Zagoda Olive Oil: A Story of Family, Craft, and Heritage
Our Story
Some journeys begin with a single step. Ours began with an olive tree.
It started with my father, Ismail Sahin, a man with a vision and a deep appreciation for quality. One day, he tasted an olive oil unlike anything he had ever known—vibrant, rich, full of life. It was a revelation. That moment planted a seed, one that would grow into something far greater than he could have imagined. He saw an opportunity, not just to enjoy this extraordinary oil himself, but to bring it to others. With retirement on the horizon, he decided to begin.
In 2017, he found the perfect land in Köprübaşı, a district in Manisa, Türkiye, where the soil, sun, and air seemed to whisper promises of abundance. He planted 16,500 trees across 10 hectares, nurturing them with care and patience. As the seasons passed and the trees took root, so did the dream of Zagoda. The name "Zagoda" came from a cherished tradition in the Eastern Black Sea Region, where it refers to “green olives in brine”. A small word with deep roots, just like the trees themselves.
By 2021, it was time for Zagoda to take its next step. I, Ceren Su Sahin, brought our family’s olive oil from our homeland to our new home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was more than a business venture. It was a way to stay connected to where we came from and to share a piece of it with others. Food has a way of carrying memory, of bridging worlds, of telling stories without words. As immigrants, we knew the longing for home, and we also knew that something as simple as a bottle of olive oil could bring people together.
From Harvest to Bottle, A Commitment to Quality
Zagoda is the result of patience and precision. Each olive is hand-harvested early in the season, when the fruit is at its peak, preserving the highest levels of polyphenols and capturing the essence of the land. Within hours on the same day, the olives are pressed at our mill, never exceeding 27°C, ensuring that every drop of oil remains untouched by heat or chemicals. The result is something rare, something that tastes as alive as the land it comes from.
Sustainability is woven into our process. Our farm follows Türkiye’s Good Agricultural Practices, using organic composting and soil testing to nourish the trees naturally. Our facilities meet the highest standards for food safety and quality, certified under ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 22000:2018. Every step, from the grove to the bottle, is done with care, with respect for the land
Where Music and Olive Oil Meet
For me, Zagoda is more than an olive oil company. It is an extension of everything I have dedicated my life to. As a professional pianist and pedagogue, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan, I have spent years perfecting my craft, understanding how the smallest details shape the final experience. Music and olive oil are not so different. Both require skill, patience, and a deep respect for tradition. Both demand an understanding of the past while always striving for something new.
At its heart, Zagoda is about connection. Between generations, between lands, between people gathered around a table. It is the story of a father’s dream and a family’s commitment. It is the story of trees that now stand tall in Türkiye and bottles of golden oil that find their way into kitchens across the world.
This is our story. And now, it is yours too.
Our Legacy
Just as immigrants carry their traditions, stories, and values with them to their new homes, we sought to share the essence of Zagoda—our family's passion for quality, tradition, and authenticity—with the community here in Ann Arbor. Our aim is to contribute to the growing global recognition of Turkish olive oil, ensuring it receives the acclaim it rightfully deserves.
Our Process
Our farm is meticulously tended, with each tree nurtured like a cherished member of the family. From soil to bottle, we uphold the highest standards of organic farming and sustainable practices, ensuring that every drop of Zagoda olive oil embodies purity and excellence.
The journey from fruit to oil is a meticulous process guided by expertise and innovation. Our olives are hand-picked early, carefully sorted, and swiftly transported to our state-of-the-art mill on the same day of harvest. Here, cutting-edge technology meets centuries-old tradition as we cold-extract (under 27 °C/80 °F) the precious essence of the olive with precision and care, without any chemical processing, additives, or preservatives.
Olive Oil Rooted in Best Practices
With regards to agricultural practices, our parent facility follows the Turkish government’s “Good Agricultural Practices” regulation, which integrates important natural practices into our operation such as sustainable farming, soil testing and organic composting in order to grow our trees completely naturally.
Sustainability also transcends our manufacturing as well. We are committed to manufacturing our products in accordance with:
ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems and
ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management Systems.
We believe in fair and ethical treatment of our workers from the farm fields to the shipment of bottles here within the US and abroad.