"For me, the most valuable thing is that people come back."

When curiosity turns into a mission

If someone had told him as a child that one day he would take over the family farm and produce olive oil, Martin Adamič would probably have rolled his eyes. "Back then, I wasn’t interested in it. I didn’t like it, I found it boring. And I wasn’t even allowed to drive the tractor," he says with a smile. But over the years, things changed. "My father could no longer do everything on his own. That’s when I told myself it was up to me - either I’d step in and keep the story going, or everything would fall apart."

Ronkaldo is a family farm located in Baredi above Izola. Father Miran and son Martin work together to cultivate their olive groves and produce extra virgin olive oil that regularly receives awards both at home and abroad.
In 2023, they earned top honors at competitions ranging from New York to several European cities and even Abu Dhabi.
The online platform Extra Virgin Olive Oil World Ranking named Ronkaldo the best olive oil producer from Slovenia.
This year, the prestigious olive oil guide Flos Olei once again ranked them among the world’s best olive growers.

And awards are not what drive the engine. “For me, the most valuable thing is that people keep coming back. When someone comes for the tenth time and says they want the same oil again, it means you did something right,” says Martin.

There is no rest on living soil

Ronkaldo has been an organic farm for 15 years. “We started with integrated cultivation, back when it wasn’t yet trendy. Now we’re fully organic, which requires more work, but it’s the right thing to do,” says Miran. All olive branches are ground, fertilized with natural substances, and the soil where their olive trees grow is alive. And living soil has its guests.

Wild animals cause them a lot of trouble. “What’s happening now didn’t happen 20 years ago. Roe deer, wild boars… If you don’t put up fence, they eat everything that grows. That’s why farming today is no longer just work in the olive grove - it’s a constant struggle with the land, with nature, with the law,” says Miran.

Despite everything, both remain firmly convinced that this is the right path. Martin hopes that in the future the farm will become his full-time occupation - not just something for afternoons and weekends.

Ronkaldo is an old local name for the part of Izola where the Adamič family’s olive groves now stand - among dry stone walls and ancient steps that bear witness to centuries of cultivating this land.

Quality without compromise

On 3.4 hectares of olive groves, the Adamič family grows several varieties of olives - a few for table use, but most for oil. They produce a range of flavors, from mild to spicy, aiming to satisfy the different tastes of their visitors. Their top-quality extra virgin olive oil is produced according to strict organic principles. “The oil must be flawless, meeting all standards,” emphasizes Martin. “Every little detail affects the taste - from the nets and containers to the storage conditions.”

Although they don’t (yet) have a tasting room, most of their sales happen right from the family courtyard - where, as they say, they make a personal effort with every visitor. “Our visitors say we are ambassadors of Izola,” says Miran proudly. “Foreign guests come from Finland, Italy, Lithuania… and everyone is thrilled because we take the time to explain everything in detail.”

Most of the oil is sold directly from their home - right where it is produced. Some goes to restaurants and boutique shops, while online sales are not yet a priority. “We were among the first to have a website. Now it’s quite old. But our visits are still growing. After the COVID pandemic, we noticed that people like to come in person. They enjoy taking their time and are interested in our story,” adds Martin.

From homemade pickled olives to the world’s top lists

In addition to olive oil, they also sell olives preserved in olive oil - which weren’t created as part of a specific strategy, but rather out of curiosity and many experiments. “I like eating olives, that was the beginning. And whatever didn’t work out immediately, we just threw it on the compost. But I didn’t give up. I researched, experimented, read, and learned: a little from literature, a little from mistakes,” says Martin, who today is proud of their olives.

Although some might assume they have global ambitions, they remain boutique producers, fully aware that quality requires time, space, and presence. “Recently someone from Abu Dhabi wrote to us asking if we could send a container of oil every month. But we can’t. We wouldn’t be able to, and we don’t want to,” says Miran. Yet, some time ago, they made it onto one of the prestigious lists of the world’s best olive growers - right there in Abu Dhabi.

Ronkaldo oil in three words? “High-quality. Fruity. Pleasantly aromatic.” Miran adds one more word: trust. That comes with time.

From Koper to Izola

The Adamič family now lives in Koper, but they remain closely connected to Izola, where their farm stands. Miran grew up in Izola and still remembers the times when Veliki trg was traffic-free and served as their “childhood playground.”
“We used to run around the little pool, the nets were there… today I just wish this square could be for people again, without cars,” says Miran.

Asked what Izola means to him today, he answers with a single word: nostalgia. Yet he is also aware that the future cannot rely solely on the past: “Izola has potential. You just have to listen to the people who work the land. Just like in the Brda region. Here we don’t have cellars, we don’t have buildings. But we have the will.”

When asked what they like to do in their free time, Martin says he prefers heading into the mountains - he is a young alpine trainee, and climbing is his way to disconnect. Miran, on the other hand, prefers to stay where he feels at home: at Ronkaldo, in the olive grove. “Sometimes I just sit and watch. I have a glass to drink. This is my peace. My little piece of paradise.”