Third generation almond farmers Tommy and Tara Tickenoff started Fresh Vintage Farms to create cooking oils with exceptional taste while still providing maximum nutritional value. Through their partnership with farmers, they aim to deliver authentic, sustainable and delicious cooking oils.

This all started in 2019 when they were experimenting with a cold press and were pleasantly surprised what came out.

“A couple years ago as part of another project I got a hold of a cold pressed and we had this beautiful stainless-steel piece of equipment so I ran like 20 or 30 pounds to it and made a really nice oil and started experimenting with it and gave a bunch of it to friends and family,” said Tommy Tickenoff.

The almond oil was launched with the company in 2019 and they introduced their newest product, walnut oil, after Christmas last year. Both oils have a rich, nutty flavor that offer nice compliments to dishes like steak, chicken and salads, said Tickenoff.

Cold pressed cooking oil is made using a method known as cold press extraction. The cold press oil extraction method is done using an oil seed press, like many other oils. However, it's unique because it involves no additional chemical solvents or heat. Cold pressed oil has increased nutritional and health benefits and is more environmentally friendly, according to Tickenoff.

Another benefit of the almond oil is it provides a unique flavor and allows you to cook in a different way.

“From culinary standpoint it's got a unique flavor profile, it's got a higher smoke point so a lot of people like frying, you know, whether it's chicken giblets or steaks or anything else, it's got a higher heat point so it can tolerate more heat,” he said.

Part of Tommy and Tara’s mission with this company is to tell the story of farmers and how they’re working to improve the environment as well.

“So, while we're not the growers ourselves I've worked on a farm, my wife's family were farmers. We want to be the people that are telling the story for the agricultural industry and talking about the things we're doing to benefit, you know, environment from water reduction usage to dust reduction, working with the beehive growers…to be able to have more sustainable practices that benefit bees and bee colonies,” Tommy Tickenoff said. “So, we've got a bunch of videos and content that we're working on for later 2021, 2022 that are really helping tell the story, not only of our brand but good farmers that we represent.

“The problem with farmers is they're often quiet and they go about their business and they're not out there telling the story they're just farming and working hard. We want to be part of the program that tells a story of good agricultural practices,” he said.

Being sustainable is important to Fresh Vintage Farms and some ways they aim to do that are by using glass bottles instead of plastic and shipping boxes that are made with recycled cardboard.

As the company continues to grow, they are looking to expanding into stores all over the country and develop a line of products that go beyond almond and walnut oils. As they continue to grow, the response has been nothing but inviting form new customers, the Tickenoffs said.

“The reception has been really warm and inviting because there's no other product and other brands out there with this item so we're kind of the first to market so it's helped us this point,” Tickenoff said.

For more information on Fresh Vintage Farms, visit: https://freshvintagefarms.com/