EXAU TLDR;

We are a 100% family-owned regeneratively farmed olive oil brand that has been growing olives along the Ionian coast of Calabria, Italy, for 100 years. We sell olive oil in the USA, Canada, and beyond! Join our olive oil club here.

Our full story is below.

1927 to 1981

Our story begins in Calabria, Italy, in 1927 with Nonno Francesco, a humble farmer who grew sugar beets, grapes, wheat, and seasonal vegetables. He also raised chickens, pigs, cows, and horses. Back then, growing your own food was essential, and preserving it was even more important.

In anticipation of preserving these foods, Nonno Francesco planted olive trees alongside his crops. Each fall, they'd harvest the fruit to make cured olives and later harvest the riper fruit to make oil. The oil would be used to preserve vegetables sott'olio. He cared for his crops and groves until his untimely passing.

1992 to 2017

In the early 1990s, Salvatore, Giuseppe’s father, retired early to spend more time raising his son. Looking for a hobby, he returned to the groves, planting more trees and tending to the land. Lina, Giuseppe's mom, and Salvatore continued to work harvest, curing the fruit and making oil. But as Salvatore grew older, the trees fell out of shape -- waiting for their next chapter.

1992 to Present

In 2017, when Giuseppe and Skyler took over the family land. Their mission was to restore the groves and carry forward the legacy. In 2018, they launched EXAU, shipping olive oil across the United States and later Canada and beyond.

By 2019, the EXAU Olive Oil Club was born, and in 2020, the company was featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things. That same year, Skyler was on Forbes 30 Under 30 and recognized as one of the very few Black women producing olive oil worldwide. Soon after, EXAU signed a book deal with Penguin Random House for The Olive Oil Enthusiast.

As demand grew, so did their commitment to the land. EXAU fully embraced regenerative farming, working with olive agronomists to restore soil health and ensure the groves thrive for generations to come.

Our mission

Today at EXAU, we farm 100% regeneratively and exclusively use organic products on our properties. Every one of our partner farms is certified organic under EU standards. We’re proud to remain 100% farmer and family-owned, without any venture capital backing.

Our focus is simple: producing the highest-quality olive oil while caring for the land that’s been in our family for nearly a century.

-Giuseppe & Skyler, Founders