Preparing the ground

A big weekend at Daramalan with Saturday shearing and Sunday spent digging holes for the olive grove. Boozer and T-Bone sheared 305 sheep for about a tonne of wool ably assisted by Butch, Cherie, Nipper and me as the newbie roustabout. Amazing to watch two shearers at the top of their game and to realise that whatever amount of beer is supplied it is never enough. Photographs and fuller report to follow later on.

On Sunday we dug over 40 holes, each with some sheep manure and soil moisture retainer, in the house paddock. Even with a petrol powered post hole digger it was back breaking work and the olive trees and stone pines will go in next weekend, hopefully after some rain. We are planting Picual, Verdale, UC13A6, Del Morocco, Azapa and Barouni varieties to get a mix for the table and oil. The new press will get used first for apples next year, then grapes and then olives in 2010.




The boys and I also built an earth oven behind the shed and looking forward to pizza next weekend once the earth has dried off. One day all the ingredients for a pizza Margherita will come from Daramalan soil - can't wait!!



Ciao