Drought and hard freeze threaten California's olive production

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Aug 20, 2014

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Drought and hard freeze threaten California's olive production

Olive production has dropped 45 percent this year, making life hard for olive growers like Rod Burkett. He's an olive grower in Porterville, California.

A couple of taggiasca olives, almost ready to be picked for the oil.

Olive production has dropped 45 percent this year, making life hard for olive growers like Rod Burkett. He's an olive grower in Porterville, California.

The ongoing drought, coupled with a hard freeze last winter has been bad news for olive farming in the state. Olive production has dropped 45 percent this year, making life hard for olive growers like Rod Burkett.

He's a third generation olive grower and has been an olive grower for 25 years in Porterville, California. Burkett's crops were badly damaged by the hard freeze, leaving him without a crop this year.