The R&I Gift Guide | Adopt An Olive Tree in Puglia, Italy

Adopt An Olive Tree in Their Name

Courtesy of Especially Puglia

Looking to give a thoughtful gift for that special someone on your list who will reap the benefits for years to come? How about you adopt an olive tree in their name with Especially Puglia, a Brooklyn-based company allowing you to do just that. Puglia, a fertile region located on the southern Italian coastline is known for its breathtaking whitewashed facades, comforting Italian cuisine and proliferating olive groves. Founder Michele Iadarola set out to create an international CSA to bring the goodness of his homeland to his new home in the United States.

By adopting an olive tree, not only are you investing in your overall health (cue the wondrous health benefits of EVOO) but you are helping in preserving efforts of Puglian farmers past and present. With each adoption, the recipient gets to choose the farm and grove, which will eventually yield a 3-liter tin of sustainably harvested organic oil, a rustic ceramic decanter made by Puglian artisans and a certificate of the tree number with the adoptees name on it sent directly to their door. It is a wonderful gift idea housed inside of a handmade wooden box that can be repurposed.  

You can also participate in the brand's Farmshare program, which preserves the bounty of the region each season. Each wooden box contains Puglian provisions such as pasta sauces, honey and tapendades (pictured above) that are delicious when smothered on a piece of crusty Italian bread or folded into a piping hot bowl of spaghetti. We are convinced that if a trip to Italy isn’t in the cards in the near future that this might just be the next best thing.

All Photographs by Alison