The Olive Grove

by Patrice Newell

When Patrice Newell left a highly charged urban life to live in the country, friends warned her she'd be bored in no time. Fifteen years later, she's doing more in a day than most of us do in a week. And Elmswood is no ordinary property, it's a biodynamic farm with beef cattle and olives. The Olive Grove is a celebration of rural life, from the disastrous to the comic. It also has an eye on the bigger localism versus globalism; natural farming versus the use of chemicals; the need to sustainability. And in a nation where city dwellers own shares in huge, anonymous agricorporations, there are welcome reminders of the value of personal involvement. Not to mention the odd cooking tip. An intensely human story, The Olive Grove is instructive, insightful, inspiring – and full of commonsense. At Elmswood, where life is vigorous and never dull, Patrice Newell proves that growing food can be as creative an act as cooking it.

Genres: Nonfiction

279 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Patrice Newell was born in Adelaide and now runs a farm near Gundy, New South Wales, which produces biodynamic beef, olive oil and garlic. She lives with her partner Phillip Adams and their daughter Aurora.

Reviews

[Bathsheba · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Patrice's developing knowledge of biodynamic farming to be one of the most interesting topics of this book. Her meandering style could frustrate some but I took that in my stride. Any green thumb would probably enjoy her detailed accounts of nurturing plants and her honesty regarding her failures was refreshing. I struggled with the beef breeding facet and thought it was interesting that she could be so concerned about soil compaction and degradation yet continue to farm a hard hooved animal. But all in all it was well written and referenced. I wish it had an index though.

[Jade · Rating 1 out of 5]

THe author is deeply unlikable.

This might have been interesting and engaging if she wasn’t super rich (surely there are rural stories by people who didn’t just open their cheque book to succeed?) and if she hadn’t spent so much time describing all of the antiques and artifacts her husband has laying around. Hideous and tacky.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for a book that would give me a possible glimpse of a future I am thinking of choosing. This was not it. I also found I did not like her lack of chronology.

[Julia Gilchrist · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the life of an Australian woman dedicated to bringing beautiful produce to foodies and the wider Australian market.

Patrice Newell recounts living and working on her olive farm. Her urbane, straightforward writing shares the passion and heartache in intimately working the land, the soil, growing produce and working within a community to create positive options for the district.

As with most farmers, there is an emotional temperature which understates the hard work. Patrice diplomatically articulates her despair over unforgiving conditions and the frustration with bureaucracy that delayed farming innovations coming out of a life lived on the land.

Why did I love this?

I read this in mid-2004 at my parents old hobby farm in Central West NSW. Stuck with how to make inroads into our enviro/agri situation and following on from "Collapse" by Jared Diamond and attempting my Environment Law textbook, I needed a change of pace. Happily, this book remains a gem and enables you to satisfyingly read just one story about one person working the land and sharing with you some profound insights into what matters when working in the Australian bush.

[Dion Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting read. Patrice is a woman I can relste to. Passionate about land, biodynamic farming, food and social issues which include the First Nation people. She tells the story of her change from the city to the farm and shares the triumphs and the heartbreak. The book contains the right mix of emotional journey with factual information that makes the story very readable. I loved the fact that she made a go of it whilst remaining true to her ethical believes arond non-chemical use. She also describes the very difficult choices farmers must make in regards to economic decisions. Lastly, I liked the fact that she likes food and appreciates good food and cooks it. I'd recommend the book to anyone who is rural and enjoys a good non-fiction as well as to those who are contemplating a farm change.

[Alayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sub-title is totally inaccurate in this book. It is definitely not "an exhilarating account of leaving the city for life on the land". It is an at-times boring (due to too much preaching) about the life of a total worrier who moved to the Hunter region and planted an olive grove. Patrice Newell, partner of Phillip Adams, does not write nearly as interestingly as he does, and the moving to the farm takes place in the first few pages. There are no chapters, just section breaks, so no natural point to put the book down. When she describes the people, the storms, and the loveliness of the property she does a good job, but there is too much banging on about biodynamic farming, chemicals and how you shouldn't use them, etc. Not much recommended.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Interesting, informative, fresh and frank. It was like sitting with Patrice Newell in her farmhouse and just listening to her talk. I was particularly glad to hear she had grown up in Kurralta Park in Adelaide as it is a place I know so well. She knows the fashion and meat market well and so it was interesting to listen to her look at those experiences as she had lived them in her life. She is not shy of hard work and is very passionate and well educated about bio dynamic farming. She writes well and with enthusiasm and everything is well thought out and explained. Very inspiring book and so honest.

[Christel Keijzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Australian story of a family sharing their experiences of moving to the country and starting a biodynamic farm in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Author tells of their learning experiences, as they decide to embark on olive farming and planting the trees. Love for land and community is vital to a good existence there.

[Abby Howell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat meandering memoir written by a former Australian TV personality who quits that life and buys a farm. I enjoyed reading it do the most part as a glimpse into Australian rural life. But I skimmed a bunch as well. Some overly detailed reminiscences.

[Carol Doherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going out to buy a couple of olive trees for our little backyard.... and will always buy Australian grown and pressed olive oil (not that I didn't anyway)from smaller producers if I can.
Patrice Newell loves the land and has a real passion for bio-dynamically grown olives and beef which as you read further into the book inspires you to do the same.
I struggled at the start of the book with her quite blunt writing style and didn't really warm to the book until over half way through but then I couldn't put it down. Will be picking up her next book shortly "A Thousand Acres" to see how life has changed since 2000.

[Fran Cosgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do find the subject interesting but the book is as some describe "meandering". Just as Patrice meanders thru her budding olive groves we are on the meandering journey thru her brain as well. Just for the slight boredom factor it has been relegated to my 'toilet reading' pile where it never fails to make my time there more thought provoking and rewarding. I'd say it was not intended to be a 'gripping' read anyway, more an account of the trials and tribulations, of which there are many and complex, on her journey to establish a viable farm. I congratulate her on succeeding with a daunting and difficult task.

[Velvetink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Patrice Newell wife of Phillip Larkiin. Stirred up all my dreams of owning a farm again. but for now I must sleep. Learn't so much about olives and olive oil my head is spinning. Discovered she has a blog and a still thriving olive grove. More later on all this later. I am taking the day off uni.

[Anne Homeschooling-Mama]

I want to buy a few hectares and start planting olives right now!

[Nikki Balzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

i often read tree change books and this one was an easy and enjoyable read.