Restoration Project

The Remnant Restoration Project is the ongoing story of how God took a forgotten 1885 olive orchard, a broken home, and a family stretched beyond their limits, and began restoring everything from the inside out.

When my husband and I moved onto this property, we had no idea what we were stepping into. What we thought was going to be our dream home turned out to have severe structural damage hidden behind walls: rot, mold, and crumbling framing. It felt like everything was falling apart at the exact moment we were supposed to be starting fresh.

But as the rebuilding began, God started restoring far more than the house.

I walked the exposed beams with my Bible, writing scripture on the walls, doorframes, and windows. I prayed over every room. I anointed the land, the soil, the trees. I pressed my first drops of oil in my kitchen and asked God what He wanted me to do with it. And He kept whispering the same thing He showed me before we ever bought this place: “Pour your oil, and do not stop pouring.”

As we worked, we began uncovering the history of the orchard. A 150‑year‑old grove planted by a patriot navyman, William Shillingsburg. His obituary in 1903 described him as a talented gardener, a builder, a patriot, father, brother, and relative to General Nathanael Greene, George Washington's most trusted commander. I realized God had preserved this land for generations, waiting for the right moment to breathe life into it again.

This page is where I share that journey, the rebuilding of our home, the revival of the orchard, the miracles, the setbacks, the breakthroughs, and the restoration God continues to unfold. It’s the living record of what He is doing here, and what He is doing in us.

Restoration Timeline

August 2025 — Test Pruning Begins

In August we began our first test pruning to see how the orchard would respond after decades of neglect. We chose one tree as our trial, and by harvest season it had regrown beautifully. That single tree gave us hope and showed us that restoration was truly possible. It also helped us plan for the next major prune. Because the weather must be dry but not too hot, the next phase of the restoration prune is scheduled for Fall 2026, with another phase planned for Spring 2027. In the meantime, we have started a small nursery of rooted saplings to preserve the genetics of the mother trees.

November 2025 — Our First Harvest

November brought our very first harvest. We had been told the olives were too small, trees too tall, too overgrown, and not worth the trouble. A renowned expert told us we should buy a picnic table and enjoy the view, because that was all they were good for now. But I happen to like the underdog, the no-name coming up from the back, the redeemed.  So against my husbands wishes, I scheduled an appointment at the mill and we harvested anyway.

A family friend generously donated harvesting rakes, and everything changed. What once took days to fill one bucket by hand, turned into almost 450 pounds of olives gathered in a day. We pressed the oil and used it to create our anointing oil and skincare products. Because our yield is still small, this limited batch has to carry us through the entire year as we build our business and steward what God is doing. We trust that He will multiply our supply and place it into the hands it is meant to reach.

January 2026 — Irrigation Repairs

In January we repaired the irrigation system on the upper grove. These trees had been dry‑farmed for over a century, so restoring water flow was a major step toward long‑term health and healing of the pruned trees.

May 2026 — Grants and Soil Restoration Planning

In May we began applying for grants to support land restoration and the installation of an on‑site olive mill. Having a mill on the property will allow us to press daily during harvest season and dramatically increase both quality and yield. We also are aiming to partner with a compost and soil‑biology company to begin restoring the land using chemical‑free microbial amendments. This natural rebalancing process is scheduled to start Fall 2026, right before the major prune.

Fall 2026 — Restoration Prune (Planned)

The first phase of the restoration prune across the orchard is planned for Fall 2026. This will reshape the trees, remove deadwood, open the canopy, and prepare them for healthier and more abundant harvests. Because we have nearly 300 trees this will be done by zones. The wood pruned will be reconstituted into a custom compost, and nothing will go to waste. 

October to November 2026 — Harvest 2026 (Planned)

Our second harvest is expected to be larger and healthier thanks to irrigation repairs, light pruning, and the start of soil restoration. This will be the first harvest where we begin to see the fruit of all the work poured into the land. We expect our yield to be 10X from last year with more days to complete it.

Spring 2027 — Second Restoration Prune (Planned)

A follow‑up prune is planned for Spring 2027. This will finalize the structural shaping of the trees and set the orchard on a long‑term path of health, beauty, and productivity.