Our Story
A Passion for Sustainable Living
LISA FORSYTH | OWNER
After honorably serving in the U.S. Army for 33 years, first as an enlisted Soldier and later as a Colonel, I reflect on vivid memories of experiencing different countries, cultures, and interacting with people. My public health career always involved food, and I’ve developed a deep interest in the agriculture of every country I visit and how it impacts daily life. Understanding where food comes from, who produces it, and how it’s grown has never been more important than it is today. Food, in one form or another, is central to connecting with people and plays a subtle yet powerful role in achieving successful outcomes. Offering food—whether a meal or a beverage—is more than just social politeness; it’s a gateway to building relationships.
In my “retirement,” I’ve embraced the opportunity to pursue my passion for agriculture and sustainable living. I now live and work with my family and our beloved dogs on our ranch, located near historic Seguin, Texas.
The ranch is in a state of perpetual motion, a system within systems carefully choreographed to maximize output. Our daily activities include managing and rearing registered American Aberdeen cattle and their calves, raising chicks and adult fowl, and tending to our olive orchard. We’re especially excited to offer OLI TEA—olive leaf herbal tea and tea blends made from the leaves of our orchard.
"My goal is to grow things
that have multiple uses and
are interesting and fun!"
The History
My grandparents, great-grandparents, and generations before them were farmers. That way of life skipped a generation as my parents, aunts, and uncles earned their living in other ways. Now I’m striving to live a self-sustaining lifestyle on my ranch, Diablo Day Ranch. This is by no means a new concept but rather a revival of how my grandparents lived generations ago.
“Everywhere is an atmosphere of hard work. Everyone takes work seriously and as a matter of course. There is no false pride about it, and no failure to realize its importance and its necessity.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. We partnered with independent, certified laboratories for analysis of our olive leaf tea to ensure ORAC score, polyphenol level, and caffeine-free attributes.
OLI Tea shelf life is up to 18 months. Whole, loose leaf tea in general will begin to fade and lose flavor if kept beyond 18 months. For optimal flavor and health benefits, it's best to use within 2 months after opening its sealed pouch. Proper storage will help protect against 5 enemies: light, air, heat, moisture, and odor. Store your tea in a sealed container and in a cool, dry and dark place.
OLI Tea is loaded with polyphenols, specifically oleuropein. Oleuropein is a unique polyphenol molecule found in olive leaves with antioxidant capabilities that contribute to maintaining and preserving an active lifestyle, specifically antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and disease-fighting activities. Scientific research has shown polyphenols provide a multitude of health benefits to include: lowering bad cholesterol and blood pressure, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-angiogenic and neuroprotective functions.
Herbal teas are commonly called tinsanes, which are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. True tea is derived from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant.
Consumers who value fresh food should support local farmers because locally grown food tastes and looks better. Think about this. The logistics of imported food, from field to grocery shelf, can take months. That is months on a ship, dock, warehouse, transportation, and then stocked on the shelf for consumers to purchase. Local food is better for you. The shorter time between field to table, the less likely nutrients will be lost.
ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a score for antioxidant content in different foods and supplements. Higher ORAC scores imply a higher measured amount of in vitro antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are known for their ability to combat cell damage. OLI Tea consistently scores above 40,000 units on the ORAC scale compared to 1253 for green tea. For the latest ORAC information, refer to Superfood.com.