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Message |
    
Lou
Citizen
Username: Flf
Post Number: 40
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 11:18 am: | 
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I have been contemplating about adopting an olive tree in Italy and give it as a gift to my husband for his birthday. It seems that once I make the payment I'll receive an adoption certificate and the produce of that tree for the year (which in my case will be sent in my husband's name for a year).
Has anyone done anything like this or knows of anyone that has done this before? Do you think it's worth it?
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toad
Citizen
Username: Toad
Post Number: 122
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 1:56 pm: |
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Why not adopt a Maplewood tree? You may not receive a certificate or any produce, but you will help preserve a natural resource that makes Maplewood such a great place to live. |
peteglider
Citizen
Username: Peteglider
Post Number: 1718
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 2:06 pm: |
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Please use the word "sponsor" not adopt.
I can not say it better than the following letter (from adoptivefamilies.com)
Thanks - Pete
RE: RESPECT ADOPTION
As an adoptive parent and passionate advocate for adoption, I was disappointed and saddened to see the following announcement on your website:
ADOPT-AN-ANIMAL
Looking for a unique and "wild" gift for a business associate, friend, family member or loved one?
Such cavalier use of the word adoption suggests—particularly to children, who make up a sizable portion of your visitors—that adoption is a short-term commitment of money to a cause, not a lifelong commitment of parents to children.
The "adopt-an-animal" marketing ploy creates confusion in the minds of adopted children and their nonadopted peers, encouraging predictable (and avoidable) teasing and taunts equating our children with wild animals and questioning the permanence of our families. It diminishes a wonderful, life-affirming, permanent way to form a family that deserves your respect.
Adoption is not sponsorship. It is a permanent commitment. For those of us touched by adoption, we know that adoption is forever, and we cringe when the word is used in an ostensibly child-friendly institution as a fundraising gimmick. Adoption is a legal, sacred bond that forms a loving family equal in every way to families formed through birth. Adoption is just another way to build a family, one of which we are justly proud. Why does the SF Zoo undermine us and our children in this thoughtless way?
Lest you think we are oversensitive, let me stress that language is important. The way we describe such things as adoption tells us—and our children—how society really feels. While we see such things as "adopt-a-highway," "adopt-an-animal," and even "adopt-a pothole," such usage does not make it right and only underscores society’s ignorance. Some adults may understand that you’re just being cute. Young children will take you at your word.
The National Zoo solved this problem decades ago by calling their program Friends of the National Zoo. The Oakland Zoo recently responded to adoptive parents’ request and changed their program to Sponsor-an-Animal. Clearly, this is not a new concern but one that we continually face. Some organizations "get it" and make the switch to more accurate and respectful language. When will the SF Zoo get it?
There are thousands of adoptive families in the San Francisco area. Indeed, one-third of the nation is touched by adoption within their immediate families. It is a growing way to build a family, and it is changing the face of the American family as a result.
We in the adoption community understand that the use of adoption language in fundraising is born of ignorance, and it is up to us to educate. By writing this letter, I hope that you will take our concern to heart and finally, after so many years of having this problem brought to your attention, get it--and fix it.
We ask that you respect adopted children and adoptive families by using the appropriate word to describe your program: Sponsor-an-Animal. We look forward to hearing that you have reconsidered your past resistance to change and are now willing to hear us, validate our concerns, and respect our children.
When that day comes, my husband, daughter, and I will be pleased to join the San Francisco Zoo at the family level. We’ll even sponsor an animal.
Sincerely yours,
Amy Klatzkin
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Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 190
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 2:21 pm: |
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Lou wants to buy a unique/creative gift for hubby, and all she gets in response is a bunch of Political BS about staying local (ie Beautiful Maplewood) and this drivel about Political Correctness? Are you that bored today that you've got to jump down the throat of somebody looking to buy Olives for a year? Keep it to the Soapbox Category.
Stay on topic, and give Lou comments if you tried the Olive tree thing. It sounds like a great idea, a lot of fun, and I'd do it myself. Unfortunately, I've never tried it, so I can't ell you how well it works or not. |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 2127
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 2:26 pm: |
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Would it be possible to adopt a pizza cook at Bunnies and get all of the pizzas they produce in a year?
My sister did this for her husband using www.casadelsole.co.uk it was neat when the olive oil came, even though we thought it was a scam. I mean how did they process the oil from just his tree?
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 6597
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 2:41 pm: |
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Clearly Lou is not Jewish. We adopt trees in Israel.
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peteglider
Citizen
Username: Peteglider
Post Number: 1720
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 2:52 pm: |
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language is a big deal -- you may not give a sh*t --
but this is a BIG deal to kids that were adopted and their parents
/p |
Lou
Citizen
Username: Flf
Post Number: 41
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 3:13 pm: |
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Peteglider - I definitely did not intend to offend anyone by using the term adoption. I simply use that word, because it is the word used by the Places I have been researching about this type of program.
In fact, me and my husband have talked about adopting a child quite often, which we plan to do after having some of our own children (still trying for our first child with no much success, unfortunately).
So I apologize for any offense I may have caused.
Brett, it seems that they pick olives from 50 trees at once, let's say, and then they average out how much olive oil one tree would produce. I guess this is a way to guarantee they can sell the oil the tree produces. But yeah, I'm a bit nervous wondering how much olive oil would i actually get and how would I receive it.
Greenetree, no i'm not jewish. (am not sure what does that have to do with "adopting trees" though.) I usually get olive oil from Europe but don't have the chance to have Italian olive oil that much. Thought it would be nice to give it a try for a year and help support a local Olive Orchard. (Even though I'm not italian either).
But I am concerned, once I never did this before and as Brett said, what if this is a scam? And what if they'll never send me anything? |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 2128
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 3:32 pm: |
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Lou, I'm not 100% sure how much he got, I think it was 4 of the medium bottles (about 1/2 gallon). |
peteglider
Citizen
Username: Peteglider
Post Number: 1722
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 3:34 pm: |
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Lou --
No offense at all taken (from you).
My daughter has a star "named after her"
http://www.yourstar.com/index.php?aff_id=1&aff_sub_id=338
(young love, from a now former boyfriend -- wonder if that means he can rename the star??)
Kind of a cool gesture -- at least you can look up in the sky, and depending on the time of year, see "your star!"
/p |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 191
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 7:26 am: |
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Pete- My point was simply that if you have an issue with the use of the word 'adoption', take it up on Soapbox....combing the "PLEASE HELP" threads for opportunities to correct people is an inappropriate use of a message board. Especially since you've adopted a negative tone causing you to curse and attack... in what was otherwise a very innocent request/thread. |
Lou
Citizen
Username: Flf
Post Number: 42
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 12:26 pm: |
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Thank you, Smarty Jones.
I do have to say that I was hoping i would have had the chance to read more of MOL different opinions about this idea to help me make the decision. "Adopt-a-tree" seems to be a new thing starting in European farms to help the farmers guarantee their sale, once some of the european farmers are forced to reduce their produce with the "new European Union laws". I like helping and supporting small and local businesses and this seemed like a good way to try a new product.
I like reading MOL and find everyone to be so helpful with each other that I was caught by surprise with the reaction I got here instead, however, it forced me to make a decision on my own. I just hope my husband will be happy with the idea. |
mem
Citizen
Username: Mem
Post Number: 5683
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 11:16 am: |
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Why don't you adopt an American tree?
I'm growing a redwood tree in my kitchen. His name is Dexter. He's also American, not one of these foreign types you're referring to.
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Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 2939
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 2:10 pm: |
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Yah, mem, and I bet you will eat that tree, too! |
Lou
Citizen
Username: Flf
Post Number: 43
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 2:20 pm: |
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Mem, that would be cute but I specifically would like an Olive Tree. Me and my husband have a thing for anything that is Olives/Olive Oil/Olive Trees related. We are fascinated with how ancient Olive Trees are and how versatile they can be. And there's nothing like knowing the Olive Tree that produced the Olive Oil you have in your salad. But maybe on years to come I'll consider other type of tree as well. |
Smarty Jones
Citizen
Username: Birdstone
Post Number: 239
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 7:14 pm: |
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How old are olive trees? |
Lou
Citizen
Username: Flf
Post Number: 44
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, January 26, 2006 - 11:25 pm: |
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There has been remarks on some books saying that some olive seed have been found in Spain to be 8,000 y.o. And this tree have been growing in Greece at least since 2,000BC. There are single trees that have lived as long as 3,000 years. But an average tree, I believe, has a life expectancy of 500 years.
Olive Trees have very strong roots and even if the tree itself gets damaged or even cut, the roots stay alive and the tree regrows even stronger. |
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