1836 A Texas Olive Company
Founded by Kerry Thornhill, 1836 cultivates, harvests, mills and bottles its own olives on an estate in Asherton, Texas. The dream of building an olive orchard began in 2012 with a desire to pay homage to Thornhill's maternal grandparents, LR (Polo) and Consuelo Vasquez, and their decades of support to Asherton and its community. The family's almost 100-year presence in the area underpins the operation's roots in local tradition.
The orchard was established in September 2012 on 40 acres of a 100-acre property in Dimmit County, using a medium density planting system. The four olive varieties selected for the climate and flavour profile they create are Arbequina, Mission, Picual and Tosca. The first commercial production of extra virgin olive oil was harvested in autumn 2016 and bottled as 1836: A Texas Olive Company.
In March 2017, 1836 made its retail debut on the shelves of Bering's in Houston, and has since expanded to gourmet shops throughout the Houston, Austin and Central Texas areas. In September 2018, the company signed a contract with Williams Sonoma to become the official Texas olive oil vendor to their Texas stores. The oil has been referenced in USDA and Texas Department of Agriculture publications and has received wide acclaim from chefs.
Thornhill serves as Director for Subdivision 1 of the Soil and Water Conservation District in Dimmit County, a position she has held since 2019. She previously held director and secretary positions with the Texas Olive Growers Association and Council (TOGAC) from 2013 to 2017 and the Texas Association of Olive Oil (TXAOO) from 2017 to 2020. She holds a BA in Communications from The University of Texas at Austin and had a corporate career in investment banking and corporate communications for NYSE and NASDAQ-listed companies prior to entering olive farming.
The olives are processed onsite with modern milling equipment that allows the company to produce extra virgin olive oil entirely from its own fruit. Production follows an integrated approach that limits transport and supports the local ecosystem, and the business is a member of the Texas Olive Oil Association, the American Olive Oil Producers Association and the Gotexan growers network.
