January 2025 MRFC Meeting - Noris Ledesma - Growing the Perfect Mango in South Florida

What: MRFC Monthly Meeting - Noris Ledesma - What: Growing the Perfect Mango in South Florida

When: Monday January 13th, 2025 at 7pm

Where: Palma Sola Botanical Park, 9800 17th Ave NW, Bradenton, FL 34209

Please note that our January meeting will be held at Palma Sola Botanical Park, as our regular location is unavailable. Members are encouraged to bring a dish or a raffle plant if you can.

Our January Speaker

from the Program Committee

As happens every January, our regular meeting site at the Hardee Center will be unavailable due to preparations for the Manatee County Fair. So once again, we will meet at Palma Sola Botanical Park. We are told that starting in February, we will once again be able to meet at the Hardee Center.

Our January speaker will be distinguished mango and tropical fruit expert Noris Ledesma. She was Curator of Tropical Fruit at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden from 2000 to 2020, and since then has been Emeritus Curator. From 2020 to 2023, she served as President of the Florida State Horticultural Society. 

The author of many scientific and technical articles, Dr. Ledesma holds a Doctorate in Agricultural Economics from Humboldt University in Berlin, and a Masters Degree in Environmental Education from the University of Malaga in Spain. She has provided technical consultation to growers throughout the world.

Because of the considerable travel distance from Miami, her presentation will be via live interactive video stream. Her topic will be Growing The Perfect Mango In South Florida.

You can now pay 2025 dues (still only $12). Please click here for more information about dues and to pay online.  You may also pay with cash or check (made payable to MRFC) at this or a future meeting. If you are not sure whether you have paid yet, please check at the membership table at the meeting.

New Date and Location for December MRFC Holiday Party

2024 MRFC Holiday Potluck:

Location: Palma Sola Botanical Park, at the indoor Galleria area

Date: Sunday, December 8 

Schedule:

1:30-2:00: Setup

2:00: Meal

Fellow MRFC Members,

The Sunday MRFC Holiday Potluck at Palma Sola Botanical Park is a Go

Most MRFC members have seen the emails about the holiday potluck planning. With the Harlee Center in use for all of December, and Palma Sola Botanical Park unavailable on our usual meeting night due to its Winter Nights Under the Lights event, we decided to move the potluck to the afternoon of Sunday, December 8, with setup at 1:30 and meal at 2:00. But the good news is that Palma Sola can let us use its indoor Galleria area, which has exactly the facilities we need.

The expected turnout will be less than our usual holiday bashes, but we decided to go ahead. Our thanks go to all of those who sent RSVP’s. If you didn’t RSVP, it’s still OK to attend. Indeed, we will be delighted to see you. But please do RSVP in the future-- it’s very helpful for the event planners.

The MRFC will supply a turkey (tip of the hat to our chef, Dennis Gretton), water, and tea; attendees will bring their side dishes and, if they wish, beverages. Please remember to bring your own plates and utensils. 

RSVP to MRFCemail@gmail.com and include:

(a) The number of attendees you will bring, including yourself, and

(b) The side dish you will bring.

Current predictions are for nice weather, so we should be able to tour the fruit tree collection and see where the restoration task stands. And please remember to support our sister organization, Palma Sola Botanical Park. Executive Director Bev and her staff have been very helpful to us, even though they already have a full plate of events and hurricane recovery.

The MRFC Board