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Topic: Lessons in Grafting

Har's presentation on grafting will be in the Pavilion located in our mango grove.

11am to 12pm 

We're honored to have

Har Mahdeem, an expert on various topics of tropical fruit, at our Farm Fest this year. You won't want to miss this presentation. Har has an entire lifetime of experience with tropical fruit. He grew up in the Amazon region of South America consuming rare jungle fruits and later worked with the famous Zill nursery on their Annona breeding program and various germplasm collection trips.

He has traveled extensively in Florida and has more recently been working with the local mango growers as a consultant on Pine Island.

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Topic:  TBA

Steve's presentation will be in the Pavilion located in our mango grove.

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Steve Cucura, together with Jesse Avalos, has created a Tropical Fruit Paradise with Fruitscapes. With their dedication and knowledge of tropical fruit trees as well as their trusted, informed and well managed staff every tree is cared for from sprout to ripeness.

As a customer you can look forward to all the varieties of trees you have grown to love as well some new ones. A member of the Rare Fruit Council, Fruitscapes Nursery embraces diversity, manifested by dozens of varieties of mangoes, avocados and a collection of rare tropical fruits not found anywhere else.

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Topic: Wild Edible Plant Identification Farm Tour.

Andy's tour will occur twice during the FarmFest. Space is limited for this event. Tour will begin at Pavilion located in our mango grove.

11am to 12pm and

1pm to 2pm

Andy’s pleasure is working with plants. His deepest field of study has been with the wild edible and medicinal plants that grace Florida’s wild places. He is author of “Florida Foraging: Volume One: 150 Common Wild Edible Plants of Florida.

In 1993, Andy began hosting wild edible plant walks across Florida. Over 30,000 people have attended these walks, and he leads as many as ten each month throughout the state of Florida. He is the co-founder of YamFest! – the perennial vegetables celebration that was first hosted at HEART in Lake Wales.

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Topic: TBA

Matt will be speaking in the Garden Tent

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm 

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Matthew Reese has been a permaculture practitioner for more than a decade and has designed and developed many agroforestry sites in the state of Florida. He currently manages his own family farm in Punta Gorda specializing in mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and many other fruit crops. His background as a civil/coastal engineer and surveyor have given him a unique vision and skill set to help others develop working systems for themselves.