as a state and nation, we must insure that we have more of these high-quality products produced right here at home. Look, we don’t like being dependent on foreign oil, so we cannot become dependent on foreign food. Go Texas!”

El Camino Olive Trail also features new music by Grammy Award winning music artist Raul Malo (formally the front man of the Country music super group The Mavericks). Raul’s new Latin-Soul sound is featured in the program soundtrack. And Raul is seen cooking his signature “Breakfast Bagel” with Texas extra-virgin olive oil in the film.

Viewers will get to see how olive trees are growing in Mexico with help from Texas olive growers. The film features an artisan grower from Rancho Le Espiga in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, and the big, up-and-coming commercial producer Rancho De La Cruz, located in a pristine and lush valley in the beautiful state of Coahuila, Mexico. Good things are happening in Mexico.

The Texas Olive Oil Fiesta will be on Dec. 10, at the KMBH DT-38 PBS Television station, located on 1701 Tennessee Ave. in Harlingen. The schedule is as follows:

• 2-6 p.m.: KMBH Texas Olive Oil Fiesta

• How to Grow Olives In South Texas workshop

• Texas Olive Oil Tasting and Sampling

• Chefs cooking Mexican food with Texas olive oil

• Mariachi, Conjunto Music, Classical, and Jazz music

• Food and Vendor booths/Kid activities

• 5:30-6 p.m.: Meet n’ Greet

• Meet and Greet with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and other dignitaries from the the Rio Grande Valley region

• 7-9 p.m.: El Camino Olive Trail program television broadcast, with live Pledge breaks featuring:

• Todd Staples, candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Texas

• Hispanic olive farmers

• Texas olive growers, producers, and retailers

• Texas vs. The World Olive Oil competition and tasting

For more information or to reserve vendor space, call Rose Mary Mata at (956) 421-4111, Bill Millet at (972) 365-3303, or Jim Henry at (214) 325-5787.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.portisabelsouthpadre.com/2011/12/02/pbs-features-south-texas-olive-oil/

1 comment

    • Mary Olszewski on November 18, 2013 at 7:59 pm
    • Reply

    Can you tell me if and when the Olive oil fiesta is planed for in Dec 2013 ? Thank you

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