California Rare Fruit Growers CRFG Orange County Chapter

08/21/2026

Celebrate aGust with all plants G!
Guava, gold nugget, Guaibajai, Gissarki, Genip and grape.

The OC chapter of the CRFG has plants to sell on our website.

We have a nice inventory of Guava, a grafted, gold nugget loquat, Gissarki pomegranate, and 10 varieties of grapes.
… we also have a nice selection of Figs, purple Japanese sweet potatoes, rose apples

Check out our complete inventory at ocfruit.com plant sale” from the Orange County chapter of the California rare fruit growers.

***For an itemized list of plants and varieties available, with pricing, https://ocfruit.com/Plants-For-Sale.php
***For more information, please contact us using the email listed on the top of that page, and here>>> (plantsale@ocfruit com)

We have reasonable prices, and we grow in propagate most of our plants, funding scholarships for college students studying in the plant sciences.

Thank you for your interest and support.

08/18/2026

"When Andy Mariani’s parents tended their orchards in the Santa Clara Valley nearly a century ago, the region was known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight. Blenheim apricots, Bing and Royal Ann cherries and French prunes with pink and white blossoms bejeweled the land."

"the demise of Andy’s Orchard will be “heartbreaking.” At this year’s final tasting, as Mr. Mariani sat in a weathered chair near the tasting tables, a young boy called out, “Thank you, Andy, for growing amazing fruit!”

Mr. Mariani applauded. He was reminded of his first taste of his father’s Crawford peach. “That’s what I’ll miss,” he said. “I’m trying to give kids the same experience I got.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/14/business/andys-orchard-silicon-valley.html?unlocked_article_code=1.51A.QP0E.F8q2Lp4JDps7&smid=url-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawTwiX9wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMWY1SUFaYkdtQXVCejNwTElzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe02zaK_XvYUFxrNWN3nNtmgdgx_GpGk5u6abuRCoWl1nqcr7F4PssTI1oMos_aem_DQXNayPKE_PMCo9EZnPbuQ

Andy Mariani grows exotic and ethereally delicious stone fruit in the shadow of tech giants. But at age 80, it’s time to give up the land.

08/08/2026

OC-CRFG's next scheduled meeting is on Thursday Aug 20th, 7:00pm, at a new location: Tustin Presbyterian Church “Fellowship Hall”, 225 W. Main St., Tustin, CA 92780

The talk will be, "How companion plants, healthy soil, and ecological design create healthier, more productive gardens."
With Jeremy Elkin and Justin Sutherlin who will explore how a collection of fruit trees can become a thriving, resilient edible ecosystem. Learn the principles of food forest design, including plant guilds, soil building, water management, and beneficial companion plants that work together to improve tree health, productivity, and biodiversity. Whether you have a single fruit tree or a backyard orchard, you'll leave with practical ideas you can apply at home.

Jeremy Elkind is the founder of Nature's Candy Fruit Tree Nursery and co-founder of Eden Food Forests in Southern California. A passionate fruit collector and food forest designer, Jeremy has spent years exploring the incredible diversity of edible plants and sharing his excitement for rare and exceptional fruit varieties with others.

Justin Sutherlin is the co-founder of Eden Food Forests, where he combines a passion for regenerative landscaping with hands-on experience creating productive edible ecosystems. Specializing in hillside landscapes, Justin has designed and installed food forests throughout Southern California, giving him firsthand insight into the opportunities and challenges of creating resilient landscapes in our unique Mediterranean climate.

Together, Jeremy and Justin combine a passion for exceptional fruit varieties with the principles of regenerative landscape design to help homeowners transform traditional yards and orchards into thriving food forests.

Please join us in-person or on Zoom (see our website in the comments for the Zoom link)

We welcome your contributions for the tasting table.

***New venue***
Tustin Presbyterian Church “Fellowship Hall” 225 W. Main St., Tustin, CA, United States, 92780

07/31/2026

The OC Fair 2026 started 2 weeks ago, and runs through August 16, Wednesday through Sunday. CRFG-OC has a booth at the Fair, by the "Centennial Farm." If you're at the Fair, please stop by to see our fruit display, talk about exotic fruits, or just inquire about the group.
It's fun and many nice, interesting people stop by to see the fruit display, ask questions, to talk about what they're growing at home, and inquire about the club.

07/10/2026

OC-CRFG's next scheduled meeting is on Thursday July 16th, 7:00pm, at a new location: Tustin Presbyterian Church “Fellowship Hall”, 300 W. Main St., Tustin, CA 92780

We will have a panel of “Meet the Experts” who will share their
knowledge of a variety of different fruiting plants. A panel of chapter members will share their knowledge of a variety of different fruiting plants as well as pruning best practices and propagation techniques such as grafting and air-layering. The panel members are: Don Winterstein, John McNeill, Khaled Hassan, Ty Teissere, Kaz Takata and Jeff Warner.

Attendees are encouraged to send questions before the meeting to panel moderator Ryan Hulbert ( [email protected]). Some of the fruit species that our panelists have expertise in are: avocados, blueberries, citrus, figs, mangos, monstera and many types of rare fruits. Some of the techniques they can discuss about are: pruning, various grafting techniques and strategies, irrigation, tool sharpening and propagating by air-layering.

Please join us in-person or on Zoom (see our website in the comments for the Zoom link)

We welcome your contributions for the tasting table.

***New venue***
Tustin Presbyterian Church “Fellowship Hall” 300 W. Main St., Tustin, CA, United States, 92780

07/08/2026

The OC chapter of the CRFG has plants to sell on our website.

Here are a few examples of what we have available at this time: Avocados, Bananas, Dragon fruit, Figs, Loquat, Lychee, Mulberries, Pomegranates, Rose apple and more.

***For an itemized list of plants and varieties available, with pricing, check out our website plant sale page.
https://ocfruit.com/Plants-For-Sale.php

***For more information, please contact us using the email listed on the top of that page, and here>>> (plantsale@ocfruit com)

06/23/2026

The OC Fair 2026 runs from July 17 through August 16, Wednesday through Sunday. CRFG-OC has a booth at the Fair, by the "Centennial Farm." If you're at the Fair, please stop by to see our fruit display, talk about exotic fruits, or just inquire about the group.

Current members, please sign up for shifts to cover the booth: it's fun and many nice, interesting people stop by to see the fruit display, ask questions, to talk about what they're growing at home, and inquire about the club, See the email from OC CRFG Membership

06/15/2026

There's no General meeting for June 2026, as we hosted the Festival of Fruit this month, with many wonderful speakers. Keep an eye out for July's meeting notice.

06/15/2026

"Better can mean bigger, brighter, more nutritious, more disease resistant—but in the grocery store, better typically means sweeter. In this country, at least, people tend to choose sweet fruit when given the choice, and these days people have many more choices than they used to." Interesting article

It’s like candy now—for better or for worse.

06/14/2026

The 2026 Festival of Fruit hosted by California Rare Fruit Growers CRFG Orange County Chapter, was a flying success today.

Thanks to all involved to make this a successful event, the board leaders, planners, speakers, vendors, setup volunteers, and of course the many plant enthusiasts who came and enjoyed the festival. It was nice to see old friends and to speak with new ones. Leave with new insights and vision for the garden. I even left with a few new plants.