It began as a way to get discarded olives from 2,000 trees off the University of California Davis bike trails, where they were causing scores of accidents. But it's wound up putting the university on the map as the maker of some top-ranked olive oils.

"We've got fewer legal costs. We're not spraying the trees any more to prevent them from flowering. And we're getting revenue from the olive oil," said campus building and grounds manager Dan Flynn.

"Very good," said one happy oil sampler Wednesday when this year's three blends of oil were unveiled amid snacks and wine.