Any CRFG Members here?

[behlgarden]

Are there any CRFG members here in the group? Just wondering their thoughts on joining it and their experiences.

[murahilin]

I have been a CRFG member for 5 years. I am actually not a member of any of the Florida rare fruit councils because their magazines aren't that great. I rather pay CRFG the $56 a year and get a good quality magazine. You should definitely join CRFG. Their customer service is also excellent. I received a magazine that was torn and they sent me a new one immediately.

Here is a link to join the CRFG

I recommend getting the electronic and 1st class because first class comes in a nice white envelope that protects the magazine from scuffs and bending.

[behlgarden]

in Southern California, electronic version membership costs $27/yr I beleive. I contacted the local rep and he invited me to attend their next few meetings to get an idea. I am going to the one on the 12th and its in Riverside. Then they have one in July as well.

You can bet that knowledge you get and fruits you get to taste and scions trade/other opportunties are amazing for the membership price.

I will report back on how it went with pictures.  Thanks for recommending to join them M.

[fyliu]

I've been participating in the two San Diego chapters since 2008 before moving back to LA. Behl you might want to attend the Foothill meeting in Arcadia in August.

The speaker Jim Neitzel was the original "volunteer" who registered the organization with the state. You probably heard about the Big Jim loquat? His 2 acres in San Diego was described as a jungle by other members. There's always half a dozens of some seedlings he's growing for selection.

[behlgarden]

If I join CRFG, how do I know which chapters meet where? I am allowed to go to any one of these correct? I dont see the full calender of meetings, I think I will participate in it for sure, will get to meet folks from this group as well.

[fyliu]

http://crfg.org/local.html

Each chapter maintains its own website and schedule. The chairs try their best to send a 3 month schedule to the fruit gardener editor for publishing in the magazine.

Within 50 miles of my area there's LA, West LA, South Bay, Foothill, Orange County. Ventura, Riverside, North San Diego and San Diego are a little far for me. Orange County has the biggest plant sales but I think San Diego has the best-looking plants at good prices.

You don't really have to join to attend the meetings. With the cost of the full-color magazine and local newsletters I think membership dues are there to encourage members to show up to meetings to get more value for what they paid.

[jason (palo alto)]

If I join CRFG, how do I know which chapters meet where? I am allowed to go to any one of these correct? I dont see the full calender of meetings, I think I will participate in it for sure, will get to meet folks from this group as well.

There is the chapter map:
http://crfg.org/local.html
State membership gets you the magazine.
Each local chapter usually runs its own membership which ranges from $5-$15. Some chapters are small (~30 people) with some being large (~200).
I'm a member of the Santa Clara and Monterey Bay chapters since 2008 when I bought a house and got the fruit obsession.
You can join any local chapter you want and like me can join multiple. Joining multiple chapters sometimes has its benefits such as special fruit tastings and early admittance to scion exchanges along with the chapter meetings.

[behlgarden]

Thanks for more info. Did not know that each chapter has its own fee, that is not on their website. they got $27 for electronic and $46 for print, and then there is $56 as well. Not sure what the differences are.

If I get say riverside, can I go to other chaper meetings?

[Ethan]

I'm a member of the Sequoia chapter.  CRFG is great, lots of like minded people sharing their experiences.  It is a lot like these forums but face to face and usually with fruit to taste of some sort.  Most chapters also have their 'Jewels' too, our chapter has "The amazing Walter" and our chapter Pres. homes which are jaw dropping amazing places (to name a few).  Plus I learned to graft from the grafting seminar, traded seeds, scions, plants and met some people that I now consider friends, from various chapters.  In addition as an organization they help disseminate lots of information and even inspire people to try new things and places.

Recently, there was a pretty cool article written by a gent on this forum about his trip to Puerto Rico.

Behl, the "Main" organization is the $27, $46, & $56 a year, I believe you may join that w/out joining a local chapter.  Local chapters do charge a small yearly fee as Jason points out to cover their expenses.  Usually at the first meeting alone I eat my yearly fee in fruit so I come out WAAAAAAY ahead on cost.

-Ethan

[TropicalFruitHunters]

Yes...a member.  Some of the magazine editions are sleepers...boring.

[behlgarden]

does joining main organization for $25 allow access to my local chapter OR do I have to pay local chapter, in this case they want $4/yr.  OR is it that its $25 to join CFRG plus chapter fees of $4?

[jason (palo alto)]

does joining main organization for $25 allow access to my local chapter OR do I have to pay local chapter, in this case they want $4/yr.  OR is it that its $25 to join CFRG plus chapter fees of $4?

The $27 gets you the electronic issue of Fruit Gardener for a year and State Membership
The local membership is independent (i.e. another $4).

[behlgarden]

Got it, thanks

[emegar]

Behl,

I recently got into CRFG.  I joined the Inland Empire chapter, in Riverside, but found I could rarely make their Thursday meetings, so I've begun attending the Foothill chapter, which meets at the LA county arboretum, in Arcadia.  I've definitely found the experience of attending meetings worthwhile.

James

[fyliu]

How's the member numbers in Inland Empire compared to Foothill? Foothill has the smallest membership I've seen so far.

[FloridaGreenMan]

I have been a member for many years and have traveled throughout Calif and have met many members. My PR Fruit Safari article was in the Jan-Feb issue
Have also spoken at the CRFG Fest of Fruit a few years ago. Great group!
FGM     

[MangoFang]

...and Behl - there's nothing very near me.  I think Riverside is the closest (at least 75-80 miles), but I actually went with JF to one down in Orange County somewhere.  No mango talk at that meeting.  To me Oranges and grapes and things like that should NOT be considered Rare Fruit (which was discussed along with other temperate fruits).  Not only the distance but the fact it wasn't really the fruits everyone here talks about made it frustrating to me....maybe that's just that one chapter....I don't know.....I stopped going and getting the newsletter.....



Gary

[fyliu]

Yes, some people aren't interested in things that don't sound familiar. That's why there are names like Surinam cherry and rose apple. There are times when topics are about mangos (next Foothill meeting) and other times when it feels like a local garden club. It sometimes has to do with what speaker they can get.

[BestDay]

The next Foothill meeting is about Mangos?  Where is it and when?  I might need to make a trip.

Bill

[fyliu]

It's in the LA Arboretum in Arcadia, first Saturday of August.
He's doesn't use technology so I'm thinking this will be more talk and demo than a slideshow. He'll gladly show you how to graft and tricks to increase your chances of success.

So much obsession over mangos... If you're interested in meeting another big mango enthusiast, Leo Manuel has his property full of mango trees in San Diego. You can find him at www.rarefruit.com

[JF]

Are there any CRFG members here in the group? Just wondering their thoughts on joining it and their experiences.

Don't even think twice join right away! MangoDog went to ONE meeting. There are plenty of experts within our rank and files in the Orange County Chapter. Celebraties like Roger Meyer, Julie Frink Curator for the Avocado variety collection at SCREC in Irvine CA,Isabel Barkman Curator for the Cherimoya variety collection at SCREC in Irvine CA, Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nursery (one of the nations top propagator), Eunice Messner and the list goes on. Come on MangoDog, ONE meeting!

[fruitlovers]

Are there any CRFG members here in the group? Just wondering their thoughts on joining it and their experiences.

Are there any that aren't members of CRFG?? If you are fruit obsessed then it's a definite must join! It's a great group, great magazine, and once a year have a great fruit festival. I've been a member more years than i can recall, Living here ofcourse there is no chapter meetings, but it's worth it just for the magazine. I got to go to their festival for first time 2 years ago in Pomona. There were over 500 people attending. Was a fabulous event, very well organized.
BTW, rumor has it that the 2013 meeting will be in Honolulu!

[fyliu]

BTW, rumor has it that the 2013 meeting will be in Honolulu!

What I heard was Ken Love invited CRFG to go visit during the Pomona event. We've been hearing wonderful stories from local members who go to the big annual tropical fruit event over in HI. My expectations are high on what I'll see there.

[fruitlovers]

BTW, rumor has it that the 2013 meeting will be in Honolulu!

What I heard was Ken Love invited CRFG to go visit during the Pomona event. We've been hearing wonderful stories from local members who go to the big annual tropical fruit event over in HI. My expectations are high on what I'll see there.

At the Pomona festival the idea was floated to have a sort of grand meeting of ALL the fruit organizations, including the California, Florida, Hawaii, and even groups outside the country, like Australia, NZ, Brazil, Israel, etc. Whether it will ever actually happen still don't know.

[BestDay]

Thanks for the info guys.  I plan on going to the August meeting.  I will join there.  I'll also contact Leo Manuel.

Bill

[fruitlovers]

Thanks for the info guys.  I plan on going to the August meeting.  I will join there.  I'll also contact Leo Manuel.

Bill

Leo Manuel is a very good source of info for those wanting to grow mangos in California. He also puts out a monthly newsletter: RFNO (Rare Fruit News Online).

[MangoFang]

JF - I don't even recall the 6 or so newsletters I got that had more than a couple sentences on Mangos and nothing on papayas, lychees, breadfruit, rollinia etc.  It just seems to be the focus is all temperate fruits.  Someone email me a California newsletter that actually has a full article on mangos. (and my obsession on mangos has nothing to do with the fact that temperate fruits seem to be the order of the day in SoCal CRFG heads, NOT true "rare fruits" as the name of the organization suggests.....)

JF - even you said "let's get outta here" at that one meeting as we knew that not one thing was going to mentioned about mangos or ANY true tropical fruits.

 

Look - I don't mind garden clubs - they bring people together to share ideas and fruit, make friends. etc., but just don't call it Rare if it's NOT rare.  That's all I'm saying.

That being said, the Foothill meeting, sounds like would be right up my alley, except I'll be in Seattle that weekend.....


Fang

[fruitlovers]

JF - I don't even recall the 6 or so newsletters I got that had more than a couple sentences on Mangos and nothing on papayas, lychees, breadfruit, rollinia etc.  It just seems to be the focus is all temperate fruits.  Someone email me a California newsletter that actually has a full article on mangos. (and my obsession on mangos has nothing to do with the fact that temperate fruits seem to be the order of the day in SoCal CRFG heads, NOT true "rare fruits" as the name of the organization suggests.....)

JF - even you said "let's get outta here" at that one meeting as we knew that not one thing was going to mentioned about mangos or ANY true tropical fruits.

 

Look - I don't mind garden clubs - they bring people together to share ideas and fruit, make friends. etc., but just don't call it Rare if it's NOT rare.  That's all I'm saying.

That being said, the Foothill meeting, sounds like would be right up my alley, except I'll be in Seattle that weekend.....


Fang

I can't say anything about the content of your local meetings, but the CRFG magazine, The Fruit Gardener, definitely does have articles on plenty of rare tropical fruits. It's kind of funny because the folks in temperate areas complain that there are not enough articles about temperate fruits, and folks in tropical areas complain that all the articles are about temperate fruits. So you can't please everyone, but i think they really do try. Also i notice that the trend in the last few years is definitely towards more articles about rare tropical fruits.
BTW, i don't consider mangos a truly tropical fruits. I would say it's a highly adapted tree that can grow in the sub tropics as well as the tropics. Some people even argue that mango fruits grown in the sub tropics taste better, but i think this is highly debatable.

[fyliu]

California is Mediterrainean weather so anything that don't normally grow in this area or this climate would be rare by CRFG standard. I agree there are meetings that feel too "normal".

Blueberries and pawpaw were rare because they didn't normally grow in places like San Diego. But these days with the antioxidant food popularity seems like every gardener in California is growing several blueberry bushes of some Southern Highbush or Rabbiteye varieties.

[jason (palo alto)]

California is Mediterrainean weather so anything that don't normally grow in this area or this climate would be rare by CRFG standard. I agree there are meetings that feel too "normal".

Blueberries and pawpaw were rare because they didn't normally grow in places like San Diego. But these days with the antioxidant food popularity seems like every gardener in California is growing several blueberry bushes of some Southern Highbush or Rabbiteye varieties.

Up here in northern california the typical 'rare' is simply rare cultivars of temperate fruit, citrus and avocados. Nothing wrong with that, I love growing stone fruit, but I wish more members were interested in going beyond stone fruit and apples. There are a few growing white sapote and cherimoyas and still fewer (like myself) growing rarer things.
This September the Festival of Fruit is going to be amazing. It will be in Santa Rosa held concurrent with the National Heirloom Expo which was a huge event last year for those interested in heirloom varieties and annual crops from seed.

[NewGen]

I'm a member, I think at the "state" level, cuz I have  no idea what local chapter I belong to. Sometimes I get the electronic version of the magazine, sometimes I get the paper one. Does each local chapter have a website? Are there any chapters that lean towards more "tropical and exotic" stuff? I'd be bored to death if it's all about berries and citrus. 

[fyliu]

For the San Diego chapter www.crfgsandiego.org, there's normally topics on propagation, white sapote/cherimoya, mango, citrus, pomegranate/avocado, and a couple that varies from year to year. Maybe soil, pests, pitaya, rainwater harvesting...

For North County San Diego nc.crfgsandiego.org, the topics are more varied these days. Permaculture, dates, gophers, blueberries, cactus fruits.

The San Diego chapters tend to stay away from apples and temperate stone fruits. But the last-minute annoucements of special meetings are the really amazing ones. Some speakers have only short windows of stay in San Diego and they had to reserve a room on short notice and inform members with the news.

[Tim]

...
For North County San Diego nc.crfgsandiego.org, the topics are more varied these days. Permaculture, dates, gophers, blueberries, cactus fruits.

ahhh so glad this is my part of town, no wonder everyone's growing citrus & avocados here