Club History

Founded on December 3, 1978, in Temple Terrace, Florida, the Tampa Bay Rare Fruit Council is a not-for-profit service and education oriented organization.

Our membership includes amateurs and professionals, novices and long-term gardeners, young and the not-so young. We all learn from each other and encourage members to share their experiences, knowledge, and enthusiasm about growing exotic rare fruit edibles.

Over the past 25 years the roster of speakers we have hosted looks like the "Who's Who" of Florida horticulture. We have enjoyed hearing Chris Rollins Director of the Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead, Gene Joyner of Unbelievable Acres Botanic Garden in West Palm Beach, Don Chafin (Going Bananas) of Homestead, Gardening Author Monica Brandies, Florida books Author Lewis Maxwell, UF strawberry breeder Dr. Craig Chandler, and many others. Speakers have come from as far away as Brunei and as close as our own members.