The Etrog Project

At Goronson Farm, we are dedicated to working with the land sustainably and with almost a decade of experience, we now grow more than 75 different types of fruit, including many not commonly grown in Maine. Our fruit includes Chinese Honey Peaches (Shui Mi Tao), French apricots, (Paviot) Russian   plumcots (Hesse); Apricots from Iran (Shakarpara), quince, persimmons, and most recently, the biblical fruit known as the Etrogim - or Etrog. 

What is an etrogim, you ask? Etrogim are a fruit of great historical significance. Many believe that this was the original Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. They are mentioned in the bible as “the fruit of a goodly tree” - Leviticus 23:40. Today, they are grown mainly for use in the Sukkot harvest festival, held in September or October . They are also used to make fragrant jams, jellies, etrog pies, and etrogcello. The trees, however, must be grown following very particular guidelines, and according to the ancient Halakha Agricultural laws under the supervision of a rabbi in order to be Kosher. The beauty of the fruit is also important.

Currently, the only etrogs imported to Maine are all highly pesticided and are not fit for human

consumption. We intend to change that. Our mission is to bring certified-organic, certified- Kosher etrogim to our community by establishing a small orchard space for approximately 30 trees in Maine. For more information on how you can show your support for this exciting project visit HERE

We planted seeds from Kosher Etrogs and planted them (under the supervision of a Rabbi) to grow seedlings. Our seedlings are MOFGA-certified organic and also certified by The REAL Organic Project. In order to grow etrogs successfully in Maine’s climate, we must build an off- grid, high tunnel greenhouse.

The long-term significance of supporting this project reaches far beyond one greenhouse, and on to making a real impact in the lives of Maine’s Jewish population and others by providing a source of culturally appropriate, certified-organic food that is unavailable elsewhere.

Here is a news story taped by our local station on our Etrog Project, highlighting the community significance of growing these Etrog trees in Maine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92XsfyEkySs

We are seeking support for the greenhouse. All funds raised will go directly into building the greenhouse. Once we are able to purchase the materials for the new greenhouse, we will be fully capable of building it ourselves, as we did with the 5 other greenhouses/hoophouses we already built on our farm over the past 5 years.  

All of my farming projects have been self-funded up to this point, but with the scale, higher costs, and community involvement in the final vision of this project, I need help getting it off the ground. We need to build an 18’ X 65’ Polycarbonate High Tunnel Greenhouse, and add a heat source and the capacity to run off-grid in case of power outages. This greenhouse is certified to last 20+ years, unlike the other greenhouses on the property which have a 7-year lifespan. The longevity of this structure will help it be a community space for decades to come, making the long-term reach of this project all the more significant.

To Donate to the GoFundMe or learn more about how you can support this project click HERE