We are Tim & Jess.

We moved to Hawke's Bay during lockdown in March 2020 from the South Island, and fell in love with the region. Soon after we began to look for a slice of land to call our own.

With two farming backgrounds and a passion for business, we chanced upon a beautiful olive grove and 'Aquiferra'.

After taking over the business in April 2021 we continue to produce high quality olive oils, to supply Hawke's Bay and the rest of NZ.

We are committed to improving our farming/business habits and we know it's all the small things that make big change.

  1. Using sheep to graze the grass under the grove which means:
    • No time on the tractor mowing the grass in the grove.
    • No time on the tractor spraying under the trees where the mower does not reach.
    • We are not using weed killer in the grove at all.
  2. Using Seaweed and fish catch by-product as fertilizer which means:
    • No synthetic fertilizers, which is better for the environment.
    • No extra time applying synthetics as the seaweed products go right into our other processes.
  3. We have a refill service available at the Farmers Markets, this has saved:
    • Over 600 1 liter bottles from being used since takeover in 2021.
    • One pallet being shipped across the world.

Aquiferra is a combination of the words 'Aquifer' and 'Terra'. The name has its origin in Latin and means 'water under the land'. This water is especially important for the Mediterranean climate here in Hawke's Bay.

In the Ngatarawa triangle region, the source of this water is underground. The aquifer feeds the Ngaruroro River, flowing from the Kaweka Ranges to the ocean.

In the early 2000s around 650 olive trees were planted on the home block at Aquiferra. They were meticulously watered and pruned into the specimens they are today.

Thanks to some long years and hard work from the previous owners, we now produce around 1600+ liters of olive oil from our home block.

To meet demand, we also buy oil from other local groves, of particular varieties such as Frantoio and Koroneiki.