Our history
La nostra famiglia
The history of our company begins in 1984, when Carlo and Donatella decide to transfer the family from Florence to Tavarnelle val di Pesa, Carlo's birthplace. Although relatively young, our company is grafted onto a long and rich local tradition: the farmhouse chosen as a home was surrounded by splendid olive groves and housed a disused oil mill. In this ideal context, we had to resist an abrupt start: 1985 is still remembered as the year of the “gelata”, an exceptional cold wave that damaged or killed most of the Tuscan olive trees. It was therefore necessary for Carlo to regenerate or replant numerous olive trees: the initial project was delayed and slowed down, but not abandoned. Since 1998 we have grown our olives with attention to the quality and care of the territory, obtaining an excellent organic oil.
The search for ever greater quality led Carlo to purchase and install our own oil mill, in order to independently manage the pressing phases as well. It is a modern single-cycle oil mill, produced by the well-known company Mori, dedicated to the research and development of innovative technologies, aiming at an increasingly refined pressing and extraction. In 2006 the new oil mill was started and managed by Caterina, the second-born daughter, at the time a 24year old brilliant woman, who dedicated herself to this activity until, after a period of coaching, Giovanni, the youngest of the family, also decided to devote himself to the making of quality oil, always strictly organic.
The company changes its name, from Azienda San Giovanni to Società Agricola Maggi, but does not lose the habit and continues to proudly define itself as zero impact: in addition to producing under organic conditions, the oil mill is powered by energy produced with solar panels installed on our fields, the broken pits of the olives crushed in the pressing, are separated from the sansa (waste) and used as fuel for the stove and heats three buildings; the sansa itself is used as a soil improver for the fields, which alternate with areas left uncultivated and covered with shrubs, and are separated from them by canals and hedges, to promote biodiversity, to which the walnut grove also contributes, guaranteeing food to the fauna of the territory (as well as that a tasty and traditional snack for the family), grassing also counteracts soil erosion and improves its health; a system of phyto-purification of waste water ensures that the water used, purified by bamboo canes, does not pollute the environmen
The combination of advanced technology, the attention to quality and care of the territory of brother and sister miller has allowed us to obtain excellent extra virgin olive oils, both blend and moovarietal, including the leccino del corno, morellino and frantoio varieties, as well as fine aromatic oils. Maggi oils: organic, award-winning and to be tasted in front of an enchanting landscape.
