Article 20704 of rec.gardens:
From: ramirez@julia.math.ucla.edu (Alice Ramirez)
Subject: California Rare Fruit Growers
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 93 19:01:27 GMT
Lines: 62

From: heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com (Matt Heffron)
In <23clr1INN67v@gap.caltech.edu> kelly@cco.caltech.edu (Kelly F.) writes:

>California Rare Fruit Growers
>Fullerton Arboretum, CSFU
>Fullerton, CA 92634
>This club has a world-wide membership base and is very knowledgable

Yes, don't let its name fool you.  It has members all over the country, 
and indeed as far away as Africa, Czeckoslovakia and Australia.
Whether or not it is a larger group than NAFEX I don't know, but my 
beloved weird fruit group is a very vigourous entity.

>(Its $16 annual, US, which includes 6 issues of 'The Fruit Gardener'
>which is a color magazine, also a seed bank and seed exchange.)

The seed exchange alone is worth the price of admission.  

>>I'm a member, great organization!

Me, too.
This will sound bizarre, but for some of us, it's almost a cult.  I first
joined the organization on a whim.  I like fruit, I thought it would be
fun.  I might have, as easily at the time, joined a herb or bonsai group.  
Instead,I joined CRFG.  Within about 2 months, I turned completely into 
a crazed fruit maniac.  All other gardening interests dropped away.  

Everything I read of a horticultural nature, from then on, was related 
to fruit--especially, weird fruit.

Most of my personal friends are now weird fruiters.  

Grass disappeared from my yard, flowerbeds shrank.  Other than a few 
tomato vines, leaf lettuce in the winter and onions (to stave off aphids), 
a few herbs, my entire property is planted over to fruit trees.  

I now name my naranjillas

I now have to be careful among non-weird-fruiters.  If they are gardeners,
I try to convert them.  If they ask what I grow and I tell them, their eyes
glass over.  It is such a habit of mine now to assume that EVERYBODY knows
pittaya from pitomba, and an intellectual, if not gardening acquaintance
with jaboticaba. It shocks me when they don't.  I seek out new weird
fruit to taste or better yet to grow.  Thanks to CRFG, weird-fruiting 
has become something of an addiction with me.

Having local chapter meetings are worth attending for the fruit tasting
table alone.  It was at these that I tasted my first kei apple, 
surinam cherry, Diospyros lotus and my durian.   

>>I posted the membership info and application for CRFG a few months ago;
>>if anyone wants one, email me (I won't repost unless I get a lot of
>>interest).

Anyone with an interest in fruit growing should join.  (oops,there I 
go again)

>For those of you in southern california, CRFG will have their 25th
>anniversary celebration in Thousand Oaks, CA, which includes tours,
>plant and book sales, and food. 




Article 20706 of rec.gardens:
From: jhoskins@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (James M Hoskins)
Subject: Re: California Rare Fruit Growers
Date: 3 Aug 1993 20:24:29 GMT
Lines: 36

In article <1993Aug3.190127.16934@math.ucla.edu> ramirez@julia.math.ucla.edu (A
lice Ramirez) writes:
>From: heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com (Matt Heffron)
>In <23clr1INN67v@gap.caltech.edu> kelly@cco.caltech.edu (Kelly F.) writes:
>
California Rare Fruit Growers
Fullerton Arboretum, CSFU
Fullerton, CA 92634

This club has a world-wide membership base and is very knowledgable
>
>Yes, don't let its name fool you.  It has members all over the country,
>and indeed as far away as Africa, Czeckoslovakia and Australia.
>Whether or not it is a larger group than NAFEX I don't know, but my
>beloved weird fruit group is a very vigourous entity.
>
>>(Its $16 annual, US, which includes 6 issues of 'The Fruit Gardener'
>>which is a color magazine, also a seed bank and seed exchange.)
>
>The seed exchange alone is worth the price of admission.
>
>>>I'm a member, great organization!
>
>Me, too.

From the Ohio Heartland, where a tree-ripened pear or peach may be
considered rare, if not endangered, fruit:

I guess I'm a member of CRFG too, but I only joined in order to receive
the "Fruit Gardener" magazine.  It is a FANTASTIC publication.  Beautifully
edited and illustrated with articles of interest to people at all stages
of gardening and horticultural knowledge and experience.   Membership is
well worth $16 for the magazine alone.

JH

Article 20657 of rec.gardens:
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Rare Fruit growing article
From: heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com (Matt Heffron)
Date: 2 Aug 1993 11:51:16 -0700
Reply-To: heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com
Lines: 56

In <23clr1INN67v@gap.caltech.edu> kelly@cco.caltech.edu (Kelly F.) writes:
  [...]
>---------
>Clubs:
>---------

>California Rare Fruit Growers
>Fullerton Arboretum, CSFU
>Fullerton, CA 92634
>This club has a world-wide membership base and is very knowledgable
>about rare plants. Send a SASE for inquiries.
>(Its $16 annual, US, which includes 6 issues of 'The Fruit Gardener'
>which is a color magazine, also a seed bank and seed exchange.)

I'm a member, great organization!
I posted the membership info and application for CRFG a few months ago;
if anyone wants one, email me (I won't repost unless I get a lot of
interest).

>For those of you in southern california, CRFG will have their 25th
>anniversary celebration in Thousand Oaks, CA, which includes tours,
>plant and book sales, and food. 

  [...]

>-----------
>Nurseries:
>----------- 

  [...]

>Atkins Nursery Inc
>3129 Reche Rd
>Fallbrook, CA 92028
>(619) 728-1610

Very helpful and knowledgable staff.  Last fall they were growing a
mango with FIVE POUND FRUIT!!!!  I think it was going to be available
as grafted trees this year.  Prices MUCH BETTER than home centers or
local nurseries.

>Orange County Source
>Roger and Shirley Meyer
>16531 Mt Shelly Circle
>Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Roger Meyer is probably THE expert on Kiwi in California (if not US).
He has many varieties most people have never heard of.
(How about a red or orange fruit kiwi, to color coordinate that
fruit salad!? :-)  I don't think these were in production yet :-(
(either fruit or plants).)
-- 
Matt Heffron                      heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com
Beckman Instruments, Inc.         voice: (714) 961-3128
2500 N. Harbor Blvd. MS X-11, Fullerton, CA 92634-3100
I don't speak for Beckman Instruments unless they say so.


Article 20764 of rec.gardens:
Subject: Re: California Rare Fruit Growers
From: heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com (Matt Heffron)
Date: 4 Aug 1993 14:28:53 -0700
Reply-To: heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com
Lines: 29

In <23p3hd$7eh@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> nstassen@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Nicki A Stassen Lantz) writes:

>Oh, one last note: I wrote last fall (I think) to the Pacific Tree Farm in CA
>because I was really interested in buying a chocolate tree. They sent me back a
>catalog with a note that they were going out of business and everything was a %
>off the listed price.

>Not many places sell chocolate plants, so I was bummed to hear this news.
>Needless to say, I didn't place an order, and I'm wondering if anyone out there
>in CA knows if they managed to get back on their feet or not....

They did survive!!  One of the employees bought the business.
It was 'announced' in the "Fruit Gardener" :-)

Pacific Tree Farms
4301 Lynwood Drive
Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 422-2400
Closed Tuesday
Catalog $2.00

>NA Stassen lantz
>Programmer/Analyst
>The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH    Zone 5
-- 
Matt Heffron                      heffron@falstaff.css.beckman.com
Beckman Instruments, Inc.         voice: (714) 961-3128
2500 N. Harbor Blvd. MS X-11, Fullerton, CA 92634-3100
I don't speak for Beckman Instruments unless they say so.


