South West Life

Recently we came across news that Western Australian olives were achieving major success at National shows.  That looks pretty good, we said, let’s tell that story.

Of course to get to the story it became necessary to speak to a producer, and as you might have guessed, there’s more to a bottle of fine olive oil than meets the eye.

Julie Lloyd is a proprietor of Eagle Bay Olives.  She has 1100 olive trees planted on 4.5 ha at Eagle Bay, 6 km out of Dunsborough.  Like other growers and producers of boutique products, it doesn’t take long for me to find that she lives and breathes olives.  She describes the business as “Just a passion... I get immense satisfaction from producing the best oil I can”.  Because I write stories about the business side of such things, the money question comes up.  It’s true that buying land in the Margaret River region to plant olives would not be viable at today’s prices, but 23 years ago when the property was acquired, prices were not like they are now.  Peter, the other proprietor and incidentally Julie’s husband, has bred quarterhorses for a long time and is fairly successful at that.  Success in this case hasn’t always been measured financially, but like Julie, there’s a passion involved.  Julie and Peter have also worked off the property for a long time, so the farm pursuits are not all about the money, there’s satisfaction from doing this well, and from producing at the highest quality end in the field.

Olive oil show results demonstrate that growers in the South West can do extraordinarily well in the olive oil production field.  Given that most of WA’s olive production is from large groves north of Perth, the south west usually takes the major share of the state's medals. Why that is seems to be a combination of factors, including that the soil and climate are very good for growing, but also that there is a philosophical advantage here.  Many people in the South West have chosen to be here because they love it, and having decided to come here, in many cases after some struggle to be able to achieve the goal, they simply choose to do something they love.  Julie is a case in point and her trees receive constant attention.  In common with many other growers in the region she has planted higher quality varieties, trees that in many cases are unsuitable for mechanical harvesting and thus require more hands on attention.

Julie was originally a microbiologist.  Her training is an advantage, she believes, as she can combine her passion for the growing and production of the oil with clear scientific understanding.  Another advantage is a love of cooking and food, leading of course to a love for the finest ingredients.  The trees have been in the ground for 14 years, and Eagle Bay Olives have entered oil in many shows in the past.  Every year they achieved medals and that has to be seen as a triumph for the careful and painstaking approach Julie has brought to the project.

We discussed pricing.  Julie equates a bottle of fine olive oil with a fine bottle of wine.  While the price might be similar, you’ll drink the wine in one evening, while the oil will add taste, texture and enjoyment to many meals.  It’s hard to argue with that, if you are the type of person who relishes all of your life.

Julie notes that some people will make a living in olives, but very few will ever make a fortune.  Even with the price advantages that come from producing the finest quality product, the intensity of husbandry involved have limited Eagle Bay Olives’ plantings to a level that will yield about 15 000 litres at full production.  This isn’t a matter of just sticking trees in the ground and waiting until it’s time to squeeze fruit, and obviously there are production costs for treating the olives properly to extract the best oil.  Marketing too is a significant cost, and Julie decided 3 years ago to open a small farm shop on the olive grove.   Much of the grove's production is now sold from the shop, significantly cutting down on time spent marketing the oil to retailers, many of whom already have shelves over-crowded with imported and local oils.   Allowing customers to taste the oil before they buy it has proved to be a big advantage, and the farm shop has also enabled the business to expand into table olives and other olive-related gourmet lines.  It also allows Julie and her staff to talk to and educate the public about olive oil, and they happily answer questions on everything from using the right style of olive oil in cooking to fertilising backyard olive trees.

So... is it worth it?  Julie likes that she produces something that other people enjoy.  She suspects at times that she may have a reduced range of conversation since olives, but there is plenty to be said for having a passion and there are droves of people who are recognising the benefits of olive oil eager to learn about oil, production, health benefits and more.  “I don’t have any time to play bridge or tennis” she notes without a hint of regret.  Tending the olives keeps her fit, the environment is fantastic, there’s a living in it, and the word satisfaction crops up frequently throughout our conversation.  

You can find out more at www.eaglebayolives.com.au.