An industry blog on the website Olive Oil Times devoted a lengthy post to the UC Davis Olive Center this week. The center, established two years ago, is part of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

In the post, writer Sophia Markoulakis noted that acreage of California olive trees for oil has increased from 6,000 in 2004 to 22,000 in 2009.

"And with California producing 99 percent of the nation’s olive oil, the UC Davis Olive Center is ground zero for ongoing olive industry research and outreach," Markoulakis wrote.

The post included comments from the center's executive director Dan Flynn, who told the writer he is pleased with consumers’ growing enthusiasm for olive oil and growers' dedication.

“Being out there with those in the industry to find out their needs and how the university can help better serve them is a unique position that the Olive Center is in," Flynn was quoted. "We are the conduit between the university and the industry."

In the future, Flynn plans to develop a collaboration between table olive and oil olive growers.

“Up until now they have operated separately and I think they realize that they have to work together. They are both facing overseas competition”, the post quoted Flynn.