The Olive Route
Taylor Yamashiro Cultivates a New Chapter for Olive Hill Farm
Taylor Yamashiro grew up an entrepreneur. As a child raised in Santa Maria, she’d often sell hot chocolate or freshly squeezed orange juice on her neighborhood corner, depending on the weather. In her adolescence, she started working on her family’s olive orchard, slowly picking from the 1,200 trees her stepfather Gus had planted, all of which went into creating the extra virgin olive oil Lucca for their business Olive Hill Farm. Four years ago, Yamashiro, age 28, became the owner of Olive Hill Farm.
As a native Santa Barbaran, I’d been visiting Los Olivos long before wineries charged for tastings. “It’s a perfect little town to get away for a couple days,” says Yamashiro. And yet, olive oil has never been on my radar. But the oil tasting space is primed for growth based on changing consumer desire and a reduced interest in drinking. I may never be one to turn down a glass of good wine, but I’m not going to shy away from a break in my day for some great oil.
Much like wine, there are hundreds of olive cultivars: Italy has Leccino and Frantoio, Spain has Picual and Arbequina and Greece has Kalamata. In the United States, the olive most often historically linked to California is the Mission. The earliest records of olive oil being produced in California date back to 1789, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that more boutique producers started popping up in the state. The Santa Ynez Valley, long established as a prominent ag area, was poised for explosion. With its Mediterranean climate—a proximity to the ocean and neither intense heat nor severe cold—everything from Spanish to Italian olives does exceptionally well here.
It’s what initially attracted Elise Magistro to the region. “Olives do very, very well here, but the soils in particular have promoted exceptional growth for our trees,” says the owner of Luretík, which produces some of the best estate-grown, certified organic extra virgin olive oil in the region. Magistro began her journey in 2012, buying the land and planting nine Italian varieties that today blend into four oils in the region. She began selling in 2021, on the shelves of Olive Hill Farm. “Gus was the first person to carry [our] oil and that is something I’ll always remember,” says Magistro. “Taylor is an absolutely wonderful partner.”
Tucked between Evan’s Ranch and Andrew Murray tasting rooms across from Panino on Alamo Pintado Avenue, the bite-size space occupied by the Yamashiro family since 2010 shouldn’t be overlooked.
What started as a small shop with just three olive oils and even fewer balsamic vinegars has blossomed into a business that now includes 20 flavored oils, including more than 10 extra virgin options from the area, and nearly two dozen balsamics imported from Modena, Italy. The space is a retail haven in a sea of grapes.
Yamashiro took over Olive Hill Farm just four years ago. Having made a name for herself in Los Angeles’ hospitality industry, she returns with renewed spirit for the family brand. With the nine acres she grew up picking on sold in her stepfather’s retirement, her focus has been on brand development. “My passion wasn’t olive oil, but I’m good with people and making connections,” she says.
On a recent weekend, Yamashiro shared with me a basil olive oil and peach balsamic—a perfect combination of sweet and tart, the two strong flavors aligned to make one fantastic salad dressing. Olive Hill Farm uses the Agrumato method, which means they press whole ingredients, such as basil or lemons, with the olives while milling, and their selections include everything from the classic to the flamboyant.
Unintentionally, Yamashiro has filled her shop—which includes two bars for tasting—with work from exclusively female vendors selling everything from art to pottery, chocolates to loose-leaf tea. Her little corner of the Valley represents what many consumers are currently seeking—a unique experience coupled with quality, local goods. With Yamashiro at the helm, she’s breathing new life into an industry ready to bloom.
RESOURCES
Visit Olive Hill Farm at 2901 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. Open 7 days a week, 11am–5pm; olivehillfarm.com
Meaghan Clark Tiernan
A native of Santa Barbara, Meaghan Clark Tiernan returned to her hometown after nearly 20 years to raise a family. She’s a journalist, creative director and PTA mom. She’s also the host of CreativeMornings Santa Barbara.
