The video presents a prototype of a manual harvesting device designed for small producers. The m... more The video presents a prototype of a manual harvesting device designed for small producers. The manual inverted umbrella (MIU) minimize the damage of the recollected olive fruit as a first requisite to produce optimum olive oil. An inclined canvas catches the detached fruit that then rolls down directly into a plastic box placed beneath, avoiding contact with the ground as well as the subsequent dragging over it. It was tested using branch shakers instead of sticks to detach the fruit. The study revealed that with the right amount of operators (3) and vibrators (2) the novel harvesting method did not significantly require a longer recollection time than the traditional one, while the impact on the quality of the fruit and the extracted oil was significant, especially when dealing with a more delicate cultivar as ‘Arbequina’ . After the recollection, the olives were stored on the farm in a cooling room at 5°C, until their transport to the mill.
The cooling of olives stored in containers with a capacity of 400 kg risk accumulation of respira... more The cooling of olives stored in containers with a capacity of 400 kg risk accumulation of respiration heat and subsequent fruit deterioration. Pre-cooling the fruit to 5 °C before cold storage was studied as a possible solution to overcome this obstacle. The fruit temperature within the containers was recorded daily for 14 days and oil was extracted at days 0, 4, 8, and 14. A second experiment evaluated a rapid pre-cooling procedure at -18 °C for 3 min. No significant alterations at the level of the examined parameters were recorded. The internal temperature of the control container declined and stabilized at around 12 °C. The temperature of the pre-cooled fruit increased to up to 8 °C. The examined parameters showed no significant alterations in either experiment and the rapid pre-cooling treatment did not lead to any visible ‘chill injuries’. A pre-cooling treatment at 5 °C was successfully introduced at the farm of a small producer.
Small producers confront specific challenges when they opt to produce high-quality olive fruit. L... more Small producers confront specific challenges when they opt to produce high-quality olive fruit. Limited resources for investing in harvest machinery and manpower are the main reasons for continuing a traditional harvest method that puts the final product and its economic value at risk. This paper discusses the efficiency of an integrated harvest system as a possible solution to these specific challenges. The system is formed by a newly designed manual harvesting device and the use of a cooling room near the olive grove. Both systems were evaluated to assess their feasibility for optimum conditions before processing. The combined effect of the harvesting method and cold storage on the fruit characteristics (incidence of decay, skin color, weight loss, firmness, respiration, and ethylene production) was evaluated on three different varieties (‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’ and ‘Verdial’) and four different storage times (0, 4, 8, and 14 days). The results indicate that the proposed harvesting ...
Fermentation processes within olive fruit jeopardize the quality of the extracted oil. Aeration, ... more Fermentation processes within olive fruit jeopardize the quality of the extracted oil. Aeration, temperature, and time play a crucial role in attaining the critical threshold at which an aerobic respiration shifts towards anaerobic. In this work, the O2 consumption and CO2 production of olive fruit kept in a closed container at different temperatures (5–45 °C) were measured over 7 h. The data allowed us to describe the relationship between the temperature and the respiration rate as an Arrhenius function and simulate the oxygen consumption in the inner part of a container full of fruit with low aeration, considering the generated respiration heat over time. The simulation revealed that olives risk shifting to anaerobic respiration after 3 h at 25 °C and less than 2 h at 35 °C when kept in a non-ventilated environment. The results underline the irreversible damage that high day temperatures can produce during the time before fruit processing, especially during transport. Lowering, as...
Bringing the olive harvest period forward leads to storing fruit in field temperatures that risk ... more Bringing the olive harvest period forward leads to storing fruit in field temperatures that risk jeopardizing its quality. Knowledge about the bio-thermal characteristics of olives is crucial when considering their cooling, although published research on the subject is limited. In this work, the cooling rate of the fruit of six olive cultivars has been empirically determined by measuring the evolution of their low temperature under controlled conditions by thermal imaging. Based on these data, the cooling time needed to cool the fruit to 22 °C was estimated, considering the biometric characteristics of the individual fruit, a field temperature from 26 to 42 °C, and a room cooling temperature from −8 to −20 °C. The results showed differences among the cultivars and the need to further investigate the specific heat requirements for small varieties and the impact of the conduction factor on the heavier ones. The simulation suggests that between 2 min (for the light Arbequina and Korone...
Cold storage of olive fruit has been the subject of study for over more than 50 years. From the 1... more Cold storage of olive fruit has been the subject of study for over more than 50 years. From the 1990s on, an increasing amount of knowledge is build-up about the impact of the conservation on the physiological response of the fruit as well as on the quality of the extracted oil therefrom. This review offers a comprehensive synopsis of this research, discusses the most important influential factors and summarizes the results on the influence of the studied parameters on both the fruit and the oil. Currently, changing climatic conditions, new harvesting techniques and a more demanding consumer market are triggering the need to broaden this strict focus on conservation. A more dynamic view on the effects of temperature from the moment the fruit is harvested up to the oil extraction process, reveals the necessity to manage this crucial influential factor more diversely. An overview of how this management can take form is structured through a focus on the different phases of the postharv...
The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in a large part on the quality of the fruit. Small ... more The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in a large part on the quality of the fruit. Small producers see themselves confronted with vast investments and logistic snags when they intend to optimize the harvesting. Today, manual harvesting devices promise less damaged fruit when compared to the traditional methods with nets while the use of a cooling room on the farm is suggested as a solution when the harvesting needs to be stretched out over several days. The use of a manual inverted umbrella during the harvest, together with a storage up to 14 days at 5 °C at a family farm, was studied for three cultivars, ‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’, and ‘Verdial’. Ten quality parameters of the produced oil were examined in two consecutive years together with an extended sensory analysis in the first year. The results underline the importance of the used harvesting and conservation method on the quality of the extracted oil. The strength of each factor varied in time and according to the cultivar....
ABSTRACT The unusual behavior of the local men during the procession is undoubtedly the highlight... more ABSTRACT The unusual behavior of the local men during the procession is undoubtedly the highlight of the infamous romeria of El Rocío (Almonte, Southern Spain). In the early hours of Pentecost, a turbulent assault of the altar marks the beginning of it. Once the heavy stretcher with the image of the Virgen Mary is brought outside the chapel, it is carried around on the shoulders of at least 30 men. While moving through the immense crowd for more than 12 hours, the Almontese men incessantly fight to get under it. In the meantime, folks from abroad are brutally kept away. The paper discusses the meaning of this violence as it is perceived by the Almontese and commented by the other pilgrims and tourists. Relying on extended fieldwork in Almonte (from 2001 on), the attractiveness of the event is framed as a complex performance in which a spectacular from of localism keeps pace with the release of deeply moving emotions.
The culminating point of the yearly pilgrimage in honor of the Virgin Mary in the Andalusian haml... more The culminating point of the yearly pilgrimage in honor of the Virgin Mary in the Andalusian hamlet of El Rocio takes place when the local men jump over the altar fence and violently carry the statue out of the church, the so-called ‘salto a la reja’. The paper explores the transformations that underwent this act during the last fifty years. It argues that in this process not only a violently and authority threatening revolt was canalized into a harmless ritual, but that at the same time this ‘novel’ ritual became to represent a new-found ‘timeless’ authenticity within the pilgrimage. As such, the local men, fiercely defending their ‘local’ rights, slowly developed into a symbol in themselves, trapped in an expanding pilgrimage wherein experiencing ‘locality’ might become more important than the devotion towards ‘their’ Virgin.
espanolLa peculiar actitud de los almontenos agrega a Ia presencia de la Virgen un elemento a la ... more espanolLa peculiar actitud de los almontenos agrega a Ia presencia de la Virgen un elemento a la procesion que tiene un impacto directo en Ia experiencia y el nivel emocional de Ios espectadores presentes. Para explorar este aspecto, las impresiones subjetivas del antropologo se utilizan como fuentes primarias, junto con observaciones mas distantes (antropologia rellexiva). En este analisis, se llama Ia atencion sobre los diferentes procesos y dinamicas que tienen el potencial de causar una fuerte inmersion emocional. Como tal, el potencial cautivador de una imagen sagrada (Gell) se pone en primer plano, teniendo en cuenta sus cualidades antropomorficas, asi como la forma especifica en que los almontenos lo llevan. En segundo lugar, el concepto de lo sublime (Kant) se utiliza para aclarar la relacion especifica entre los espectadores y los que protagonizan la procesion. En tercer Lugar, el concepto de distancia, aplicado a la distancia fisica del espectador, asi como a su estado emo...
The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in large part on the quality of the fruit. Small pr... more The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in large part on the quality of the fruit. Small producers see themselves confronted with vast investments and logistic snags when they intend to optimize the harvesting. Today, manual harvesting devices promise less damaged fruit when compared to the traditional methods with nets while the use of a cooling room on the farm is suggested as a solution when the harvesting needs to be stretched out over several days. The use of a manual inverted umbrella during the harvest, together with a storage of up to 14 days at 5 °C, was studied for three cultivars (‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’, and ‘Verdial’). Ten parameters of the produced oil were examined in two consecutive years together with an extended sensory analysis in the first year. The results underline the importance of the used harvesting and conservation method on the quality of the extracted oil, although the effect size of each factor varied in time and according to the cultivar. The result...
ABSTRACT In 1990, six Spanish migrant youngsters, all member of a local cultural club, launched t... more ABSTRACT In 1990, six Spanish migrant youngsters, all member of a local cultural club, launched the idea to organize an outdoor feast, or romería, in the Flemish town of Vilvoorde. In order to do this in a proper Andalusian way, it has to be done in honour of a Virgin Mary. They choose the Virgen del Rocío, because they heard she was well-known in Andalusia. None of them, nor their parents, had a special devotion towards this image. Lacking a statue, they went to Brussels to buy one in a specialised shop. But, as the fame of that specific Virgin has not yet reached the Belgium capital, they bought a statue of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes instead. Five years later a statue of the ‘real’ Andalusian Virgen del Rocío replaced the one from Lourdes. Within a couple of years, the colourful outdoor feast, with flamenco music, and typical Spanish dishes and drinks, became very famous. It attracted not only curious local town folks but also a large amount of Spanish migrants from all over the country and even abroad. Due to this success, the celebration underwent profound modifications and adaptations. However, more striking than these organisations changes, was the way how the statue of the Virgen Mary became more and more the central focus of attention during the romería. In the early years the statue stood literally at the side during the festivity. The main attractions were the dance contest and the election of the ‘Miss romería’. Today, a huge replica of the façade of the chapel in El Rocio dominates the whole scene. Build in a way that people can enter physically in the ‘chapel’ to visit the Virgen. The entrance of the statue within this ‘chapel’ takes place in a very elaborated and respectful way, and it is one of the highlights of the romeria. During the whole weekend, devotees offer flowers, take pictures, pray in solitary and bring their newborns to touch the statue. Meanwhile a huge feast takes place during the whole weekend. On Monday, the ‘chapel’ is disassembled and the statue brought to a small church in the city. There, a weekly Spanish mass is celebrated during the year. The flowers which were offered during the romería, are taken to the cemetery and placed on numerous tombstones. In the houses of the Spanish families, ceramics and statues of the Virgen del Rocio became part of the interior. Many of them bought during a visit at the pilgrimage site in Andalusia where the original Virgen del Rocio is venerated. The main goal of the paper is to contextualise how this statue has gained such a social and emotional agency. This is no longer limited to the moment of the romería, as it came to imbue the Spanish migrant community in Vilvoorde with a very profound, authentic sense of pride and belonging. To document this dynamic process, I rely on visual material from the early years, and proper observations and interviews since 1997. From 2001 onwards, extended fieldwork in the Andalusian hamlet of El Rocio, provided additional background. Based on these experiences, I will argue that the romería in Vilvoorde is not so much a sheer copy of an existing Spanish example, but rather the outcome of a creative process that has its locus within the specific context of this Spanish migrants community. Next, I will clarify that the venerated image was not only crucial in framing the whole festivity, but that it also transcended this context once it became to be seen as their ‘informal’ patron saint. In this capacity, the emotional efficacy of the object changed drastically. It became the focus of the community, and it made them visible as a social body within the wider society. Given these arguments, I can not reduce these emotional practices as a simple, one dimensional longing towards a far away homeland. Therefore far more elements seem to be at stake. As there are self esteem, sense of community, and, why not, the presence of a proper divine protectress.
The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in large part of the quality of the fruit. Small pr... more The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in large part of the quality of the fruit. Small producers see themselves confronted with vast investments and logistic snags when they intend to optimize the recollection. Recently manual devices at an affordable price promises less damaged fruit when compared to the traditional picking with nets while the use of a cooling room on the farm might offer a solution when the picking needs to be stretched out over several days. The effects of picking with a manual inverted umbrella, together with a storage up to 14 days at 5 °C was studied, taking into account ten quality parameters of the produced oil during two years and three cultivars: ‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’ and ‘Verdial’. The results indicate that such a combination guaranteed the best quality end product as compared with any of the three other ones. The strength of each factor, estimated with the omega-square statistic, varied in time and according to the cultivar. ‘Arbequina’ showed to be the most sensible with a rapid increase of the importance of the conservation factor. ‘Picual’ showed to be the most resistant to deterioration with a lower explanatory value of this factor as compared to the picking method. The study indicates that small producers, even under financial and logistic restrictions, can obtain a high quality end product. Either by combining both methods or by choosing the one that guaranties the best results given the cultivar and the specific storage time they opt to take into account.
The video presents a prototype of a manual harvesting device designed for small producers. The m... more The video presents a prototype of a manual harvesting device designed for small producers. The manual inverted umbrella (MIU) minimize the damage of the recollected olive fruit as a first requisite to produce optimum olive oil. An inclined canvas catches the detached fruit that then rolls down directly into a plastic box placed beneath, avoiding contact with the ground as well as the subsequent dragging over it. It was tested using branch shakers instead of sticks to detach the fruit. The study revealed that with the right amount of operators (3) and vibrators (2) the novel harvesting method did not significantly require a longer recollection time than the traditional one, while the impact on the quality of the fruit and the extracted oil was significant, especially when dealing with a more delicate cultivar as ‘Arbequina’ . After the recollection, the olives were stored on the farm in a cooling room at 5°C, until their transport to the mill.
The cooling of olives stored in containers with a capacity of 400 kg risk accumulation of respira... more The cooling of olives stored in containers with a capacity of 400 kg risk accumulation of respiration heat and subsequent fruit deterioration. Pre-cooling the fruit to 5 °C before cold storage was studied as a possible solution to overcome this obstacle. The fruit temperature within the containers was recorded daily for 14 days and oil was extracted at days 0, 4, 8, and 14. A second experiment evaluated a rapid pre-cooling procedure at -18 °C for 3 min. No significant alterations at the level of the examined parameters were recorded. The internal temperature of the control container declined and stabilized at around 12 °C. The temperature of the pre-cooled fruit increased to up to 8 °C. The examined parameters showed no significant alterations in either experiment and the rapid pre-cooling treatment did not lead to any visible ‘chill injuries’. A pre-cooling treatment at 5 °C was successfully introduced at the farm of a small producer.
Small producers confront specific challenges when they opt to produce high-quality olive fruit. L... more Small producers confront specific challenges when they opt to produce high-quality olive fruit. Limited resources for investing in harvest machinery and manpower are the main reasons for continuing a traditional harvest method that puts the final product and its economic value at risk. This paper discusses the efficiency of an integrated harvest system as a possible solution to these specific challenges. The system is formed by a newly designed manual harvesting device and the use of a cooling room near the olive grove. Both systems were evaluated to assess their feasibility for optimum conditions before processing. The combined effect of the harvesting method and cold storage on the fruit characteristics (incidence of decay, skin color, weight loss, firmness, respiration, and ethylene production) was evaluated on three different varieties (‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’ and ‘Verdial’) and four different storage times (0, 4, 8, and 14 days). The results indicate that the proposed harvesting ...
Fermentation processes within olive fruit jeopardize the quality of the extracted oil. Aeration, ... more Fermentation processes within olive fruit jeopardize the quality of the extracted oil. Aeration, temperature, and time play a crucial role in attaining the critical threshold at which an aerobic respiration shifts towards anaerobic. In this work, the O2 consumption and CO2 production of olive fruit kept in a closed container at different temperatures (5–45 °C) were measured over 7 h. The data allowed us to describe the relationship between the temperature and the respiration rate as an Arrhenius function and simulate the oxygen consumption in the inner part of a container full of fruit with low aeration, considering the generated respiration heat over time. The simulation revealed that olives risk shifting to anaerobic respiration after 3 h at 25 °C and less than 2 h at 35 °C when kept in a non-ventilated environment. The results underline the irreversible damage that high day temperatures can produce during the time before fruit processing, especially during transport. Lowering, as...
Bringing the olive harvest period forward leads to storing fruit in field temperatures that risk ... more Bringing the olive harvest period forward leads to storing fruit in field temperatures that risk jeopardizing its quality. Knowledge about the bio-thermal characteristics of olives is crucial when considering their cooling, although published research on the subject is limited. In this work, the cooling rate of the fruit of six olive cultivars has been empirically determined by measuring the evolution of their low temperature under controlled conditions by thermal imaging. Based on these data, the cooling time needed to cool the fruit to 22 °C was estimated, considering the biometric characteristics of the individual fruit, a field temperature from 26 to 42 °C, and a room cooling temperature from −8 to −20 °C. The results showed differences among the cultivars and the need to further investigate the specific heat requirements for small varieties and the impact of the conduction factor on the heavier ones. The simulation suggests that between 2 min (for the light Arbequina and Korone...
Cold storage of olive fruit has been the subject of study for over more than 50 years. From the 1... more Cold storage of olive fruit has been the subject of study for over more than 50 years. From the 1990s on, an increasing amount of knowledge is build-up about the impact of the conservation on the physiological response of the fruit as well as on the quality of the extracted oil therefrom. This review offers a comprehensive synopsis of this research, discusses the most important influential factors and summarizes the results on the influence of the studied parameters on both the fruit and the oil. Currently, changing climatic conditions, new harvesting techniques and a more demanding consumer market are triggering the need to broaden this strict focus on conservation. A more dynamic view on the effects of temperature from the moment the fruit is harvested up to the oil extraction process, reveals the necessity to manage this crucial influential factor more diversely. An overview of how this management can take form is structured through a focus on the different phases of the postharv...
The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in a large part on the quality of the fruit. Small ... more The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in a large part on the quality of the fruit. Small producers see themselves confronted with vast investments and logistic snags when they intend to optimize the harvesting. Today, manual harvesting devices promise less damaged fruit when compared to the traditional methods with nets while the use of a cooling room on the farm is suggested as a solution when the harvesting needs to be stretched out over several days. The use of a manual inverted umbrella during the harvest, together with a storage up to 14 days at 5 °C at a family farm, was studied for three cultivars, ‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’, and ‘Verdial’. Ten quality parameters of the produced oil were examined in two consecutive years together with an extended sensory analysis in the first year. The results underline the importance of the used harvesting and conservation method on the quality of the extracted oil. The strength of each factor varied in time and according to the cultivar....
ABSTRACT The unusual behavior of the local men during the procession is undoubtedly the highlight... more ABSTRACT The unusual behavior of the local men during the procession is undoubtedly the highlight of the infamous romeria of El Rocío (Almonte, Southern Spain). In the early hours of Pentecost, a turbulent assault of the altar marks the beginning of it. Once the heavy stretcher with the image of the Virgen Mary is brought outside the chapel, it is carried around on the shoulders of at least 30 men. While moving through the immense crowd for more than 12 hours, the Almontese men incessantly fight to get under it. In the meantime, folks from abroad are brutally kept away. The paper discusses the meaning of this violence as it is perceived by the Almontese and commented by the other pilgrims and tourists. Relying on extended fieldwork in Almonte (from 2001 on), the attractiveness of the event is framed as a complex performance in which a spectacular from of localism keeps pace with the release of deeply moving emotions.
The culminating point of the yearly pilgrimage in honor of the Virgin Mary in the Andalusian haml... more The culminating point of the yearly pilgrimage in honor of the Virgin Mary in the Andalusian hamlet of El Rocio takes place when the local men jump over the altar fence and violently carry the statue out of the church, the so-called ‘salto a la reja’. The paper explores the transformations that underwent this act during the last fifty years. It argues that in this process not only a violently and authority threatening revolt was canalized into a harmless ritual, but that at the same time this ‘novel’ ritual became to represent a new-found ‘timeless’ authenticity within the pilgrimage. As such, the local men, fiercely defending their ‘local’ rights, slowly developed into a symbol in themselves, trapped in an expanding pilgrimage wherein experiencing ‘locality’ might become more important than the devotion towards ‘their’ Virgin.
espanolLa peculiar actitud de los almontenos agrega a Ia presencia de la Virgen un elemento a la ... more espanolLa peculiar actitud de los almontenos agrega a Ia presencia de la Virgen un elemento a la procesion que tiene un impacto directo en Ia experiencia y el nivel emocional de Ios espectadores presentes. Para explorar este aspecto, las impresiones subjetivas del antropologo se utilizan como fuentes primarias, junto con observaciones mas distantes (antropologia rellexiva). En este analisis, se llama Ia atencion sobre los diferentes procesos y dinamicas que tienen el potencial de causar una fuerte inmersion emocional. Como tal, el potencial cautivador de una imagen sagrada (Gell) se pone en primer plano, teniendo en cuenta sus cualidades antropomorficas, asi como la forma especifica en que los almontenos lo llevan. En segundo lugar, el concepto de lo sublime (Kant) se utiliza para aclarar la relacion especifica entre los espectadores y los que protagonizan la procesion. En tercer Lugar, el concepto de distancia, aplicado a la distancia fisica del espectador, asi como a su estado emo...
The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in large part on the quality of the fruit. Small pr... more The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in large part on the quality of the fruit. Small producers see themselves confronted with vast investments and logistic snags when they intend to optimize the harvesting. Today, manual harvesting devices promise less damaged fruit when compared to the traditional methods with nets while the use of a cooling room on the farm is suggested as a solution when the harvesting needs to be stretched out over several days. The use of a manual inverted umbrella during the harvest, together with a storage of up to 14 days at 5 °C, was studied for three cultivars (‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’, and ‘Verdial’). Ten parameters of the produced oil were examined in two consecutive years together with an extended sensory analysis in the first year. The results underline the importance of the used harvesting and conservation method on the quality of the extracted oil, although the effect size of each factor varied in time and according to the cultivar. The result...
ABSTRACT In 1990, six Spanish migrant youngsters, all member of a local cultural club, launched t... more ABSTRACT In 1990, six Spanish migrant youngsters, all member of a local cultural club, launched the idea to organize an outdoor feast, or romería, in the Flemish town of Vilvoorde. In order to do this in a proper Andalusian way, it has to be done in honour of a Virgin Mary. They choose the Virgen del Rocío, because they heard she was well-known in Andalusia. None of them, nor their parents, had a special devotion towards this image. Lacking a statue, they went to Brussels to buy one in a specialised shop. But, as the fame of that specific Virgin has not yet reached the Belgium capital, they bought a statue of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes instead. Five years later a statue of the ‘real’ Andalusian Virgen del Rocío replaced the one from Lourdes. Within a couple of years, the colourful outdoor feast, with flamenco music, and typical Spanish dishes and drinks, became very famous. It attracted not only curious local town folks but also a large amount of Spanish migrants from all over the country and even abroad. Due to this success, the celebration underwent profound modifications and adaptations. However, more striking than these organisations changes, was the way how the statue of the Virgen Mary became more and more the central focus of attention during the romería. In the early years the statue stood literally at the side during the festivity. The main attractions were the dance contest and the election of the ‘Miss romería’. Today, a huge replica of the façade of the chapel in El Rocio dominates the whole scene. Build in a way that people can enter physically in the ‘chapel’ to visit the Virgen. The entrance of the statue within this ‘chapel’ takes place in a very elaborated and respectful way, and it is one of the highlights of the romeria. During the whole weekend, devotees offer flowers, take pictures, pray in solitary and bring their newborns to touch the statue. Meanwhile a huge feast takes place during the whole weekend. On Monday, the ‘chapel’ is disassembled and the statue brought to a small church in the city. There, a weekly Spanish mass is celebrated during the year. The flowers which were offered during the romería, are taken to the cemetery and placed on numerous tombstones. In the houses of the Spanish families, ceramics and statues of the Virgen del Rocio became part of the interior. Many of them bought during a visit at the pilgrimage site in Andalusia where the original Virgen del Rocio is venerated. The main goal of the paper is to contextualise how this statue has gained such a social and emotional agency. This is no longer limited to the moment of the romería, as it came to imbue the Spanish migrant community in Vilvoorde with a very profound, authentic sense of pride and belonging. To document this dynamic process, I rely on visual material from the early years, and proper observations and interviews since 1997. From 2001 onwards, extended fieldwork in the Andalusian hamlet of El Rocio, provided additional background. Based on these experiences, I will argue that the romería in Vilvoorde is not so much a sheer copy of an existing Spanish example, but rather the outcome of a creative process that has its locus within the specific context of this Spanish migrants community. Next, I will clarify that the venerated image was not only crucial in framing the whole festivity, but that it also transcended this context once it became to be seen as their ‘informal’ patron saint. In this capacity, the emotional efficacy of the object changed drastically. It became the focus of the community, and it made them visible as a social body within the wider society. Given these arguments, I can not reduce these emotional practices as a simple, one dimensional longing towards a far away homeland. Therefore far more elements seem to be at stake. As there are self esteem, sense of community, and, why not, the presence of a proper divine protectress.
The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in large part of the quality of the fruit. Small pr... more The production of ‘Premium’ olive oil depends in large part of the quality of the fruit. Small producers see themselves confronted with vast investments and logistic snags when they intend to optimize the recollection. Recently manual devices at an affordable price promises less damaged fruit when compared to the traditional picking with nets while the use of a cooling room on the farm might offer a solution when the picking needs to be stretched out over several days. The effects of picking with a manual inverted umbrella, together with a storage up to 14 days at 5 °C was studied, taking into account ten quality parameters of the produced oil during two years and three cultivars: ‘Arbequina’, ‘Picual’ and ‘Verdial’. The results indicate that such a combination guaranteed the best quality end product as compared with any of the three other ones. The strength of each factor, estimated with the omega-square statistic, varied in time and according to the cultivar. ‘Arbequina’ showed to be the most sensible with a rapid increase of the importance of the conservation factor. ‘Picual’ showed to be the most resistant to deterioration with a lower explanatory value of this factor as compared to the picking method. The study indicates that small producers, even under financial and logistic restrictions, can obtain a high quality end product. Either by combining both methods or by choosing the one that guaranties the best results given the cultivar and the specific storage time they opt to take into account.
The unusual behavior of the local men during the procession is undoubtedly the highlight of the i... more The unusual behavior of the local men during the procession is undoubtedly the highlight of the infamous romeria of El Rocío (Almonte, Southern Spain). In the early hours of Pentecost, a turbulent assault of the altar marks the beginning of it. Once the heavy stretcher with the image of the Virgen Mary is brought outside the chapel, it is carried around on the shoulders of at least 30 men. While moving through the immense crowd for more than 12 hours, the Almontese men incessantly fight to get under it. In the meantime, folks from abroad are brutally kept away. The paper discusses the meaning of this violence as it is perceived by the Almontese and commented by the other pilgrims and tourists. Relying on extended fieldwork in Almonte (from 2001 on), the attractiveness of the event is framed as a complex performance in which a spectacular from of localism keeps pace with the release of deeply moving emotions.
Uploads
Videos by Eddy Plasquy
An inclined canvas catches the detached fruit that then rolls down directly into a plastic box placed beneath, avoiding contact with the ground as well as the subsequent dragging over it. It was tested using branch shakers instead of sticks to detach the fruit. The study revealed that with the right amount of operators (3) and vibrators (2) the novel harvesting method did not significantly require a longer recollection time than the traditional one, while the impact on the quality of the fruit and the extracted oil was significant, especially when dealing with a more delicate cultivar as ‘Arbequina’ . After the recollection, the olives were stored on the farm in a cooling room at 5°C, until their transport to the mill.
Papers by Eddy Plasquy
An inclined canvas catches the detached fruit that then rolls down directly into a plastic box placed beneath, avoiding contact with the ground as well as the subsequent dragging over it. It was tested using branch shakers instead of sticks to detach the fruit. The study revealed that with the right amount of operators (3) and vibrators (2) the novel harvesting method did not significantly require a longer recollection time than the traditional one, while the impact on the quality of the fruit and the extracted oil was significant, especially when dealing with a more delicate cultivar as ‘Arbequina’ . After the recollection, the olives were stored on the farm in a cooling room at 5°C, until their transport to the mill.