Welcome to the Manatee County Rare Fruit Council Website.

Sarasota Fruit and Nut Society has invited MRFC membrs to join them on an April 10th bus trip to ECHO Farms and Tree House Nursery.  The cost is $10 per person, non refundable unless SFNS cancels the trip.  Send your check to Treasurer Lucie Przybylowicz, 1090 Snead Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237. to be received before April 1.  Echo is famous for helping people in third world countries to find ways of subsisting in difficult environments, notably at the moment in Haiti, where they have had a presence for many years.  They have a fine nursery and and exceptionally good bookstore. Tree House nursery, our friend through many years,  will provide an opportunity to buy trees seldom obtainable elsewhere.

While few of us can lay claim to being purely organic, it is worthwhile to reconsider the incautious use of pesticides.  In the world of realities to which we are condemned, for most of us, life is too short to hand-pull every weed or hand-squash every bug.  But we need to think of tolerance levels greater than zero for some species.  Take for example fire ants.  When you disturb their mound and they swarm over your legs, you surely want to wipe out the last one.  But it's a losing battle.  The specific name is invicta, meaning unconquerable, and it fits.  But outside of a bad attitude and a vicious sting, how much harm do they do?  I wondered for a while whether fire ant mounds under my trees were sustaining themselves by eating tree roots.  I've seen no evidence that this happens.  If anything, trees look healthier with fire ant mounds.  And you can see unmistakeable greening up around fire ant mounds in grassy areas.  So, you don't have to love them, but maybe only attacking them where they do visible harm or are otherwise intolerable (such as in potted plants) is the best policy.

A study at Northwestern University found that women in homes that were sprayed with insecticides at least six times a year had almost two and a half times the risk of developing lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.  Other studies have linked insecticides, pesticides and herbicides to Parkinson's and ALS.  Also, the incidence of Parkinson's is higher among farmers than in other occupational groups.  The message here is clear:  you don't want these products on your skin or clothing; you don't want to inhale them.  They carry a cost much higher than what you pay at the garden supply.  Be careful.  Be stingy.

OurFebruary 2010 Newsletter is available (in pdf format) online. members receive printed versions as well. Find out what went on at the last MRFC meeting, and what events we have in store this year.
 

MRFC is getting a new website design, including fresh content, and features. Keeping our club connected and sharing current information is paramount. Please send your website comments and suggestions to us by Clicking Here.

* Please note: During this transition time some features may be unavailable.

Annual Tree Sale — May 17th 2009

Manatee Civic Center
Haben Blvd. and US 41/301 Palmetto
click here for more details

Manatee County IFAS now has a website. Click here to view. This website is a rich resource for news, and articles pertaining to our tropical fruit tree hobby.

New Membership Form: We have updated our membership form, please note the dues changes. Click here.

Past years newsletters are now available for online reading. Please take a moment to browse this wealth of information. Click here.

Notice: Fruitilizer for Sale!
Contact Al Semago at (941) 725-3273 to arrange to pick it up.