Freda Ehmann (1839 – 1932) was a farmer who has been credited with launching California's olive industry by perfecting a process to preserve the fruit for shipment.[1]
Freda Ehmann was born in Germany.[2]
She owned a small olive grove outside Oroville in the Sacramento Valley, and sought ways to increase her market beyond olive oil. At the time, olives could not be successfully preserved for long-term storage or shipment. Working with a University of California food scientist, she experimented with a number of pickling methods before hitting on a formula that resulted in a marketable product.
She founded the Ripe Olive Industry of California.
Today, Ehmann's home is the headquarters of the Butte County Historical Society, and tours are offered regularly.[3]
She was active in Women's Clubs affairs and was Chairman of the Financial Committee of the YMCA Building Fund.
She was a member of the Oroville Monday Club.
She lived in Illinois and moved to California in 1892. She had two children: Emma Bolles and Edwin W. Ehmann. She lived at 402 Lincoln Street, Oroville, California.