In Palestine, spring is marked by beautiful poppies, irises, and colorful wildflowers blooming among the olive groves that cover the hills. This is the time of year when tiremakers prune their trees, till the soil, and check for olive problems. Our farmers still use traditional methods of manually weeding and beating olive tree branches to help them increase their yields. These olive-covered hills and terraces come alive in October when the harvest season begins, with farmers and their entire families harvesting olives from dawn to dusk, eating all their meals prepared by campfires under the trees, the way Palestinian families have done for centuries. These days, many international volunteers are on hand to help bring the olives and provide a protective presence for farmers facing violence and harassment from the occupation. Once the olives are picked, they are taken to a community press, where the oil is extracted and tested for quality. They arrive in the field to be packed and ready for shipment.