Rare Fruit Council Fruit Tree and Plant Sale at the South Florida Fairgrounds

[starsmile]

The bi-annual Palm Beach Rare Fruit Council Fruit Tree and Plant Sale is happening on April 20 at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Admission and parking are free. Enter through Gate 5 on Southern Blvd.
The sale is indoors at the Agriplex Building, from 9am - 2 pm.
There will be countless fruit trees, herbs, spices, our special "Fruitilizer" and some fruit for sale!

Enter the raffle for a free fruit tree, suitable for container growing, and other goodies!

Also, like our FB page (www.facebook.com/RFC.PBC) and visit our new website http://pbrarefruitcouncil.org/
Join us at our monthly speaker meeting, 7:30 pm on the 2nd Friday of each month at Mounts Auditorium in West Palm Beach.

[Mr. Clean]

This is an excellent event!

[Patrick]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

[Mr. Clean]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

[bsbullie]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

[Pan Dulce]

Seems like some people, myself included, hope to find trees from backyarders or smaller player types, who might have the uncommon stuff or cultivars at a more grassroots price rather than going to these events and its just big suppliers.  Were the smaller players allowed to sell or was this discouraged by those who make the decisions, as I've seen at other events?  Just curious, because I'd like to start traveling to some of the ones in SFL.

Does Zill get in the game ever?

[Patrick]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

The 20% isn't really a loss, that money goes toward the cost of the facility and the Rare Fruit Council.  I didn't see any 3 gallon mango trees marked less than $35, which with 20% reduction is still a net of $28.  More three gallon trees are sold in that one day that any other day in Palm Beach County for sure so a large nursery does benefit from the sale, especially if they take the opportunity to "dump" some stock at the same time.  When the RFC was started back when Bill Whitman was in his prime, people waited the night before to get their hands on the latest imports of exotic fruit trees, thus the name Rare Fruit Council.  I realize that the general public is looking for Tommy Atkins and Florida Hass trees, but its a shame that more isn't shared.  I kind of liked the idea of picking up trees at a different rate than I can at a retail nursery at any given time, so yes I am guilty of bargain hunting at the sales.  I did drop $240 in fertilizer for my yearly supply, but didn't find a lot of the rarer items on the yellow sheet at sale opening.  I also noted some trees with split trunks that were swollen and oozing sap, and wasn't alone in that observation.

[Patrick]

Seems like some people, myself included, hope to find trees from backyarders or smaller player types, who might have the uncommon stuff or cultivars at a more grassroots price rather than going to these events and its just big suppliers.  Were the smaller players allowed to sell or was this discouraged by those who make the decisions, as I've seen at other events?  Just curious, because I'd like to start traveling to some of the ones in SFL.

Does Zill get in the game ever?

Backyarders are where its at for the knowledgeable collector.  Small family business tend to do all the work themselves and in the end cost less to the bigger nurseries than a retail salesmen.  A lot of blood sweat and tears go into running a micro-nursery and the stakes are high when your whole reputation lies in a couple hundred trees. Its definitely not a living, but everyone I know that runs one smiles more often!  Be sure to check your area before every purchase, someone close to you may have what your looking for at a great price! And anyone was allowed to sell at this sale, not just big nurseries!

[natsgarden123]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

The 20% isn't really a loss, that money goes toward the cost of the facility and the Rare Fruit Council.  I didn't see any 3 gallon mango trees marked less than $35, which with 20% reduction is still a net of $28.  More three gallon trees are sold in that one day that any other day in Palm Beach County for sure so a large nursery does benefit from the sale, especially if they take the opportunity to "dump" some stock at the same time.  When the RFC was started back when Bill Whitman was in his prime, people waited the night before to get their hands on the latest imports of exotic fruit trees, thus the name Rare Fruit Council.  I realize that the general public is looking for Tommy Atkins and Florida Hass trees, but its a shame that more isn't shared.  I kind of liked the idea of picking up trees at a different rate than I can at a retail nursery at any given time, so yes I am guilty of bargain hunting at the sales.  I did drop $240 in fertilizer for my yearly supply, but didn't find a lot of the rarer items on the yellow sheet at sale opening.  I also noted some trees with split trunks that were swollen and oozing sap, and wasn't alone in that observation.

The truth is that the 3 gallon mango trees varied in price from $25-$35. And most were nice trees but there were a bunch that weren't great looking.  The same went for the avocado trees and some of the others.

Rob, there were 2 varieties I had  never heard of, PIM ? and MAT ?  ( I don't remember exactly so the names may be off but they were something like that )-what was up with those?

[bsbullie]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

The 20% isn't really a loss, that money goes toward the cost of the facility and the Rare Fruit Council.  I didn't see any 3 gallon mango trees marked less than $35, which with 20% reduction is still a net of $28.  More three gallon trees are sold in that one day that any other day in Palm Beach County for sure so a large nursery does benefit from the sale, especially if they take the opportunity to "dump" some stock at the same time.  When the RFC was started back when Bill Whitman was in his prime, people waited the night before to get their hands on the latest imports of exotic fruit trees, thus the name Rare Fruit Council.  I realize that the general public is looking for Tommy Atkins and Florida Hass trees, but its a shame that more isn't shared.  I kind of liked the idea of picking up trees at a different rate than I can at a retail nursery at any given time, so yes I am guilty of bargain hunting at the sales.  I did drop $240 in fertilizer for my yearly supply, but didn't find a lot of the rarer items on the yellow sheet at sale opening.  I also noted some trees with split trunks that were swollen and oozing sap, and wasn't alone in that observation.

The truth is that the 3 gallon mango trees varied in price from $25-$35. And most were nice trees but there were a bunch that weren't great looking.  The same went for the avocado trees and some of the others.

Rob, there were 2 varieties I had  never heard of, PIM ? and MAT ?  ( I don't remember exactly so the names may be off but they were something like that )-what was up with those?

whose tags were they from?  PIM could, or most likely, would have been Pim Sen Mung.

[bsbullie]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

The 20% isn't really a loss, that money goes toward the cost of the facility and the Rare Fruit Council.  I didn't see any 3 gallon mango trees marked less than $35, which with 20% reduction is still a net of $28.  More three gallon trees are sold in that one day that any other day in Palm Beach County for sure so a large nursery does benefit from the sale, especially if they take the opportunity to "dump" some stock at the same time.  When the RFC was started back when Bill Whitman was in his prime, people waited the night before to get their hands on the latest imports of exotic fruit trees, thus the name Rare Fruit Council.  I realize that the general public is looking for Tommy Atkins and Florida Hass trees, but its a shame that more isn't shared.  I kind of liked the idea of picking up trees at a different rate than I can at a retail nursery at any given time, so yes I am guilty of bargain hunting at the sales.  I did drop $240 in fertilizer for my yearly supply, but didn't find a lot of the rarer items on the yellow sheet at sale opening.  I also noted some trees with split trunks that were swollen and oozing sap, and wasn't alone in that observation.

I hate when people go back in the past and refer to "we paid $xxx for that 5-10+ years ago.  Economy is different and nurseries are not in the business for their enjoyment.  Not only do they have expenses and employees to pay, but it their business and making a PROFIT is first and foremost.

I have also seen instances where xyz nursery brought a durian to the sale and sold it...a few weeks later they came calling to the nursery it came from cause it died.  Now, do you tell the people "screw off, not my problem" or do you explain the reasons it may have died, most likely cause people buy ultra tropicals/super exotics cause they know the name BUT not how or what it takes to care for them AND give them a replacement/credit.  If you do nothing, it is bad advertising for the nursery and can cost them business.  When you "make good" on it it gives a good word of mouth but costs the nursery money.  It CAN become a lose-lose...

Now you say 20% isnt much cause it goes to the RFC...I agree it is good cause the RFC nets money for its cause however I disagree with you in that 20% of $10,000 is $2,000...are you telling me taking $2,000 from a nursery does not a loss for the nursery??  As you know, the nursery business, especially a tropical fruit nursery, is not a business that makes million and can just throw away thousands of dollars and not be affected by it...they only have to hope the word spreads and it brings them future business.

You mention some "dump" overstock...yes, some do and some don't however again, should a nursery bring all of its limited  items, sell them for a lesser price, make less cause of the 20% loss, and deplete their nursery inventory for the good of people looking for that rare or hard to get item at a slight discount.  If people what that rare or hard to get item, they SHOULD be willing to come to the nursery any day of the week and be glad that they are able to purchase it.  Oh, if anybody say well it is a matter of money and being able to afford it...if that is the case, then maybe they shouldn't be collecting rare/hard to get tropical fruit trees.

[Patrick]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

The 20% isn't really a loss, that money goes toward the cost of the facility and the Rare Fruit Council.  I didn't see any 3 gallon mango trees marked less than $35, which with 20% reduction is still a net of $28.  More three gallon trees are sold in that one day that any other day in Palm Beach County for sure so a large nursery does benefit from the sale, especially if they take the opportunity to "dump" some stock at the same time.  When the RFC was started back when Bill Whitman was in his prime, people waited the night before to get their hands on the latest imports of exotic fruit trees, thus the name Rare Fruit Council.  I realize that the general public is looking for Tommy Atkins and Florida Hass trees, but its a shame that more isn't shared.  I kind of liked the idea of picking up trees at a different rate than I can at a retail nursery at any given time, so yes I am guilty of bargain hunting at the sales.  I did drop $240 in fertilizer for my yearly supply, but didn't find a lot of the rarer items on the yellow sheet at sale opening.  I also noted some trees with split trunks that were swollen and oozing sap, and wasn't alone in that observation.

I hate when people go back in the past and refer to "we paid $xxx for that 5-10+ years ago.  Economy is different and nurseries are not in the business for their enjoyment.  Not only do they have expenses and employees to pay, but it their business and making a PROFIT is first and foremost.

I have also seen instances where xyz nursery brought a durian to the sale and sold it...a few weeks later they came calling to the nursery it came from cause it died.  Now, do you tell the people "screw off, not my problem" or do you explain the reasons it may have died, most likely cause people buy ultra tropicals/super exotics cause they know the name BUT not how or what it takes to care for them AND give them a replacement/credit.  If you do nothing, it is bad advertising for the nursery and can cost them business.  When you "make good" on it it gives a good word of mouth but costs the nursery money.  It CAN become a lose-lose...

Now you say 20% isnt much cause it goes to the RFC...I agree it is good cause the RFC nets money for its cause however I disagree with you in that 20% of $10,000 is $2,000...are you telling me taking $2,000 from a nursery does not a loss for the nursery??  As you know, the nursery business, especially a tropical fruit nursery, is not a business that makes million and can just throw away thousands of dollars and not be affected by it...they only have to hope the word spreads and it brings them future business.

You mention some "dump" overstock...yes, some do and some don't however again, should a nursery bring all of its limited  items, sell them for a lesser price, make less cause of the 20% loss, and deplete their nursery inventory for the good of people looking for that rare or hard to get item at a slight discount.  If people what that rare or hard to get item, they SHOULD be willing to come to the nursery any day of the week and be glad that they are able to purchase it.  Oh, if anybody say well it is a matter of money and being able to afford it...if that is the case, then maybe they shouldn't be collecting rare/hard to get tropical fruit trees.

Profit should always be an intentional byproduct in business not the primary concern.  I don't expect to see Durian, Mangosteen, and Breadfruit passed off to the public as "growable" when they are clearly not in our area.  But it is nice to see different Jaboticaba species, Garcinia, new Mango Species, and other new subtropicals get introduced to the pubic.  A person attending an RFC sale shouldn't see trees priced at top retail that are unhealthy and small..  The Rare Fruit Council is a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of providing the public with a source of information and plant material representative of Rare Fruit. When I said "dump" I meant that some of the trees I saw at that sale should not have been sold, I never said "overstock".  A lot of volunteers are used to market during the sale at no cost to the sellers, that's an added benefit for cost savings.

Was it a overall success? Yes of course, the average non-tree hoarder would be happy with the selection on hand and unaware of what a collector would notice.. But what is the point of the "Rare Fruit Council" if nothing new is available, if it isn't a reliable source of material?  I commend Excalibur for being basically the source of a large portion of the trees at the sale, that's not an easy task considering the logistics and manpower involved in just moving the stock alone.  I am just stating that more people, myself included, need to step up to the plate and provide more selection..

[Mr. Clean]

<---------  This guy is a bargain hunter.  I primarily shop at Walmart and Costco.  Rob, I believe a nursery can and should make a profit.  I also believe a consumer has the right to gripe, when there are no "bargains" available.  That's all we are doing.  I agree with you that we as consumers are "lucky" that rare fruit trees are available.  We (including Excalibur) are fortunate that the US Department of Agriculture had the foresight to send horticultural pioneers like Bill Whitman and David Fairchild from all parts of the world to bring back specimens to Florida and increase fruit tree diversity.  I also believe we benefit from efforts from enterpreneurs like Richard Wilson and Gary Zill to bring new varieties or create them.  However, new most new varieties are slight improvements over existing varieties that are readily available, so they command less of a premium.  That's the reality of capitalism - market saturation.  The person who "created" the Hayden seedling bought the mangos for $1 a piece back in early 1900's, which was a lot of money then, probably the equivalent of $1,000 in today's money.  As the availability of fruit trees increases, the premium that can be charged for them decreases.  Last year I bought about eight trees/plants from Excalibur, mostly indirectly through the PB Rare Fruit Tree Sale.  I have 50+ in ground fruit trees in my yard, I don't have a motivation to pay a premium for new trees...so I am a bargain hunter.

[bsbullie]

<---------  This guy is a bargain hunter.  I primarily shop at Walmart and Costco.  Rob, I believe a nursery can and should make a profit.  I also believe a consumer has the right to gripe, when there are no "bargains" available.  That's all we are doing.  I agree with you that we as consumers are "lucky" that rare fruit trees are available.  We (including Excalibur) are fortunate that the US Department of Agriculture had the foresight to send horticultural pioneers like Bill Whitman and David Fairchild from all parts of the world to bring back specimens to Florida and increase fruit tree diversity.  I also believe we benefit from efforts from enterpreneurs like Richard Wilson and Gary Zill to bring new varieties or create them.  However, new most new varieties are slight improvements over existing varieties that are readily available, so they command less of a premium.  That's the reality of capitalism - market saturation.  The person who "created" the Hayden seedling bought the mangos for $1 a piece back in early 1900's, which was a lot of money then, probably the equivalent of $1,000 in today's money.  As the availability of fruit trees increases, the premium that can be charged for them decreases.  Last year I bought about eight trees/plants from Excalibur, mostly indirectly through the PB Rare Fruit Tree Sale.  I have 50+ in ground fruit trees in my yard, I don't have a motivation to pay a premium for new trees...so I am a bargain hunter.

you also made trip(s) top homestead to "save money" and purchase one gallon plants.  The amount you saved in doing so when factoring in gas, size of tree, care to raise such a small, newly grafted tree,and risking the trees life due to its conditions is not really fall under terms of "bargain hunting"...and I go back to time is money,,,what did you really save when you got that one gal that could take up to 5 plus years or more to flower and initially set any fruit that may or may not hold.and more likely take 6 plus years a healthy growing ti begun really setting fruit,  Now is that really a bargain 6 years later...

[Mr. Clean]

<---------  This guy is a bargain hunter.  I primarily shop at Walmart and Costco.  Rob, I believe a nursery can and should make a profit.  I also believe a consumer has the right to gripe, when there are no "bargains" available.  That's all we are doing.  I agree with you that we as consumers are "lucky" that rare fruit trees are available.  We (including Excalibur) are fortunate that the US Department of Agriculture had the foresight to send horticultural pioneers like Bill Whitman and David Fairchild from all parts of the world to bring back specimens to Florida and increase fruit tree diversity.  I also believe we benefit from efforts from enterpreneurs like Richard Wilson and Gary Zill to bring new varieties or create them.  However, new most new varieties are slight improvements over existing varieties that are readily available, so they command less of a premium.  That's the reality of capitalism - market saturation.  The person who "created" the Hayden seedling bought the mangos for $1 a piece back in early 1900's, which was a lot of money then, probably the equivalent of $1,000 in today's money.  As the availability of fruit trees increases, the premium that can be charged for them decreases.  Last year I bought about eight trees/plants from Excalibur, mostly indirectly through the PB Rare Fruit Tree Sale.  I have 50+ in ground fruit trees in my yard, I don't have a motivation to pay a premium for new trees...so I am a bargain hunter.

you also made trip(s) top homestead to "save money" and purchase one gallon plants.  The amount you saved in doing so when factoring in gas, size of tree, care to raise such a small, newly grafted tree,and risking the trees life due to its conditions is not really fall under terms of "bargain hunting"...and I go back to time is money,,,what did you really save when you got that one gal that could take up to 5 plus years or more to flower and initially set any fruit that may or may not hold.and more likely take 6 plus years a healthy growing ti begun really setting fruit,  Now is that really a bargain 6 years later...

Yes, you are correct.  I probably spent $40 in gas and tolls to drive to Homestead to buy 1 gal fruit trees from Lara Farms for $12.  But there was the sense of adventure of exploring new places (my version of being like Bill Whitman); I also bought four trees at a time and got to practice my Spanish (or lack thereof) with Senior Lara.  But my 1 gal Alano Sapodilla tree from Lara ($12) was as big as the 3 gal Ox Sapadilla I bought from Excalibur ($30) at last years fruit tree sale.  My Ox drowned in Hurricane Isaac related flooding, but my Alano survived due to being at a higher elevation.  Did I tell you about my yellow passionfruit from Excalibur (via the fruit tree sale)?  It has purple fruit.  I think Excalibur has it's place in the fruit tree industry; I am thankful for my "machanois" mango tree (aka Mahachanok), which was from Excalibur via the fruit tree sale.  Excalibur is a great source for hard to find fruit trees, but an informed consumer will often pay a premium over other suppliers.  When you figure I bought 50+ trees last year, a $10 per tree savings adds up to $500.

[bsbullie]

<---------  This guy is a bargain hunter.  I primarily shop at Walmart and Costco.  Rob, I believe a nursery can and should make a profit.  I also believe a consumer has the right to gripe, when there are no "bargains" available.  That's all we are doing.  I agree with you that we as consumers are "lucky" that rare fruit trees are available.  We (including Excalibur) are fortunate that the US Department of Agriculture had the foresight to send horticultural pioneers like Bill Whitman and David Fairchild from all parts of the world to bring back specimens to Florida and increase fruit tree diversity.  I also believe we benefit from efforts from enterpreneurs like Richard Wilson and Gary Zill to bring new varieties or create them.  However, new most new varieties are slight improvements over existing varieties that are readily available, so they command less of a premium.  That's the reality of capitalism - market saturation.  The person who "created" the Hayden seedling bought the mangos for $1 a piece back in early 1900's, which was a lot of money then, probably the equivalent of $1,000 in today's money.  As the availability of fruit trees increases, the premium that can be charged for them decreases.  Last year I bought about eight trees/plants from Excalibur, mostly indirectly through the PB Rare Fruit Tree Sale.  I have 50+ in ground fruit trees in my yard, I don't have a motivation to pay a premium for new trees...so I am a bargain hunter.

you also made trip(s) top homestead to "save money" and purchase one gallon plants.  The amount you saved in doing so when factoring in gas, size of tree, care to raise such a small, newly grafted tree,and risking the trees life due to its conditions is not really fall under terms of "bargain hunting"...and I go back to time is money,,,what did you really save when you got that one gal that could take up to 5 plus years or more to flower and initially set any fruit that may or may not hold.and more likely take 6 plus years a healthy growing ti begun really setting fruit,  Now is that really a bargain 6 years later...

Yes, you are correct.  I probably spent $40 in gas and tolls to drive to Homestead to buy 1 gal fruit trees from Lara Farms for $12.  But there was the sense of adventure of exploring new places (my version of being like Bill Whitman); I also bought four trees at a time and got to practice my Spanish (or lack thereof) with Senior Lara.  But my 1 gal Alano Sapodilla tree from Lara ($12) was as big as the 3 gal Ox Sapadilla I bought from Excalibur ($30) at last years fruit tree sale.  My Ox drowned in Hurricane Isaac related flooding, but my Alano survived due to being at a higher elevation.  Did I tell you about my yellow passionfruit from Excalibur (via the fruit tree sale)?  It has purple fruit.  I think Excalibur has it's place in the fruit tree industry; I am thankful for my "machanois" mango tree (aka Mahachanok), which was from Excalibur via the fruit tree sale.  Excalibur is a great source for hard to find fruit trees, but an informed consumer will often pay a premium over other suppliers.  When you figure I bought 50+ trees last year, a $10 per tree savings adds up to $500.

Bill Whitman probably just turned over in his grave.

Again, you were looking for a bargain.  To save $5 you sacrificed on the size of the plant.  I will reiterate, vendors do not bring all their very best stuff to sales and leave their nursery high and dry/SOL.  If you know so much, you should know this.  Also, don't blame Excalibur cause Isaac killed a 3 gallon sapodilla (which nobody forced you to buy), Isaac killed many trees of all sizes with its flooding.

Question is, did you tell ANYONE AT Excalibur that you got the wrong colored passionfruit?  If so, why not???  Also, since you know so much, you should know why SOME pots have the name "mahachanois" written on them...oh, I know the Wilsons will feel and sleep much better because you, "think Excalibur has it's place in the fruit tree industry".

I can understand if you travel for the knowledge and to learn...however based on your comment of being a "bargain hunter", I wonder if you are truly getting bargains in the long run (yes, I may buy a lot of 1 gal from Julian but it is in quantity and if you know anything about fresh grafted 1 gal, there is always gonna be a mortality rate when bringing them out of the greenhouse, into the sun and potting them up....so the price you initially pay may have to be readjusted for its final value).  Honestly, I don't know if you work, what you do for a living or what your income status is however factor in time and gas, your savings are not what they appear to be in black and white.

[natsgarden123]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

The 20% isn't really a loss, that money goes toward the cost of the facility and the Rare Fruit Council.  I didn't see any 3 gallon mango trees marked less than $35, which with 20% reduction is still a net of $28.  More three gallon trees are sold in that one day that any other day in Palm Beach County for sure so a large nursery does benefit from the sale, especially if they take the opportunity to "dump" some stock at the same time.  When the RFC was started back when Bill Whitman was in his prime, people waited the night before to get their hands on the latest imports of exotic fruit trees, thus the name Rare Fruit Council.  I realize that the general public is looking for Tommy Atkins and Florida Hass trees, but its a shame that more isn't shared.  I kind of liked the idea of picking up trees at a different rate than I can at a retail nursery at any given time, so yes I am guilty of bargain hunting at the sales.  I did drop $240 in fertilizer for my yearly supply, but didn't find a lot of the rarer items on the yellow sheet at sale opening.  I also noted some trees with split trunks that were swollen and oozing sap, and wasn't alone in that observation.

I hate when people go back in the past and refer to "we paid $xxx for that 5-10+ years ago.  Economy is different and nurseries are not in the business for their enjoyment.  Not only do they have expenses and employees to pay, but it their business and making a PROFIT is first and foremost.

I have also seen instances where xyz nursery brought a durian to the sale and sold it...a few weeks later they came calling to the nursery it came from cause it died.  Now, do you tell the people "screw off, not my problem" or do you explain the reasons it may have died, most likely cause people buy ultra tropicals/super exotics cause they know the name BUT not how or what it takes to care for them AND give them a replacement/credit.  If you do nothing, it is bad advertising for the nursery and can cost them business.  When you "make good" on it it gives a good word of mouth but costs the nursery money.  It CAN become a lose-lose...

Now you say 20% isnt much cause it goes to the RFC...I agree it is good cause the RFC nets money for its cause however I disagree with you in that 20% of $10,000 is $2,000...are you telling me taking $2,000 from a nursery does not a loss for the nursery??  As you know, the nursery business, especially a tropical fruit nursery, is not a business that makes million and can just throw away thousands of dollars and not be affected by it...they only have to hope the word spreads and it brings them future business.

You mention some "dump" overstock...yes, some do and some don't however again, should a nursery bring all of its limited  items, sell them for a lesser price, make less cause of the 20% loss, and deplete their nursery inventory for the good of people looking for that rare or hard to get item at a slight discount.  If people what that rare or hard to get item, they SHOULD be willing to come to the nursery any day of the week and be glad that they are able to purchase it.  Oh, if anybody say well it is a matter of money and being able to afford it...if that is the case, then maybe they shouldn't be collecting rare/hard to get tropical fruit trees.

Profit should always be an intentional byproduct in business not the primary concern.  I don't expect to see Durian, Mangosteen, and Breadfruit passed off to the public as "growable" when they are clearly not in our area.  But it is nice to see different Jaboticaba species, Garcinia, new Mango Species, and other new subtropicals get introduced to the pubic.  A person attending an RFC sale shouldn't see trees priced at top retail that are unhealthy and small..  The Rare Fruit Council is a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of providing the public with a source of information and plant material representative of Rare Fruit. When I said "dump" I meant that some of the trees I saw at that sale should not have been sold, I never said "overstock".  A lot of volunteers are used to market during the sale at no cost to the sellers, that's an added benefit for cost savings.

Was it a overall success? Yes of course, the average non-tree hoarder would be happy with the selection on hand and unaware of what a collector would notice.. But what is the point of the "Rare Fruit Council" if nothing new is available, if it isn't a reliable source of material?  I commend Excalibur for being basically the source of a large portion of the trees at the sale, that's not an easy task considering the logistics and manpower involved in just moving the stock alone.  I am just stating that more people, myself included, need to step up to the plate and provide more selection..

Correct- it would have been awesome had there been more nurseries selling trees. I think Excalibur was the only mango vendor there.
 But the goal of the sale was to make money for the Rare Fruit Council and I think that the sale was successful from that aspect. Even though some of the trees may not have been as super healthy and gorgeous as your hand picked specimens  , ultimately, I think the mango trees will do well once planted no matter what.  I was careful when recommending the trees to make sure that the ones I picked out, looked decent. It would certainly turn someone off if they bought a tree from the sale only to have it die soon after planting.   My other suggestion for next year will be to provide printed planting instructions. I told a lot of people how to plant this trees but who knows if they retained that information.

[edzone9]

Did They Have Big Guanabana Trees at the sale ?
Thanks Ed..

Im Looking For A 15 Gal behemoth Guanabana Tree .

[Mr. Clean]

Bill Whitman probably just turned over in his grave.

Again, you were looking for a bargain.  To save $5 you sacrificed on the size of the plant.  I will reiterate, vendors do not bring all their very best stuff to sales and leave their nursery high and dry/SOL.  If you know so much, you should know this.  Also, don't blame Excalibur cause Isaac killed a 3 gallon sapodilla (which nobody forced you to buy), Isaac killed many trees of all sizes with its flooding.

Question is, did you tell ANYONE AT Excalibur that you got the wrong colored passionfruit?  If so, why not???  Also, since you know so much, you should know why SOME pots have the name "mahachanois" written on them...oh, I know the Wilsons will feel and sleep much better because you, "think Excalibur has it's place in the fruit tree industry".

I can understand if you travel for the knowledge and to learn...however based on your comment of being a "bargain hunter", I wonder if you are truly getting bargains in the long run (yes, I may buy a lot of 1 gal from Julian but it is in quantity and if you know anything about fresh grafted 1 gal, there is always gonna be a mortality rate when bringing them out of the greenhouse, into the sun and potting them up....so the price you initially pay may have to be readjusted for its final value).  Honestly, I don't know if you work, what you do for a living or what your income status is however factor in time and gas, your savings are not what they appear to be in black and white.

I've probably spent $2K on this fruit tree hobby last year + this year so far.  I do not expect to make a profit on this hobby.  It is cheaper than other hobbies I have had in the past.  I enjoy buying fruit trees from lower price sources, part of it is supporting those businesses.  Whether I have to drive or not, I get satisfaction from the process and seeing other nurseries.  For most of my trips to Homestead, I have gone to multiple places in the same trip.  You are with Excalibur and I told you about the yellow passion fruit problem .... look at your response.  The passion fruit only cost me $15; it is not worth the hassle to fix the problem. 

Thanks for telling me that Bill Whitman turned over in his grave because I bought fruit trees in Homestead.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  I stopped by Excalibur today looking for a J-31 Jackfruit tree, but Excalibur did not have any.  Whether you win or lose the "argument", you are alienating a past customer and prospective future customer.   

[bsbullie]

Bill Whitman probably just turned over in his grave.

Again, you were looking for a bargain.  To save $5 you sacrificed on the size of the plant.  I will reiterate, vendors do not bring all their very best stuff to sales and leave their nursery high and dry/SOL.  If you know so much, you should know this.  Also, don't blame Excalibur cause Isaac killed a 3 gallon sapodilla (which nobody forced you to buy), Isaac killed many trees of all sizes with its flooding.

Question is, did you tell ANYONE AT Excalibur that you got the wrong colored passionfruit?  If so, why not???  Also, since you know so much, you should know why SOME pots have the name "mahachanois" written on them...oh, I know the Wilsons will feel and sleep much better because you, "think Excalibur has it's place in the fruit tree industry".

I can understand if you travel for the knowledge and to learn...however based on your comment of being a "bargain hunter", I wonder if you are truly getting bargains in the long run (yes, I may buy a lot of 1 gal from Julian but it is in quantity and if you know anything about fresh grafted 1 gal, there is always gonna be a mortality rate when bringing them out of the greenhouse, into the sun and potting them up....so the price you initially pay may have to be readjusted for its final value).  Honestly, I don't know if you work, what you do for a living or what your income status is however factor in time and gas, your savings are not what they appear to be in black and white.

I've probably spent $2K on this fruit tree hobby last year + this year so far.  I do not expect to make a profit on this hobby.  It is cheaper than other hobbies I have had in the past.  I enjoy buying fruit trees from lower price sources, part of it is supporting those businesses.  Whether I have to drive or not, I get satisfaction from the process and seeing other nurseries.  For most of my trips to Homestead, I have gone to multiple places in the same trip.  You are with Excalibur and I told you about the yellow passion fruit problem .... look at your response.  The passion fruit only cost me $15; it is not worth the hassle to fix the problem. 

Thanks for telling me that Bill Whitman turned over in his grave because I bought fruit trees in Homestead.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  I stopped by Excalibur today looking for a J-31 Jackfruit tree, but Excalibur did not have any.  Whether you win or lose the "argument", you are alienating a past customer and prospective future customer.

problem is you don't have a clue what is being said, or what has been said...what I said has NOTHING to do with you going to Homestead. 

Do you really think anyone cares that you have spent $2,000 over the past year+?  Many of us have spent that and more but we don't brag about it.

oh, if if $15.00 means nothing to you, then why the "bargain hunting"?  Why even bring it up at all??  The point is you should have said something to the OWNERS of Excalibur when you first noticed it, not in a forum post when discussing anything with me or anybody else...unless of course you have ulterior motives.

Excalibur does have J-31, just not in 1 gal or 3 gal sizes...

...and don't get all huffy cause I exposed your mystery source...   

[Patrick]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

The 20% isn't really a loss, that money goes toward the cost of the facility and the Rare Fruit Council.  I didn't see any 3 gallon mango trees marked less than $35, which with 20% reduction is still a net of $28.  More three gallon trees are sold in that one day that any other day in Palm Beach County for sure so a large nursery does benefit from the sale, especially if they take the opportunity to "dump" some stock at the same time.  When the RFC was started back when Bill Whitman was in his prime, people waited the night before to get their hands on the latest imports of exotic fruit trees, thus the name Rare Fruit Council.  I realize that the general public is looking for Tommy Atkins and Florida Hass trees, but its a shame that more isn't shared.  I kind of liked the idea of picking up trees at a different rate than I can at a retail nursery at any given time, so yes I am guilty of bargain hunting at the sales.  I did drop $240 in fertilizer for my yearly supply, but didn't find a lot of the rarer items on the yellow sheet at sale opening.  I also noted some trees with split trunks that were swollen and oozing sap, and wasn't alone in that observation.

I hate when people go back in the past and refer to "we paid $xxx for that 5-10+ years ago.  Economy is different and nurseries are not in the business for their enjoyment.  Not only do they have expenses and employees to pay, but it their business and making a PROFIT is first and foremost.

I have also seen instances where xyz nursery brought a durian to the sale and sold it...a few weeks later they came calling to the nursery it came from cause it died.  Now, do you tell the people "screw off, not my problem" or do you explain the reasons it may have died, most likely cause people buy ultra tropicals/super exotics cause they know the name BUT not how or what it takes to care for them AND give them a replacement/credit.  If you do nothing, it is bad advertising for the nursery and can cost them business.  When you "make good" on it it gives a good word of mouth but costs the nursery money.  It CAN become a lose-lose...

Now you say 20% isnt much cause it goes to the RFC...I agree it is good cause the RFC nets money for its cause however I disagree with you in that 20% of $10,000 is $2,000...are you telling me taking $2,000 from a nursery does not a loss for the nursery??  As you know, the nursery business, especially a tropical fruit nursery, is not a business that makes million and can just throw away thousands of dollars and not be affected by it...they only have to hope the word spreads and it brings them future business.

You mention some "dump" overstock...yes, some do and some don't however again, should a nursery bring all of its limited  items, sell them for a lesser price, make less cause of the 20% loss, and deplete their nursery inventory for the good of people looking for that rare or hard to get item at a slight discount.  If people what that rare or hard to get item, they SHOULD be willing to come to the nursery any day of the week and be glad that they are able to purchase it.  Oh, if anybody say well it is a matter of money and being able to afford it...if that is the case, then maybe they shouldn't be collecting rare/hard to get tropical fruit trees.

Profit should always be an intentional byproduct in business not the primary concern.  I don't expect to see Durian, Mangosteen, and Breadfruit passed off to the public as "growable" when they are clearly not in our area.  But it is nice to see different Jaboticaba species, Garcinia, new Mango Species, and other new subtropicals get introduced to the pubic.  A person attending an RFC sale shouldn't see trees priced at top retail that are unhealthy and small..  The Rare Fruit Council is a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of providing the public with a source of information and plant material representative of Rare Fruit. When I said "dump" I meant that some of the trees I saw at that sale should not have been sold, I never said "overstock".  A lot of volunteers are used to market during the sale at no cost to the sellers, that's an added benefit for cost savings.

Was it a overall success? Yes of course, the average non-tree hoarder would be happy with the selection on hand and unaware of what a collector would notice.. But what is the point of the "Rare Fruit Council" if nothing new is available, if it isn't a reliable source of material?  I commend Excalibur for being basically the source of a large portion of the trees at the sale, that's not an easy task considering the logistics and manpower involved in just moving the stock alone.  I am just stating that more people, myself included, need to step up to the plate and provide more selection..

Correct- it would have been awesome had there been more nurseries selling trees. I think Excalibur was the only mango vendor there.
 But the goal of the sale was to make money for the Rare Fruit Council and I think that the sale was successful from that aspect. Even though some of the trees may not have been as super healthy and gorgeous as your hand picked specimens  , ultimately, I think the mango trees will do well once planted no matter what.  I was careful when recommending the trees to make sure that the ones I picked out, looked decent. It would certainly turn someone off if they bought a tree from the sale only to have it die soon after planting.   My other suggestion for next year will be to provide printed planting instructions. I told a lot of people how to plant this trees but who knows if they retained that information.

Printed planting instuctions are a really good idea! I watch my neighbors all the time plant stuff deep in badly ammended soil and water once, when I try to give advice I get looked at llike I have three eyes.

[bsbullie]

Did anyone get any good deals at the sale this year?  I noticed the pricing was full retail this time.  I bought a bunch of bags of fertilizer and left empty handed otherwise.. I am interested to hear the reviews of others who attended..

Same here, most trees were from Excalibur at full retail ($35 for 3 gal).  I didn't buy any trees.  I bought some fruit and fertilizer.

The bulk of 3gal were NOT $35. Excalibur brings the bulk, sells the bulk AND provides the RFC with a lot of monies because of it.  Do you guys only go there looking for a bargain or do you go to find something that you want that you may otherwise not find elsewhere?  Not sure why some people expect nurseries to give there stuff away and bargain prices and then on top of that, lose 20% of their sales.

From what I heard, the sales were possible they best they have ever been...

The 20% isn't really a loss, that money goes toward the cost of the facility and the Rare Fruit Council.  I didn't see any 3 gallon mango trees marked less than $35, which with 20% reduction is still a net of $28.  More three gallon trees are sold in that one day that any other day in Palm Beach County for sure so a large nursery does benefit from the sale, especially if they take the opportunity to "dump" some stock at the same time.  When the RFC was started back when Bill Whitman was in his prime, people waited the night before to get their hands on the latest imports of exotic fruit trees, thus the name Rare Fruit Council.  I realize that the general public is looking for Tommy Atkins and Florida Hass trees, but its a shame that more isn't shared.  I kind of liked the idea of picking up trees at a different rate than I can at a retail nursery at any given time, so yes I am guilty of bargain hunting at the sales.  I did drop $240 in fertilizer for my yearly supply, but didn't find a lot of the rarer items on the yellow sheet at sale opening.  I also noted some trees with split trunks that were swollen and oozing sap, and wasn't alone in that observation.

I hate when people go back in the past and refer to "we paid $xxx for that 5-10+ years ago.  Economy is different and nurseries are not in the business for their enjoyment.  Not only do they have expenses and employees to pay, but it their business and making a PROFIT is first and foremost.

I have also seen instances where xyz nursery brought a durian to the sale and sold it...a few weeks later they came calling to the nursery it came from cause it died.  Now, do you tell the people "screw off, not my problem" or do you explain the reasons it may have died, most likely cause people buy ultra tropicals/super exotics cause they know the name BUT not how or what it takes to care for them AND give them a replacement/credit.  If you do nothing, it is bad advertising for the nursery and can cost them business.  When you "make good" on it it gives a good word of mouth but costs the nursery money.  It CAN become a lose-lose...

Now you say 20% isnt much cause it goes to the RFC...I agree it is good cause the RFC nets money for its cause however I disagree with you in that 20% of $10,000 is $2,000...are you telling me taking $2,000 from a nursery does not a loss for the nursery??  As you know, the nursery business, especially a tropical fruit nursery, is not a business that makes million and can just throw away thousands of dollars and not be affected by it...they only have to hope the word spreads and it brings them future business.

You mention some "dump" overstock...yes, some do and some don't however again, should a nursery bring all of its limited  items, sell them for a lesser price, make less cause of the 20% loss, and deplete their nursery inventory for the good of people looking for that rare or hard to get item at a slight discount.  If people what that rare or hard to get item, they SHOULD be willing to come to the nursery any day of the week and be glad that they are able to purchase it.  Oh, if anybody say well it is a matter of money and being able to afford it...if that is the case, then maybe they shouldn't be collecting rare/hard to get tropical fruit trees.

Profit should always be an intentional byproduct in business not the primary concern.  I don't expect to see Durian, Mangosteen, and Breadfruit passed off to the public as "growable" when they are clearly not in our area.  But it is nice to see different Jaboticaba species, Garcinia, new Mango Species, and other new subtropicals get introduced to the pubic.  A person attending an RFC sale shouldn't see trees priced at top retail that are unhealthy and small..  The Rare Fruit Council is a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of providing the public with a source of information and plant material representative of Rare Fruit. When I said "dump" I meant that some of the trees I saw at that sale should not have been sold, I never said "overstock".  A lot of volunteers are used to market during the sale at no cost to the sellers, that's an added benefit for cost savings.

Was it a overall success? Yes of course, the average non-tree hoarder would be happy with the selection on hand and unaware of what a collector would notice.. But what is the point of the "Rare Fruit Council" if nothing new is available, if it isn't a reliable source of material?  I commend Excalibur for being basically the source of a large portion of the trees at the sale, that's not an easy task considering the logistics and manpower involved in just moving the stock alone.  I am just stating that more people, myself included, need to step up to the plate and provide more selection..

Correct- it would have been awesome had there been more nurseries selling trees. I think Excalibur was the only mango vendor there.
 But the goal of the sale was to make money for the Rare Fruit Council and I think that the sale was successful from that aspect. Even though some of the trees may not have been as super healthy and gorgeous as your hand picked specimens  , ultimately, I think the mango trees will do well once planted no matter what.  I was careful when recommending the trees to make sure that the ones I picked out, looked decent. It would certainly turn someone off if they bought a tree from the sale only to have it die soon after planting.   My other suggestion for next year will be to provide printed planting instructions. I told a lot of people how to plant this trees but who knows if they retained that information.

Printed planting instuctions are a really good idea! I watch my neighbors all the time plant stuff deep in badly ammended soil and water once, when I try to give advice I get looked at llike I have three eyes.

Unless something changes, the vendors are not allowed to bring/hand out any printed material (yes, it is silly).  The instructions would have to come from the RFC.  Another problem is that I have heard a wide array of different ways to plant from various members of the RFC, depending on who you talk to...

[Patrick]

I would think printed marketing material would be an issue, things like business cards and the like (which I have seen distributed at the sales).  I agree that the instructions would have to be provided by the council, that way there could be one agreed sheet printed to avoid confusion.  Instructions really are important for people that are new to planting, it could make or break a future tree hoarder!

[natsgarden123]

I would think printed marketing material would be an issue, things like business cards and the like (which I have seen distributed at the sales).  I agree that the instructions would have to be provided by the council, that way there could be one agreed sheet printed to avoid confusion.  Instructions really are important for people that are new to planting, it could make or break a future tree hoarder!

I don't see why the RFC wouldn't print some up; there is a general consensus about how to plant fruit trees so I don't think varying opinions would be a bug issue.  They also should have had better signs directing people to the agricomplex- I had a hard time finding the right entrance myself.