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| Tuscan olive trees waiting for adoption... |
Dreaming of an olive grove in Tuscany? Forget the grove, it's going to break your back - I speak from first-hand experience - but adopt a tree instead. Or twenty. Or more.
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| Olive trees in the park nearly ready for the harvest in October and November |
A group of farmers in southern Tuscany are reclaiming 30'000 abandoned olive trees (yes, that's a lot of trees). These are all located in beautiful groves close to or right in Maremma's nature park. Also known as Parco dell'Uccellina, the nature reserve is a wonderful place to visit in person.
As an adoptive parent, you'll be taken for a private tour to the groves. However, you won't have to learn how to properly position a ladder to harvest or prune the trees. Instead, you can hug your adoptee and then spend the rest of the day hiking or swimming at my favourite Tuscan beach.
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| Souvenir shop in Marina di Alberese |
The project is under the helm of Chico Mendes, an Italian fair trade organization which also ships abroad. More information on the project website, Adopt an Olive Tree (scroll down to the end of the Italian text to read the English version) and on Facebook.
In summer, you can also find the olive oil at the souvenir shop in the pine grove near Marina di Alberese (next to the mobile bars and food stalls), and during the rest of the year in the groceries in the village of Alberese.
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| Comes in all sizes: the Maremma parks EVO oil |