2025 SEASON HARVEST

Olive trees are patient. They don't rush, they don't like haste. For centuries they have stood in the same soil, listening to the wind, measuring the sun, living time as they see fit. But 2025 was a difficult year, even for these patient trees, throughout the Mediterranean.

As I write this, I have neither official harvest figures nor academic analyses in mind. Only the conversations in village cafes, the half-empty crates from harvest time, and the olives waiting on the branches that never arrive.

Spring has arrived, but not everyone can rejoice.

It all actually started in the spring. March wasn't as mild as we're used to. Days that warmed up earlier than usual, followed by sudden frosts… Olive blossoms are delicate; they neither like too much heat nor unexpected cold. In the Geyikli area, many producers started saying at that time, "This year there will be plenty of flowers, but the yield seems to be poor."

They were right.

There were many flowers, but few bore fruit. The winds blew fiercely, and on some days the humidity was lower than it should have been. Olive trees listen carefully to nature; if the conditions are not favorable, they withdraw. This year was no different.

Summer: Prolonged Drought and Exhausted Soil

The picture became even clearer when summer arrived. The Northern Aegean is always a bit windy, but 2025

Rain almost completely disappeared this summer. In gardens without irrigation, the trees were forced to conserve water. First, the weak fruits fell off, then some branches became completely bare.

The soil is tired. So are the trees.

Olive trees are said to be drought-tolerant, but that doesn't mean they don't need any water. The prolonged drought seriously affected fruit size, especially in older trees. When harvest time came, the crates may have been full, but they didn't have the expected weight.

Harvest Time: A Quiet Awareness

October and November in the Northern Aegean always feel a bit like a holiday. People wake up early, light a fire in the olive grove, and warm their hands against the cold. But this year, that festive atmosphere was somewhat lacking.

The amount of olives harvested wasn't small, perhaps, but the phrase "compared to last year" started every conversation. The yield was low. No one complained loudly, but everyone knew. 2025 wasn't going to be a year of abundant olives.

The oil mills were equally silent. The oil extracted during pressing was as fragrant as ever, but the quantity was small. The saying "Quality but quantity" seemed to summarize this year.

Perhaps a Reminder

The 2025 North Aegean olive harvest reminded us of something: olive production is not just agriculture, but also a long-term relationship with nature.

The climate is changing. Seasons are shifting. Weather events we once called "exceptions" are becoming commonplace. The olive groves around Geyikli are still standing, still strong, but they are asking us to be more careful.

Perhaps we need to listen to the earth a little more, perhaps we need to use water more wisely, perhaps we need to learn not to expect the same bounty every year.

The olive tree waits. But it also delivers its messages silently.

2025 was a year in which those messages were heard a little more clearly in the Northern Aegean.