According to mythology, the olive tree is inextricably linked with Athens, but the Athenians were not accustomed to harvesting its fruits and producing oil. Yet its trees exist in most areas of the basin, especially on the Imittos side.

Thousands of olive trees appear in the urban landscape of the city and suburbs, on sidewalks, in squares and parks, and some municipalities do not let the fruits go to waste. They take care not only to collect it, but also to take it for processing to make butter, which they then deliver to their Social Grocery Store so that it reaches the homes of those citizens who are financially weak and in difficulty. cope with daily needs.

The municipalities of Agios Dimitrios, Alimos and Glyfada have organized a regular “lyomasoma”, in which their teams, as well as volunteers, systematically work during this period. And the mayors assure the quality of the oil, which is obtained from the olives of the Attic land.

In the municipality of Agios Dimitrios

“We are concerned that the fruit is not thrown away,” Mayor Agios Dimitrios Maria Andrutsu tells APE-MPE and explains: “In the past, there were residents who picked olives in the city, but not today, so we, the municipal authorities, are interested. The action was organized by the Green Service of our municipality, and the oil obtained from the fruits we have collected will be donated to the Social Grocery, for food for needy and needy families.”

On this occasion, Mrs. Andrutsu gave the event an educational character. “After consulting with the Parents Association, elementary school students came to watch the meeting. The children showed great interest, they saw the process up close, and since there is a municipal plot next to their school where olive trees grow, we will provide a place and the children will shelter the trees and take care of them.”

Finally, Mayor Agios Dimitrios mentions a similar action that took place in the past. In particular, he says: “We did it with oranges too. We collected them in the orange groves of the city and, with the help of the kindergarten cooks, made sweets and jams.”

In the municipality of Alimos

The brigades are also working intensively in Alimos municipality. Mayor Andreas Kondilis tells APE-MPE: “The olive tree is a valuable natural resource and should not go to waste, fall and pollute streets and squares, and become dangerous for pedestrians. So we collect it and turn it into oil. We have already produced more than one ton and expect to reach two tons this year.”

Regarding the process and processing, Mr. Kondylis states: “We take the olives to the oil mill in Koropi, where a person does not charge us money, and we must emphasize this. He does the processing on a non-commercial basis, precisely because it is for such a purpose, that is, this is his own offer to families in need. We then package the oil in tins and deliver it to the social grocery store to distribute to about 400 beneficiaries of our social structures.”

And when asked about the quality of the oil, the mayor of Alimos replies: “It is of excellent quality and we are not impressed. This is logical since the drugs were not injected or sprayed. The fruit is natural and produces a real and fine oil. And at the same time, we also take care of the tree, because it also needs pruning.”

In the municipality of Glyfada

As for the quality of the oil, the mayor of Glyfada fully agrees with him. “The oil we produce is of first-class quality and low acidity, the olives have not been subjected to any drug,” George Papanicolaou tells APE-MPE and adds: “Every year we take it and they test it in the State General Chemistry. These are olives that “descend” from Imitos and stretch into the city to the beach.”

This is the 9th year for the municipality of Glyfada to carry out this action. “We started in 2014, we were the first municipality to do this. Some citizens had the idea, then it was suggested to us by a resident of Crete, who is well versed in oil, and we implemented it. Olives produce excellent fruits that we do not waste. There are almost 400 trees that we take care of and offer us their fruits. Every year we exceed one ton, and most often reach two.”

At the end, the Mayor of Glyfada adds: “The municipal staff do it with passion, they pick the fruit and we take it to Peania, to the olive press, which processes it for free because it ends up in families. social groceries. November is olive harvest month, and every year the harvest is a celebration.”