Cavaion Middle School Wins National Olive Tree Memory Contest
Cavaion; The middle school of Cavaion has won the national contest “The Memory of the Olive Tree” promoted by Associazione “Le città dell’olio”, which gathers cities and towns producing oil.
In recent days, the award ceremony took place at the Medicean Fortress in Siena, coinciding with the International Olive Oil Week.
The first-place winners, receiving a plaque, were Professor Licia Galligani and the mayor of Cavaion, Giancarlo Sabaini.
The winning project
The winning work was created by some students from sections A and B of the “G. Fracastoro” middle school during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 school years, as part of the extended curriculum extracurricular activities, under the guidance of teachers Licia Galligani and Luigia Menegaz.
It is a booklet about vine cultivation, specifically focusing on the olive tree, which begins with a study of the geographical location of Cavaion. It analyzes the history of the olive tree, its chemical and nutritional properties, harvesting and processing techniques, the various types of oil produced, and compares prices and quality through organoleptic tests.
The students’ involvement
“The students interacted with operators from the sector, collected traditional recipes, and interviewed elderly people,” says research coordinator Licia Galligani.
“The initiative introduced students from Affi, Cavaion, and Sega to their local territory in terms of physical and economic aspects, promoting local products and educating about healthy eating based on local traditions.”
The students discovered that the olive tree is cultivated in the local environment on terraced calcareous lands, with rows of plants spaced 5-6 meters apart, and described the olive processing in detail.
The outcome and final reflection
At the end of the project, the students created an original story titled “A Drop of Oil Tells…”, along with some poems about oil that helped enhance the quality of the submitted work.
This effort, beyond the competition, has introduced new generations to the long history and culture behind Extra Virgin Olive Oil, emphasizing how geographic location can influence economic development and even the choices involved in managing the local territory.