In A Day With... Olivia Drake

All images taken one afternoon at Butterwood Ranch by Juliette Murray @colourcaptured

Firstly, are you able to tell us a little about you and your family; where is your hometown, where are you living at the moment and what do you do ?

Geoffrey and I grew up on the Gold Coast. We had individually lived overseas for some time and locally in Sydney and Melbourne before moving to the Northern Rivers and making our home on the ranch a few years ago. My background is a writer and editor having previously been in magazines and Geoffrey’s is as a carpenter (with a stint in-between as a Formula 3 driver). Together we founded Butterwood Ranch, a modern farm dedicated to pasture-raised and regenerative harvest methods where we live and work with our daughter.

What inspired you to want to start Butterwood ranch ? Has farming always been something you both have wanted to pursue or have you learnt along the way ?

Vitality has always been our key interest. Optimising health and wellbeing is a golden thread that has always connected Geoff and I. Food is obviously a huge part of that and has been a passion for a long time prior to it being something that was readily discussed like it is now. Farming eventuated because it was a necessity if we really wanted true nutrient produce and that was the next step to deepening our commitment to our body and the earth. When we had our daughter Lila it really had us reflect on what skills we wanted to pass down to her and sovereignty was a big part of that. Our parents also grew up connected to their food and had lots of stories of family cows and uncles and aunts working the countryside so that spark must have been passed onto us but we have really had to learn everything along the way. It is one thing to dream it but then to activate it and live it has been an immense up-leveling that still challenges us everyday given it was not at all our trades especially mine being more from the arts.

How do you usually start your day ?

Our animals are our alarm clock. Usually waking to paws scratching the door in the dark to go outside. I walk with our kelpie Valo and the cats then returning home to brew a pot of chai tea and cook up some warm porridge or scrambled eggs for the family and house animals. Geoff is off with the hens at dawn so that keeps him busy until breakfast. Usually, I have a kundalini chant playing that relates to the intention for my day before I have any other outside noise start. I’d like to say it’s relaxing but with the school run in most cases I’m on the clock packing lunch, feeding and dressing. That’s why the pot of tea and my mantra is very key for setting the tone even when a lot is to be done.

What does your dream day look like ?

Waking up on a rainy day where all the forest and meadows have turned vivid green. Staying in button-up pyjamas, drinking a cup of tea in bed while reading my book with my dog Valo and cats Primrose and Harper. Then going for a family walk with everyone in the mist and coming home having a cheese board with berries and gruyere, chèvre, honey and chocolate. Watching some kind of 90s romcom or French doco. A spontaneous visit from neighbours which results in more tea and cookies dunked. Early dinner around a twilight fire, watching the colours in the sky go from blue to pink, lilac and orange that ends in darkness looking up at the stars.

Do you have any natural skincare favourites or skincare rituals ?

My skincare really starts outside of the bathroom. Having un-fluoridated water to drink and shower in, raw fresh animal products and high-fat diet, daily exposure to sunlight or firelight in key organ areas, no vegetable oils (which means reducing takeaway) and getting into bed before 10pm without any screen time. It’s a balancing act which is not always possible but when I hit all these core elements I notice the results.

More specifically my skin go-tos are:

01 Everything Living Libations by Nadine Artemis (she is the rare real deal when it comes to clean beauty),

02 Activist Manuka Honey for face masks (and cleanser sometimes)

03 Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream if I’m going out instead of makeup. I don’t wear foundation.

My routine is basic focusing on quality ingredients to do their magic without so much effort.

AM

Wash face with warm water.

Spritz with hydrating hydrosol.

Scrape tongue with copper scraper.

PM

Oil cleanse before the shower.

Hydrosol mist after shower.

In winter I use the Josh Rosebrook Advanced Hydrating Mask.

Do you have a favourite scent ? If so, where does it take you ?

Lavender. It has a double meaning for me. My grandmother always kept a satin pouch hanging on her bed so it always reminds me of my childhood but also I spent a lot of time in the lavender region of France and so it transports me back to those mountains where it grows wild. A local taught me to crush it in your hands and inhale it to give you energy and calm while on long hikes. I do this now at home and I almost feel like I’m back there.

Are there any food or health philosophies that guide how you and your family eat ?

We resonate strongly with the Weston A. Price philosophies on food looking towards healthy traditional diets. High animal fats, fermented foods, soaking nuts, seeds and grains, no sugar, no refined vegetable oils or any synthetic additives. Basically we just try to eat whole real foods. I also follow Ayurvedic practices like food combining, reducing cold foods and attuning food to dosha type. I’m very Vata and have found following cooking methods for this style helps a lot.

When do you feel your most beautiful ?

On a rainy day, rugged up in wools, coat and boots on walk in the forest.

If you are feeling tired, stressed or just off, how do you come back to yourself?

Play a kundalini mantra or a singalong 70s folk. Clear the dining table and light a beeswax candle. Clean the kitchen. Burn incense. Make a pot of tea. Watch the meadows and sky.

Are there any old-school natural remedies that you always have on hand for you and your family ?

Colloidal silver and cod liver oil. My uncle taught me how to make colloidal silver with our own generator, I always have a bottle in the cupboard if ever I feel off I drink it and spray it in my eyes, on my skin and up my nose. It’s the perfect travel companion on a plane to protect you from all the airport bugs.  

Cod liver oil is also our go-to. If I hear a sneeze or as the weather cools down I give it to my daughter and I daily. Even the cats and dog. It’s high in Vitamin A,  Vitamin D and Omega 3’s. In the 20s and 30s, prior to the Industrial Revolution cod liver was a common supplement given to children promoted to build strong bones and teeth. But really it’s been an ancient remedy that spans back to the vikings.

If there was one piece of advice that you could teach/instil in your children, what would it be ?

Be kind.

Be fierce.

Feel it all.

Express it.

Creativity is the best medicine.

Your body is an ancient friend.

Always return to nature.

Treading lightly on the Earth is clearly very important for both your family and for Butterwood. It can be overwhelming for someone knowing where to start when wanting to reduce their family’s environmental impact. Do you have any simple tips that you would like to share that people could implement into their daily life ?

Prioritise what you eat. So often we hear people mention cost when it comes to good food and yet the same person is happy to spend extra on other lifestyle habits. The best advice I’ve heard was to focus on one thing in your pantry and each week trying to make or source that direct from conscious growers. After one year you’d be surprised at how different your pantry looks. We always keep this in mind and like to humanise as many interactions as we can. Your staples are the easiest way to try this — eggs, bread, milk, meat, veggies, herbs and fruit.

Do you have any big or small projects coming up that you are looking forward to for Butterwood ?

Where to begin? We are expanding the flock to keep up with the popular demand of our eggs which means we will be welcoming alpacas. Our dairy cows are about to give birth. We have raw honey about to drop and launching new categories in beauty and lifestyle with skin balm, soap and sculpted beeswax candles. Plus a cabin farm stay is in the works.

If you were to choose 5 ingredients to have in your kitchen, what would they be ? (Practical or impractical!)

Grass-fed ghee

Grass-fed butter

Sourdough bread

Raw milk

Eggs…(this is extra but have to have Salt)

To part, are you able to leave us with a favourite recipe ? (Perhaps involving eggs !)

CHAI LACED HONEY CAKE

Ingredients

●      1 cup honey

●      1/2 cup melted butter

●      3 eggs

●      1.5 tsp cinnamon powder

●      2.5 cups flour

●      1 tbsp baking powder

●      1 cup brewed chai tea

Method

01 Preheat your oven to combined. Now add the

175C.

02 Make a strong cup of chai tea and allow it to brew for at least 10 mins.

Strain out tea when well brewed.

03 In a large bowl add the melted oil, runny honey, eggs and cinnamon together. Mix together for a good few minutes until well combined.

04 Add your dry ingredients (baking powder + flour) to your bowl of wet ingredients & mix through until well combined. Now add the strained cup of chai tea. Mix gentle, you should have quite a runny and glossy batter.

05 Line a large cake tin base with baking paper, butter the sides and fill your batter.

06 Cook for 40 minutes! Always test with a skewer or knife in the middle of the cake to see if it comes out clean. If it doesn’t it needs a little longer.

07 Drizzle honey all over and spread gentle with a spoon to glaze the cake. Allow to completely cool before eating.

A note of thanks to my sister, Juliette, for taking these beautiful photos one afternoon on the ranch.