Collecting Olives

Walking with the U3A today, along some very quiet, narrow rural lanes, we came across Olive Groves......with large mats and tarpaulins lying on the ground around the trees....kept in place with stones and rocks.
Any ripe olives that fall off the trees are easily collected....and the farmers will come along shortly with long canes, which they use to knock the olives off the trees and on to the mats.
Some of the best olives are used as table olives....there are various ways of 'pickling' them........the bulk of the crop will be taken to the local Co-operative......to be graded, sorted, washed etc before being squeezed and pressed to make olive oil.