Lone Star Olive Ranch
is an eighty-acre, women-owned-and-operated farm and olive orchard located in Madisonville, Texas. It produces olives, grapes, flowers, honey, and herbs using sustainable growing practices, plus value-added products such as olive oil, stuffed olives, herb mix, sauces, and jams. In 2021, Winter Storm Uri caused damage to 14,000 of its olive trees. Only ten rows of its original rootstock survived. Lone Star Olive Ranch has been hard at work planting new olive saplings and diversifying its farm with the addition of new crops. With a $4,751 grant, it expanded its sustainable farming practices by planting heirloom varieties of fruit trees and plants, and adding two beehives near its orchard and growing space. The funds also covered essential beekeeping equipment as well as wildflower seeds and a seed spreader tool.
Recent progress finalizing the project includes converting former olive orchards into peach, plum, and blackberry orchards and seeding two acres with a bee clover mix to support a beekeeping initiative. “Due to weather challenges and plant availability, vegetable, herb, and wildflower plantings have been purchased but will be planted in mid-March 2025,” said Owner Cathy Bernell.
