November Meeting - Billy Hopkins of Hopkins nurser

Join us Monday, November 11th, 2019 at 7 PM - Billy Hopkins of Hopkins Nursery

Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Billy Hopkins from Hopkins Tropical Nursery.

Family owned since 1978.  Billy is also a vendor at our Rare Fruit Tree Sale.

First time visitors are welcome to check out a meeting for free - Family memberships to the club are only $12 annually. You can join at the meeting.This is a great way to meet other growers and learn more about growing and propagating subtropical/tropical fruit trees.
There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased before the presentation.

Eat Local Week - Transition Sarasota

View the calendar of events for  Eat Local Week 

October Meeting - Josh Starry - Fruits of Costa Rica

Join us Monday, October 14th, 2019 at 7 PM Josh Starry - Fruits of Costa Rica 

Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Josh Starry, former president and current horticulturist at Palma Sola, will be presenting on Fruits of Costa Rica

First time visitors are welcome to check out a meeting for free - Family memberships to the club are only $12 annually. You can join at the meeting.This is a great way to meet other growers and learn more about growing and propagating subtropical/tropical fruit trees.
There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased before the presentation.

September 2019 Meeting - Green Deane - Eat the Weeds

Join us Monday, September 9th, 2019 at 7 PM Green Deane - Eat the Weeds

Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Green Deane of  Eat the Weeds  has been foraging for 60 years since he was a child for natural editable foods.  



First time visitors are welcome to check out a meeting for free - Family memberships to the club are only $12 annually. You can join at the meeting.This is a great way to meet other growers and learn more about growing and propagating subtropical/tropical fruit trees.
There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased before the presentation.

August Meeting - Spenser Salser - Raised Bed Gardening

Join us Monday, August 12th 2019 at 7 PM Spenser Salser - Raised Bed Gardening

Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Speaking on raised beds and lots of gardening tips will be Spenser Salser.  Spenser asked to do this speaking engagement so that he can donate the speaker fee to the Wallace Family.

First time visitors are welcome to check out a meeting for free - Family memberships to the club are only $12 annually. You can join at the meeting.This is a great way to meet other growers and learn more about growing and propagating subtropical/tropical fruit trees.
There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased before the presentation.

Long-term MRFC member Wayne Clifton passed away on June 19 after a long illness. Honoring his family’s request, the MRFC has sent a donation to the Tidewell Hospice branch in Ellenton in lieu of
flowers. In next month’s newsletter we plan to feature remembrances of Wayne and his many contributions to the MRFC and to fruit tree horticulture in our region. We ask those who wish
to contribute to send your written appreciation of Wayne to either Pete Robertson  or Darryl McCullough .

July 2019 meeting - Sean Moore - Green Leaf Worm Farm

Join us Monday, July 8th 2019 at 7 PM Sean Moore - Greem Leaf Worm Farm

Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Nine years ago, Sean Moore started Green Leaf Worm Farm in Port Charlotte where he grows tropical worms to make worm castings and worm tea. Much of what he does is education, whether it's through the farmers's markets from Sarasota to Fort Myers, speaking to garden club or traveling all over Florida to plant related events. Sean has helped many of the community gardens  and garden clubs to understand  the value of worms and worm castings in growing healthy plants without chemicals. Many times he has helped set up worm farms for individuals and showed them how to maintain a worm farm. He has also invested in the future by explaining to kids from pre-school to high school how important worms are to a sustainable planet.  

http://www.greenleafwormfarm.com

https://www.facebook.com/GreenLeafWormFarm/

First time visitors are welcome to check out a meeting for free - Family memberships to the club are only $12 annually. You can join at the meeting.This is a great way to meet other growers and learn more about growing and propagating subtropical/tropical fruit trees.

There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased before the presentation.

MRFC June 2019 Meeting - Har Mahdeem “Making Annona Hybrids”

Join us Monday, June 10, 2019 at 7 PM for Har Mahdeem's presentation on Making Annona Hybrids

Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Har has an entire lifetime of experience with tropical fruit. He grew up in the Amazon region consuming rare jungle fruits and later worked with the famous Zill nursery on their Annona breeding program and various germplasm collection trips.

Har currently owns a tropical fruit grove and dooryard consulting business specializing in plant nutrition, pruning, grafting/top working and education.

First time visitors are welcome to check out a meeting for free - Family memberships to the club are only $12 annually. You can join at the meeting.This is a great way to meet other growers and learn more about growing and propagating subtropical/tropical fruit trees.

There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased before the presentation.

Rare Fruit Tree Sale - May 19th - Doors open at 10am

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Bradenton Area Convention Center
1 Haben Blvd, Palmetto, FL 34221

Sign up for MRFC Rare Fruit Tree Sale Email Reminders

• Free Admission
• Free Parking
• 22 Vendors/Over 5000 plants
• Air-conditioned
• Expert Advice
• Loading Assistance Thanks to the Myakka Allstock 4H Club

We will have a wide variety of citrus, unusual tropical fruit trees, bushes & vines 
as well as herbs, spices, fertilizer, and more!

May 2019 Meeting Fruit Tree Sale info/training/pre

What: MRFC May 2019 Meeting - Fruit Tree Sale info meeting

When: Monday, May 13th, 2019
7pm

Where:  Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Our next monthly meeting is Monday, May 13th at 7pm, where we'll talk about our Annual Fruit Tree Sale, with an overview and some early training so that all runs smoothly on the day of the sale.


For more information about our 31st Annual Fruit Tree Sale on Sunday May 19th, click here.

There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional tickets can be purchased.

MRFC April 2019 Meeting - Spencer Salser - Figs

What: MRFC April 2019 Meeting - Spencer Salser - Figs

When: Monday, April 8, 2019
7pm

Where:  Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

 Spencer Salser will be our speaker for the April meeting.  Spencer will be speaking on Figs. Spencer has been a long time member of our club, he has been president and is one of our tree sale vendors

There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional tickets can be purchased.

Rare Fruit Tree Sale - May 19th, 2019 - Bradenton Area Convention Center

Add to Calendar

Bradenton Area Convention Center
1 Haben Blvd, Palmetto, FL 34221

Sign up for MRFC Rare Fruit Tree Sale Email Reminders

• Free Admission
• Free Parking
• 22 Vendors/Over 5000 plants
• Air-conditioned
• Expert Advice
• Loading Assistance Thanks to the Myakka Allstock 4H Club

We will have a wide variety of citrus, unusual tropical fruit trees, bushes & vines 
as well as herbs, spices, fertilizer, and more!

March 2019 Meeting - Kevin Lausman of Suncoast Beekeepers

What: MRFC March 2019 Meeting - Kevin Lausman of Suncoast Beekeepers

When: Monday, March 11th, 2019

Where:  Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Kevin Lausman of Suncoast Beekeepers will speak on honey bees and their many necessary benefits.  He is extremely knowledgeable and is a Master Beekeeper which is a minimum of 5 years training thru University of Florida .  He is also a Welch Honey Judge and judges shows thru out the US.

There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional tickets can be purchased.

February 2019 Meeting - Keith Zimmerman - Edible Palms

What: MRFC February 2019 Meeting - Keith Zimmerman - Edible Palms

When: Monday, February 11th, 2019

Where:  Harlee Building/County Fairgrounds, 1303 17th St W, Palmetto, FL 34221

February’s speaker will be Keith Zimmerman on edible palms. Keith is a palm expert and obsessive as well as a med student. He has also generously donated three different coconut palm cultivars for Palma Sola which are currently being grown out.

There will be the usual plant raffle and tasting table. We welcome donations of edible plants and fruit for the raffle and fruit dishes for the tasting table. Donors will receive a free ticket for the raffle. Additional tickets can be purchased.

Pete Robertson (incoming President) and Josh Starry (outgoing President) speaking about the fruit tree exhibit at Palma Sola Park

The next monthly meeting is Monday, January 14th at 7pm, featuring Pete Robertson (incoming President) and Josh Starry (outgoing President) speaking about the fruit tree exhibit at Palma Sola Park.   Please note: this meeting will be held at Palma Sola Botanical Park, 9800 17th Ave. NW, Bradenton, Florida 34209

Finally... it's time to pay your annual dues.  It's easy to pay online... or bring a check to the next meeting.

Click here for more information about dues and the next meeting at MRFC.ORG.  (Click the "Join" link toward the top of the page to renew online)