Annual Christmas Dinner

Annual Christmas Dinner!

Reminder to members - our annual Christmas dinner is this Monday, December 10th, 2018
Harlee Buildling/County Fairgrounds
1303 17th St W
Palmetto, FL 34221 

Please meet at 6pm to help set up. Bring a side dish or dessert to share as well as plates/silverware for you/your family -- the Club will provide the "protein" main dish.

If you plan to renew membership for next year, please bring a check for $12 made out to MRFC. Hope to see you all!

November Meeting - Palma Sola

What: MRFC November 2018 Meeting - Palma Sola

When: Monday, November 12th, 2018 at 7pm

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

  

The meeting this month will be Pete Robertson and Joshua Starry talking about the past, present and future of the MRFC demonstration grove at Palma Sola.

We will also elect 2019 chair persons

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

October 2018 Meeting - Har Mahdeem - Sapotaceae

What: MRFC October 2018 Meeting - Har Mahdeem

When: Monday, October 8th, 2018 at 7pm

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

Har Mahdeem will be speaking on Sapotaceae. This lecture will focus on the Central American Sapotaceae, but with honorable mention of Floridian, South American, African, and South Asian edible species.

Har has an entire lifetime of experience 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. 

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 September 2018 Meeting - Shari Blissett-Clark- Bats & Gardens

What: MRFC September 2018 Meeting - Shari Blissett-Clark- Bats & Gardens

When: Monday, September 10th, 2018 at 7pm

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

Bats & Gardens: A Natural Connection - Not long ago Florida was adorned with old growth forests, clean waterways, and wide expanses of connected scrublands. These habitats supported the most diverse plant and animal communities in North America, each one closely dependent on the health of the other.

People also found La Florida, the Land of Flowers, attractive and the human population has grown from 530,000 in 1900 to over 21 million in 2017!  This growth has made Florida is a very different place today; deforestation, agriculture, and urbanization of Florida’s land, water, and air has resulted in the disappearance of countless plant and animal species, and entire ecosystems are changing rapidly, leaving the remaining flora and fauna to quickly adapt – or die.

Florida’s bats are fighting to survive and despite their protected status, many people still unjustly persecute them because of myth and misconception. Bats are poisoned by insecticides and pollutants, and left homeless by the careless disturbance of roosts.

This program examines the myths and misconceptions that surround bats and discusses the important environmental services they provide to human health and agriculture.  Live Florida bats will be exhibited after the program. 

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

August 2018 - Lisa Hickey - Fertilizer

What: MRFC August Meeting - Lisa Hickey - Fertilizer

When: Monday, August 13th, 2018 at 7pm

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

Join us to hear Lisa Hickey, UF Manatee Extension Agent will be speaking about fertilizer.

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

July 2018 Meeting - Steve Cucura - Lychees

What: MRFC July Meeting: Steve Cucura - Lychees

When: Monday, July 9th, 2018 at 7pm

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

Join us to hear Steve Cucura from Fruitscapes nursery will be speaking about lychees. 

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

June 2018 Meeting - Har Mahdeem - Choosing, Buying, and Planting Fruit Trees

What: MRFC June Meeting: Har Mahdeem - Choosing, Buying, and Planting Fruit Trees

When: Monday, June 11th, 2018 at 7pm

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

Join us to hear Har Mahdeem speak to the group about choosing, buying, and planting 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 tickets can be purchased

MRFC Rare Fruit Tree Sale 5/20/18 at 10am!

Rare Fruit Tree Sale

Sunday, May 20th, 2018 - 10am-4pm
Bradenton Area Convention Center
1 Haben Blvd, Palmetto, FL 34221

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Sign up for MRFC Rare Fruit Tree Sale Email Reminders

• 
  Click for to print or share flyer
• 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 2018 Meeting - Jamie D Burrow - Citrus Greening

What: MRFC May Meeting: Jamie D Burrow - Citrus Greening

When: Monday, May 14th, 2018 at 7pm

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

Jamie D Burrow, UF Coordinator and extension manager and Canker and Greening Extension Education in Lake Alfred will be speaking on Citrus Greening.
This is the last meeting before our big tree sale, May 20th. 

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

April 2018 Meeting - Dr Sam Hutton - Tomato Breeding

What: MRFC April Meeting: Dr Sam Hutton - Tomato Breeding

When: Monday, April 9th, 2018 at 7pm

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

Join us to hear Dr Sam Hutton, assistant professor at University of Florida, speak about tomato breeding. From UF Website:
"Dr Samuel Hutton's research focuses on developing improved tomato hybrids and parents adapted to Florida's subtropical conditions and relevant to the Florida tomato industry."

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

March 2018 Meeting - Lisa Hickey - Soil

What: MRFC March Meeting: Lisa Hickey - Soil

When: Monday, March 12, 2018 at 7pm

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

Join us to hear Manatee County Horticultural Extension Agent, Lisa Hickey, speak about soil. 

Members can bring a soil sample from near the drip line of a tree which is struggling and Lisa can visually analyze the soil for structure and texture. 

The fruit tree feeder roots are about 6-8” down. Collect the soil from that region. No surface soil because that is not indicative of what is happening around the roots.  Extract the sample from the tree dripline area or slight out from here. Take a shovel and make a hole about 9” deep and collect a one - two cup sample.  Let it dry out for a day or two on newspaper so we can better analyze it in the drier stage. Lisa will bring extra newspaper so she can feel some of the specimens to differentiate texture changes.  

Lisa will also bring forms if you would like the Manatee Extension office to analyze your soil pH ($3) or run a pH and fertilizer salts test ($5). Payment would need to be exact cash or a check made out to "Manatee County Government". She can use the soil sample collected above (around a cup of soil)

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 2018 Meeting - Fertilizers

What: MRFC February Meeting: Mangos in 2018 - With Alex Salazar

When: Monday, February 12th, 2018 at 7pm

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

For our February talk, Alex Salazar will speak about Mangos!

Alex is a South Florida native and grew up in Jupiter. He graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa and started farming mangos in 2011. Salazar is the owner of Tropical Acres Farms, Inc in West Palm Beach and grows over 250 varieties of mangos, along with various avocados, Sapodilla and other tropical fruit crops.

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