October Meeting - Muaaz Hassan - Containers Gardening and Sub-irrigated Planters

October Meeting: Muaaz Hassan - Containers Gardening and Sub-irrigated Planters

Meeting Date/Time: Monday, October 12th, 2026, 7pm

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

Muaaz Hassan has been cultivating a 1.5 acre permaculture-inspired food forest in Bradenton, since 2018. He is passionate about subtropical fruit trees, and is an advocate of sustainable and natural farming practices focusing on soil health.

Muaaz propagates a selection of high quality nursery stock tailored for central Florida at his backyard
nursery. His favorite fruits are mangos, annonas, jaboticabas, mulberries and loquats. He is available by appointment at 941-538-2959.

Please bring fruit for the tasting table and/or plants to donate for the raffle (no citrus plants, please). Don’t forget to collect a free raffle ticket for your donation. Your participation is very much needed and appreciated.
A friendly reminder: If you bring a plant, please label what it is. Also, write your name and the plant on the Raffle list. If you win a plant, please put your name next to the plant on the Raffle list.
Meetings are not recorded. First time visitors are welcome! Become a member for only $12. Join online or at a monthly meeting. https://www.mrfc.org/p/become-member.html 

September 2026 Meeting - Raleigh Barnes - Organic Vanilla Growing, Tutor Tree Importance and Simple Clonal Propagation

September Meeting - Raleigh Barnes - Organic Vanilla Growing

Meeting Date/Time: Monday, September 14th, 2026, 7pm

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

Our September Speaker

From the Program Committee:

Our September meeting will feature another longstanding member of the MRFC, Raleigh Barnes. He is a graduate of the Tropical Tropical Fruit Production Course (perhaps better known as “Jonathan Crane’s course”) at the Tropical Fruit Research and Education Center in Homestead. More recently, Raleigh has studied horticulture in Central America and Asia, and now ranks as one of Florida’s well-known tropical fruit experts. His multifaceted business, Third Insight Design (thirdinsightdesign.com), continues to be one of the top vendors in our annual tree sale.

Raleigh has volunteered for the MRFC in many capacities, and last spoke to us in 2022. His topic this time will be Organic Vanilla Growing, Tutor Tree Importance and Simple Clonal Propagation. He will have vanilla plants, tudor trees and ice cream beans for sale.

August Meeting - Darryl McCullough - Growing Avocados in Southwest Florida

Link to Presentation

August Meeting - Darryl McCullough - Growing Avocados in Southwest Florida

Meeting Date/Time: Monday, August 10th, 2026, 7pm

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

Our August Speaker

From the Program Committee:

Our speaker for the August meeting will be MRFC member and treasurer Darryl McCullough. Darryl retired from academia in 2012 and moved to a 2-acre property in north Sarasota County, where he grows avocados, mangos, jaboticabas, and other fruits. He became treasurer of the MRFC in 2013, and is also volunteer treasurer of the local non-profit organization Sunshine Community Harvest, which supports local food producers and businesses, charity harvesting, and community composting.

The presentation, Growing Avocados in Southwest Florida, will include some advantages and disadvantages of growing avocados; avocado ecotypes; buying, planting and caring for avocado trees; pests and diseases; variety selection; and some of Darryl’s favorite varieties.

July Meeting - Caitlin Sollazzo - Pesticide Best Practices

Link to Presentation

July Meeting - Caitlin Sollazzo - Pesticide Best Practices: Application, Timing, and Safety

Meeting Date/Time: Monday, July 13th, 2026, 7pm

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

Our July speaker will be Caitlin Sollazzo, the Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent with UF/IFAS Extension in Manatee County. She grew up locally and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Entomology and Nematology and a Doctor of Plant Medicine (DPM) from the University of Florida. In her role, she supports nursery and ornamental producers with a focus on sustainable practices, integrated pest management, and plant health.

Caitlin’s topic will be Pesticide Best Practices: Application, Timing, and Safety. She will provide an overview of pesticide types, how and when to apply them effectively, common missteps, and how to protect pollinators and beneficial insects.

This is the third in a series of three talks on plant pests, diseases, and management strategies for the home grower, but for this presentation it is not necessary to have attended either of the first two talks last September and January.

June Meeting - Amanda Adams - Common Edible and Medicinal Plants in Southwest Florida

June Meeting - Amanda Adams - Common Edible and Medicinal Plants in Southwest Florida 

Meeting Date/Time: Monday, June 8th, 2026, 7pm

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

Our June speaker will be Amanda Adams, a Florida native and longtime gardener/farmer. Amanda is a Master Naturalist and a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University, where she co-founded the Food Forest project in 2011.

Amanda will speak about the most common edible and medicinal plants in Southwest Florida-- plants that you likely already have growing in your yard or neighborhood! Topics covered will include best practices for foraging, identifying native and non-native plants, and how to use them for food and medicine.

Please bring fruit for the tasting table and/or plants to donate for the raffle (no citrus plants, please). Don’t forget to collect a free raffle ticket for your donation. Your participation is very much needed and appreciated.
A friendly reminder: If you bring a plant, please label what it is. Also, write your name and the plant on the Raffle list. If you win a plant, please put your name next to the plant on the Raffle list.

Meetings are not recorded. First time visitors are welcome! Become a member for only $12. Join online or at a monthly meeting. https://www.mrfc.org/p/become-member.html 

Slides from presentation 

May Meeting - Har Mahdeem - Annonas

May Meeting - Har Mahdeem - Annonas

Meeting Date/Time: Monday, May 11th, 2026, 7pm

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

Our May Speaker

From the Program Committee

Noted tropical fruit expert Har Mahdeem returns to our club with a presentation on annonas. Bring your questions about this fascinating family of rare fruits-- the one on the MRFC logo!

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. Currently he owns a tropical fruit grove and dooryard consulting business specializing in plant nutrition, pruning, grafting/top working and education. Elsewhere in this newsletter is some additional biographical information about Har, gathered by our energetic article writer Claude.

Be sure to check out Har’s many Youtube videos that provide extensive practical advice on tropical fruit horticulture.

🌱🌺🍍🌿

Please bring fruit for the tasting table and/or plants to donate for the raffle (no citrus plants, please). Don’t forget to collect a free raffle ticket for your donation. Your participation is very much needed and appreciated.

A friendly reminder: If you bring a plant, please label what it is. Also, write your name and the plant on the Raffle list. If you win a plant, please put your name next to the plant on the Raffle list.

Meetings are not recorded. First time visitors are welcome! Become a member for only $12. Join online or at a monthly meeting. https://www.mrfc.org/p/become-member.html

April Meeting - Mark Bailey - Mulberries

April Meeting - Mark Bailey - Mulberries

Meeting Date/Time: 

Monday, April 13th, 2026, 7pm

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

Our April Speaker

Our planned speaker on mulberries for April had to cancel her presentation. MRFC member Darryl McCullough was planning to fill in, speaking on avocados. However, friend of the club Mark Bailey has agreed to speak to us Monday about mulberries. And he plans to bring some mulberry cuttings for us! Darryl will speak on avocados later in the year.

Mark is the Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Extension agent for Marion County. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelors in Entomology and Nematology, and received a Masters in Plant Protection and Pest Management from the University of Georgia. An extension agent for more than ten years, he works to develop sustainable local food systems. His specializations include entomology, plant pathology, edible landscaping, and agricultural entrepreneurship. At home he grows hundreds of fruit trees, which include varieties of citrus, persimmons, passion fruit, and mulberries.

Mark gave us an excellent presentation on persimmons last November. Don’t miss Monday's talk on another cold-tolerant species that grows well in our region.

March 2025 Meeting - Mack Lessig - Community Gardens in Manatee County

March Meeting - Mack Lessig - Community Gardens in Manatee County

Meeting Date/Time: Monday, March 9th, 2026, 7pm

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

Mack Lessig serves as the Residential Horticulture Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County. A proud Manatee County native, Mack earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Florida. His professional expertise is grounded in vegetable and fruit production, with a specialized emphasis on vegetable entomology and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Beyond his official duties, Mack is an advocate for sustainable living, channeling his personal passions for beekeeping and backyard food production into helping residents cultivate productive, resilient landscapes.

Mack will speak on the Community Gardens Program in Manatee County, in particular the development and management of the community gardens program in Manatee County over the last eight years. This includes community gardens, which provide shared land for residents to grow fresh produce, and school gardens, which serve as outdoor laboratories for student education. He will explain the "Manatee Model" of operation—focusing on site sustainability, the integration of food forests for low-maintenance perennial production, and the technical support provided by the Extension. He will also discuss future expansion goals, and a guide for how we can support these initiatives 
through volunteering or mentorship.

🌱🌺🍍🌿

Please bring fruit for the tasting table and/or plants to donate for the raffle (no citrus plants, please). Don’t forget to collect a free raffle ticket for your donation. Your participation is very much needed and appreciated.

A friendly reminder: If you bring a plant, please label what it is. Also, write your name and the plant on the Raffle list. If you win a plant, please put your name next to the plant on the Raffle list.

Meetings are not recorded. First time visitors are welcome! Become a member for only $12. Join online or at a monthly meeting. https://www.mrfc.org/p/become-member.html

February 2026 Meeting - Russell Fielding - Breadfruit

February Meeting - Russell Fielding - Breadfruit

Meeting Date/Time: Monday, February 9th, 2026, 7pm

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

Slides from presentation

Our February speaker will be Russell Fielding, an environmental geographer whose research focuses on sustainable food systems in coastal and island settings. He earned graduate degrees in geography from Louisiana State University and the University of Montana, as well as an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida. Currently an Associate Professor at Coastal Carolina University with a joint appointment in the Department of Anthropology and Geography and the HTC Honors College, he also holds a research position with the Ocean Nexus Program at the University of Rhode Island.

Dr. Fielding has a special interest in breadfruit, one of the tropical world’s staple crops, and the topic of his book, Breadfruit: Three Global Journeys of a Bountiful Tree, recently published by the Columbia University Press. His presentation will discuss these three journeys: first, from its origins in Southeast Asia across the Pacific; second, its transplantation to the Caribbean; and a third journey that is currently taking place, one that is spreading breadfruit throughout the world. And he will include a special focus on breadfruit cultivation in Florida.