"For Jared Gulian, leaving the United States and moving to the capital of New Zealand was a big enough switch from the bright lights of big cities. So when his partner decided they just had to buy a rundown olive grove out in the middle of nowhere, it was almost too much. To get there they'd have to drive over a dangerous mountain road - and Jared was terified of heights. And them they'd have to figure out what on earth you do with 500 olive trees, warring hens, an obese kunekune pig, cast sheep and marauding cattle. ..."--Back cover.

Author's note -- Prologue -- Part one: The first year (1. The first time I saw the trees ; 2. Conquering the road that scared me ; 3. Meeting the neighbors [Recipe: John's pork belly crackling] ; 4. Attack of the energy-draining suckers ; 5. The day the water stopped ; 6. Moonlit walk through the olive grove ; 7. Invaded by woolly monsters ; 8. Giant beings in the bottom paddock ; 9. The U.N. Committee on Home Decorating ; [Recipe: Olwen's Welsh cakes] ; 10. Stacking wood for winter ; 11. Angry locals demand carrot cake [Recipe: Dave's carrot cake] ; 12. Inspecting the olive trees ; 13. A tractor named Sunshine ; 14. Harvest boot camp ; 15. The very first harvest) Part two: The second year (16. Old Man Henry & the chook house race wars ; 17. island martinborough ; 18. A strange morning at the chicken run ; 19. Trouble in the olive grove ; 20. Chicken blood on my boot ; 21. Home for wayward agapanthus ; 22. Uninvited guest in the chook house ; 23. Yurts and magic underwear ; [Recipe; Leelee's kiwifruit pavlova ; Recipe: Aussie Bronwyn's gluten-free focaccia] ; 24. The triumph of Evil Cow ; 25. The hen who thought she was a dog ; 26. Meeting the Great White Whale ; 27. The sweet taste of chicken feed ; 28. The year of our great failure) Part three: The third year (29. Your chicken killers are here ; [Recipe: Aussie Bronwyn's gluten-free scones] ; 30. What the river taught me ; 31. Unruly chickens & the substitute teacher ; 32. Saturday morning fire ; 33. When farm animals escape ; 34. Silver monster in the chicken run ; 35. Storm at Palliser Bay ; 36. Egg delivery gone wrong ; 37. Shovel & axe ; 38. CJ wants a pig ; 39. Last of the Horse Paddock Pinot ; [Recipe: Kiwi Bronwyn's tapenade lamb] ; Bringing home Old Lady Lucy ; 41. Olive harvest on a misty day ; 42. hand-picking for pickling ; [Recipe: Noah's olives] ; 43. Picking up the oil ; 44. Zen & the art of pickling olives) (Part four: The fourth year (45. Making olive oil labels at Wolfies ; 46. Old Man Henry fades ; 47. Jack the baby lamb ; 48. The imposter approaches a store ; 49. Little man gets a big job ; 50. Toyboy for Old Lady Lucy ; 51. The gingernut boys ; [Recipe: Auntie Olive's gingerbread] ; 52. Is the old lady pregnant? ; 53. Françoise and the return of the silver monster ; 54. One sick pig ; 55. Buying firewood is a sin ; 56. Lucy gets doughnuts every day ; 57. Giving back Kowhai ; 58. Sunrise at the river ; 59. The olive muse & Moore Wilson's)