In Palestine, spring is marked by beautiful poppies, irises and colorful wildflowers that bloom among the olive groves that cover the hills. This is the time of year when tire makers prune their trees, till the soil, and check for olive problems. Our farmers still use the traditional methods of hand weeding and branch beating of olive trees to help them increase their productivity. These olive tree-covered hills and terraces come alive in October when the harvest season begins with farmers and their entire families harvesting olives from dawn to dusk, eating all their meals prepared by campfires under the trees the way Palestinian families have done for centuries. These days there are a lot of international volunteers who help bring in the olives and provide a protective presence for farmers who are facing violence and harassment from the occupation. Once the olives are collected, they are taken to a community press, where the oil is extracted and tested for quality. They arrive on the ground to be bagged, packaged, and ready for shipment.