Let’s get back to the dreaming.
This week, we’ve been working on a project for a friend about cultural inspiration fatigue. Algorithm-driven discovery means we no longer dream. The sheer speed and volume of trends create a paradox: while inspiration is abundant, it leads to overwhelm and lack of depth. Trends become fleeting, and the constant chase for "what's next" makes everything feel shallow.
We’re tired. We’re bored. We’re starved for experience. And we feel trapped by all of it. Wonder has become diluted. In an era defined by a quest for “authenticity,” reflecting things as they are, we lost the dream of what could be. Constrained by the algorithm and the redundant echo chamber, we’re experiencing a crisis of imagination.
It’s truly rare to get surprised by something original nowadays. But as we’ve learned, Mother Nature always knows how to create from a place of truth. Our new Olio Nuovo has felt like a fresh burst of inspiration. It is only alive for three months, but it gives ALL of its intensity and flavor during that time. It is raw and rare — like fresh-squeezed Olive juice, with all the living fruit, pulp, and sediment of the Olive. Unlike regular Olive Oil destined for settling tanks, it’s directly bottled after it’s crushed — capturing the Oil in all of its raw glory.
This means the Olio Nuovo is more complex in its flavor, higher in its benefits with more polyphenols, and more intense in its color. And like anything that is actually real, it doesn’t last forever. It was harvested just two weeks ago in Ojai, CA by Philip Asquith — a fourth-generation Olive farmer. It was made with gorgeous purple Hojiblanca Olives, a variety originally from the south of Spain that makes for a vibrantly golden Olio.
The taste is reminiscent of freshly cut grass — slightly fruity with a peppery spiciness that will knock you to the floor. An unequivocal buttery smoothness softly lingers if you pay attention. But sadly, no one wants to sell an Olio Nuovo with a short shelf life. It’s too inconvenient. It’s why you should be wary of other brands that sell it — because unless it’s harvested fresh and consumed right away (they should explicitly tell you), it’s no good. We made 150 bottles only, dictated purely by the amount of fruit we were able to harvest. It’s precious.
We’ve added a sample of our new Olio Nuovo to every Farm Box this week for you to try. In it, you will also find an Olive Rosemary Focaccia from Oat Bakery, Arkansas Black Apples, Sugar Snap Peas, Purple Napa Cabbage, Navel Oranges, Red Beets, Baby Fennel, Eggs, and so much more. In the Bloom Bundle, there’s a fresh harvest of beautiful Peach Blossoms and a mix of Lion's Mane and Blue Oyster in our Mushroom Box.
It is easy to feel like we’ve lost our way. Like we’ve lost the magic. All it takes is a walk outside. A deep breath. A spoonful of something real. Our Olio Nuovo has felt like a good place to start.
As always, cook a meal for someone you love.
x Richard
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