Patrice Newell Garlic Farm in Gundy, New South Wales, Australia | Author

Patrice Newell Garlic Farm

Locality: Gundy, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 417 231 822

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• Organic food shop
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25.01.2022 Always good to have a visit from Phil aka JP who was manager here when we started - we didn't grow garlic then, but we checked it out anyway. Phil and I set up the olive grove back in 1997.

25.01.2022 Hurry up and fill out before the cabbage moth discovers you please

24.01.2022 NYTimes this morning reports (quote below) on the global issue facing migrant workers. Here in Australia back packers, students and migrant workers doing many of the manual jobs around the country have been so isolated. Rural Australia needs every worker we can get. But migrant workers globally sending home $554 billion last year? Wow. The impact of that income stream falling over is terrifying. Last year, the payments sent home totaled $554 billion more than three times the amount of development aid dispensed by wealthy countries, according to the World Bank. Over all, the pandemic has damaged the earning power of 164 million migrant workers who support at least 800 million relatives, according to an estimate from the United Nations Network on Migration.

20.01.2022 October long weekend is always special here (despite daylight saving starting.) Reading time + an extra coffee (Planning on doing more posts on what books I'm reading as so often get asked re farming texts) But many history books are important too to help understand how we came to be where we're at. Dr Cameron Archer AM, former principal of Tocal Ag College is also an historian. His last book The Magic Valley tells the story of the Paterson (one L ) Valley. This is in the ...Lower Hunter- two hours from us. A gorgeous place where agricultural diversity and small farm activities were once extensive. The book has many good photos. Like this one taken courtesy of Noel Jupp (the legend plantsman at Gresford). Fascinating snap - great to see the hives covered for protection but oh so much harder to manage surely? It was also another local Hunter Valley beekeeper who imported the first queen bee from Italy into the area. Great read about our agricultural heritage. Perfect day for beekeeping here. Must get out there. See more

19.01.2022 Squire our beautiful elderly dog, cataracts and deaf but happy, tail wagging as ever now rests most of the day after our visit to the garlic, olives and bees - freaks me out every time I see him like this as his breathing is so slow...........dog love. Amazing.

18.01.2022 Since Covid started I’ve been following a few Podcasts. Some are recommended by friends, others have moved from the written to the audio such as the New Scientist Weekly Podcast. It’s a goodie. It’s produced by New Scientist Journalists, hosted Rohan Hooper. As soon as they start talking you feel confident they know what they’re talking about. (As opposed to many podcasts!) Episode #26 starts with The hidden dark matter of our food. I’m a food producer so likely to enjoy it but was thrilled that Rohan used garlic as an example of food knowledge. Check it out for some fascinating info about what we know and don’t know about the molecules and compounds of our every day food. https://www.newscientist.com/podcasts/

18.01.2022 Everyone huddling in close this morning. Beautiful rain. Garlic happy.

17.01.2022 This is what I like to see. The Eucs budding up. Especially on trees I planted.

17.01.2022 Yesterday, Kai suggested he was finally at the end of the garlic weeding. We've been striving for the crop to be weed free by the start of September. Luckily he likes stormy weather and hasn't minded being out in the blizzard these past few days! He's right the garlic is looking a picture even if it gets blown around in the wind. Thanks Kai we couldn't have managed without your farm help these past few weeks. Good luck on your next adventure.

13.01.2022 Well it's not everyday that you get an message asking if you'd like some Bunya Bunya trees (Araucaria bidwillii) grown from seed. What an offer. Elizabeth and Bruce grew these trees in their yard and then delivered them (what a a service)! THANK YOU so much. I was expecting one but here we have a enough Bunya Bunya's for a mini forest. The trees have now had a few days of climatisation, gentle showers, windy days, a cold morning and a hot day in prep for their new permanent home which Phillip and I keep arguing about.....part of the fun when you plant big long - living trees . Having lost a few trees during this last drought we're being very thorough with soil prep and positioning. We'll keep you posted as to progress.

11.01.2022 This picture is from a terracotta decoration Phillip had made by a local artist 40 years ago in Bali . A few bits have broken off but never mind, I just love it........It's shouting SPEAK UP! Relevant as all week I've been pondering the idea that Ecological Silence = Ecological Violence. That is inbetween anxious thoughts of garlic harvest. YES we are about to harvest and we have some purchase options in our on line shop now...... [email protected]

11.01.2022 Good morning all garlic obsessives. You of course got the question right in today’s quiz?

04.01.2022 It's that time of year when I'm scratching around the garlic to check that the bulbs are growing. Up until now leaf growth and colour the main obsession. September is the month water is essential to allow the cloves to fill out inside the bulbs. Also when the outside skins look so deliciously purple. We also see echidnas in the patch.....gorgeous but, don't want them scratching too hard.

03.01.2022 Good Morning Garlic Lovers.....Before growing garlic there were a few career changes. For many years I never mentioned I was a model. Back then it wasn't such a showy thing- but rather an inbetween job. However, lately I've been enjoying re connecting with many of my old model comrades. And have come to conclude we were a pretty interesting bunch of women. Simone Silverman is also a model who left Sydney and went to New York a few years after me. We shared the same booker Ms Susan Quillin. Simone never left NYC and has forged a unique life and a website The Silver Women. Before the pandemic we caught up in Sydney for a chat....Here's the chat about my life. https://thesilverwomen.com/patrice-newell/

02.01.2022 A Hunter Olive Grower get together. Olive buds this year are spectacular. Such hope, such excitment, such delicious olive oil is on the cards for next year. Here we are doing what we like doing- clustering around olive trees, in and under them, and having deep and meaningfuls about which branch could be cut off. Fun was had by all.

02.01.2022 The development of organic and biodynamic agriculture has a earlier Australian engagement than I realised.....I've just read that on '26 June 1938 Robert (Bob) Williams (1907-1984) presented the first public lecture in Australia on biodynamics at the house of Walter Burley and Marion Mahoney Griffin at Castlecrag (Sydney).' Had no idea the Burley Griffith's were engaged with biodynamics....You can read the full essay here. A history of the organic agricultural movement in Australia by John Paull https://orgprints.org/26110/7/26110.pdf

02.01.2022 A wet interruption to garlic harvest but 11 rows are not lost yet. A slosh around the farm to see what's what. Clear water flowing in our gullies and creeks, the Pages River though flowing hard with sediment, Verbascum thapsus - one of my favourite herbs (that many call a weed) has loved the rain, and the bees are visiting. I must have taken a hundred snaps with my phone- every bee was looking most unique as they excitedly delved deep. Sad to see the the last of the poppies. And also sad to see so many olive flowers carpeting the grove. Too early to tell if the rain has wrecked pollination. There's still a lot of buds to flower. Pleased we dragged the yeomans through the olive grove to capture the rain.

01.01.2022 Tune into ABC's Australian Story tonight 8 PM, about repairing our damaged agricultural lands. It's Charles Massy's story and of course, his wife Fiona's too.