The California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. (CRFG) is a non-profit organization of rare exotic fruit enthusiasts, hobbyists and

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

horticulturists Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

based in California. The CRFG, founded in 1968, promotes rare fruits in the

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

marketplace, according to a 1997 article in the ''Seasonal Chef'' online newsletter. As of 2008 the CRFG has 3,000 members in approximately 35 countries with 20 Chapters in Western US.

History

The California Rare Fruit Growers was co-founded by Paul Thomson and John Riley in 1968. Thomson was a self-taught botanist and fruit farmer based in San Diego's North County, while Riley was an

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

with Lockheed from

Santa Clara, California Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...

. Both Thomson and Riley shared an enthusiasm for rare fruits and plants which had not been previously widely cultivated in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Riley and Thomson soon began collaborating to publish a newsletter on tropical and subtropical fruits using a mimeograph machine. In 1968 they expanded operations to found the CRFG. Membership was swelled by a rapid influx of newcomers to California who were "without prejudice to what could not be grown" in the state.

Mission statement

To encourage and foster public and scientific interest, research, education in and the preservation of rare fruit plants that have edible seeds, fruits, leaves, stems or roots and are not commonly grown commercially. The furtherance and encouragement of these activities shall be for the benefit of the public rather than commercial interests.

What is rare fruit?

A fruit is considered to be rare because it is: * Not normally grown in a particular area or climatic zone. * Scarce or about to be extinct. * Of unusual properties, such as the miracle fruit which changes the sense of taste. * A new species that have recently been introduced or discovered. * A species that has not been grown commercially.

Publication

The CRFG publishes a bimonthly magazine called ''The Fruit Gardener'', an outgrowth of the early newsletters published by Thomson and Riley.

Annual meeting

CRFG members and the public meets every year to celebrate the Festival of Fruit, an event organized by different chapters. This event includes seminars, workshops, local tours and plant sales.

References

External links

California Rare Fruit Growers
{{Authority control Horticultural organizations based in the United States Clubs and societies in California Gardens in California Nonprofit hobbyist organizations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in California Organizations established in 1968 1968 establishments in California