About Our Members

The COOC has over 300 members who represent over 90% of the California olive oil industry, including olive producers, industry service providers, retailers and other supporters of the California olive oil industry.  The producing membership ranges from small micro-producers who produce below 100 gallons annually, to large producers who can expect hundreds of thousands of gallons each harvest.

Membership is open to California olive oil producers and professionals associated with the industry (Industry Affiliates, Retailers and Private Label Entities).

The COOC operates on a fiscal calendar from July 1 to June 30. Members are required to renew their subscriptions annually; memberships expire after 1 year.

Meet a Member

COOC member stories can be seen in our Blog and you can expect more in the coming months.

Member Testimonials

We initially joined the COOC when we needed to have our arbequina olive oil certified as extra virgin. Our bottle label says “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” and to have the COOC seal meant everything to us. It meant we had met their high standards. We could sell our olive oil with pride. The membership provides so much more than just certification. It has opened the door to our meeting and learning from other growers and producers and in being part of a group that takes pride in its aim to produce the best EVOO not just from California but the world.

— Karen Grosswendt, Central Coast Family Farm

“Being a part of the COOC gives our customers the confidence and knowledge that they need to make sure they are getting the high quality California EVOO that they are looking for. Having the certification seal on our label helps us show a united front in the California olive industry that we know that our California products are amazing quality that the consumer can trust.”

— Francesca van Soest, Cobram Estate

We have been proud to be a COOC member for over a decade. Together with my family, we have been a producer/grower for over 10 years. We have super- high density plantings, as well as traditional olive trees – whether we hand-pick or machine harvest, we want to ensure the highest quality,  so we have our extra virgin olive oils certified by the COOC. 

– Julie Coldani, Coldani Olive Ranch

“We are longtime members of the COOC and we value the seal as a mark of distinction for our four organic olive oils. We put so much effort into growing and milling the olives for these special oils. The COOC seal on the bottle confirms our commitment to quality for our customers.”

— Brooke Hazen, Gold Ridge Organic Farms

“We’ve been members of the COOC since 2004, when we first began planting olive trees. The COOC maintains the highest standards for Extra Virgin labeling of olive oil in the U.S.  We’ve relied on it’s certification process as part of our mission to produce outstanding estate-grown and estate-produced olive oils in California’s Central Coast. And we’ve appreciated the opportunities for education and exchange of information with other California olive oil producers.”

— Audrey Burnam, Kiler Ridge

“COOC has been very helpful to Macala Orchards with education, information and work by the staff to elevate the integrity of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the market-place.  The seal is important to us to provide extra credibility to the quality of our boutique production and process of organic growing practices, hand harvesting and getting olives in the mill within 2-4 hours of harvest.  Our customers tell us they taste the difference and COOC seal helps to validate that.” 

— Rich Macaluso, Macala Orchards