Rabbi Shmuel Simenowitz’s Sweet Whisper Farms has been described as “Vermont’s only shomer Shabbat, organic, horse-powered maple farm.” If you think that sounds one-of-a-kind, the farm also offers the Eitz Chayim Adopt-A-Tree program. Through Eitz Chayim, one can:

• Adopt one of Sweet Whisper Farms’ maple syrup trees
• Receive a “tree package,” which includes an adoption certificate, aerial photo map of the tree’s location, Sweet Whisper Farms’ newsletter, and a gift box of syrup and organic pancake mix at the end of the season
• Support Torah-based environmental education
• Help a Native American tribe ahieve energy independence
• Help reforest tribal lands (a portion of Eitz Chayim profits are regranted to Native American energy independence projects)

Simenowitz calls the project “environmental multi-tasking.” The tagline for the project is Rock Maple - a play on the Hebrew word “rak,” which means just (as in “only”), lending the phrase “just maple.” But the double meaning sings through - this maple syrup is not only pure and delicious, but delivers “just”(ice) in every bottle. For more information and to adopt a tree click here.

Purim is on it’s way - what could be a better mishloach manot gift than an adopted tree? Maple syrup tastes much better than store-bought hamentashen anyway.