I Adopted an Olive Tree in Puglia



Part of the 16,000 trees in  the OLIVE FARM

I am adopting in Italy!  And it is 1,000 years old!

As an Italian American I continue to feel that there is part of Italy that I am missing or do not belong to.     Is this why I return to Italy EVERY year?  To reconnect to the people who are my heritage.

Or to find a place in Italy where the slow life seeps into your bones and you breath deeply every day, NOT just the 2 weeks of vacation you have each year.

So, after visiting the Taurino Oliva Farm in Puglia in December, I was thrilled that they planned to open an Oliva field with 200 trees that would be available for adoption! 

 Everyone has heard of programs where you can plant a tree or buy a star but here at Taurino's Oliva Farm I will be able to select a tree that I can adopt in memory of Big Ed.  

There are 50 old, big trees, 50 classic trees and 100 young trees in the field.     There was no question that I wanted one of the old trees.  And we are talking OLD:  1,000 years old!  Just think what my tree would have seen over the past 1,000,    this shall be a later blog on what was happening in Puglia 1,000 years ago.

DR. AGR. VALENTINO VALZANO, shall help select 'my' tree, shall photograph Big Ed and send me a digital picture along with my adoption papers.

As my tree is cared for over the year:   organic fertilization, pruning, harvesting the olives and pressing the oil, I can receive an email update every 3 months.    With advanced reservations I may also be able to attend the harvest!

The Taurino Olive Farm, located in Squinzano, has been a family operation since 1942 and is now managed by  Donato and Rosaria Taurino.   Their state of the art pressing and bottling facility can been seen on my blog on how to taste olive oil:   http://bit.ly/14osDbr   

Valentino is a wealth of information on Olive Oil.  I had no idea before we met that tasting olive oil was a skill and not the process of putting bread into a dish of oil!     The Taurino Farm has just launched the Oliva line of extra virgin olive oil and it is available for purchase and shipment to you.  (detail inquiries directly to Taurino's)

 After reading about the BENEFITS of olive oil in your diet (see blog entry) by Yle Sambati  with Yletours http://bit.ly/QlUMs5  I am changing my cooking habits to incorporate the Mediterranean diet.   On my visit this spring Yle will create another fascinating week's adventure for me:  walking, photography in many of the outstanding towns and locations, healthy eating  and my goal is to drop another 10 pounds......  come join us...   andhttp://www.yltourcongressi.it/  

Contact me for details:   leelaurino@earthlink.net   att:  TREES

Taurino's Oliva 

Via Sabotino,53

73018 Squinzano (LE)

Tel.Fax. +39  0832 1693938

Mobile:  +39 3488642037