Monthly Meetings
Location...The Brevard Rare Fruit Council takes place at the Melbourne Front Street Civic Center. Some of points of reference to get there:
Coming from the west, pass in front of the Strawberry Mansion restaurant by going East on E. Melbourne Ave. and make a left into Front Street right after the scuba shop, as if you were going to the Chart House Restaurant. The Civic Center will be on your left hand side and the parking lot is the same as the boat ramp to the Indian River.
Coming from the east, drive over the Indian River by crossing the US 192 Causeway and hang a left into Front Street before getting to US 1
Here is a map of the area:
Coming from the west, pass in front of the Strawberry Mansion restaurant by going East on E. Melbourne Ave. and make a left into Front Street right after the scuba shop, as if you were going to the Chart House Restaurant. The Civic Center will be on your left hand side and the parking lot is the same as the boat ramp to the Indian River.
Coming from the east, drive over the Indian River by crossing the US 192 Causeway and hang a left into Front Street before getting to US 1
Here is a map of the area:
Date and time...
We meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month, except November and December. The November meeting is held on Wednesday of the week before Thanksgiving, and is usually a banquet at one of the restaurants in Melbourne. There is no meeting in December. The meeting officially starts at 7:30 PM, but most of us come a little early to exchange seeds, plants, and ideas. The meeting ends between 9:00 and 9:30 PMProgram...
The meeting starts with a brief introduction of the speaker and the agenda that will follow. The tasting table is then presented with several seasonal fruit and everyone then gets in line to try the many delicious samples. Once everyone is settled down, we go over any general announcements and then proceed to listen to the invited speaker. Once the meeting is over, the winners of the silent auctions are announced and then we have a drawing of prizes, which are mostly composed of different fruit trees that can be grown in this area. The entire meeting usually runs close to 9:30 PM (2 hours)What to bring...
You don't have to bring anything! If you enjoyed the meeting, bring a friend! All are welcome. Some of our members bring seeds/cuttings/plants to share with the group. We do recommend you bring a zipploc bag or two if you need some place to store those seeds you gather during the trip to the tasting table. You do not need to be a member to attend the meetings or participate. All are welcome. Club members receive other numerous benefits for the small membership yearly fee.What to expect...
Expect to find a friendly atmosphere and helpful people. As a nonprofit organization, the members and officers are there to help each other without worrying about compensation. As a member of the club, expect to participate in free bus trips, receiving a considerable discount during the yearly fruit tree sale, and other benefits. The membership to the BRFC is $15.00 a person, or $25.00 for your entire family. The benefits for this modest fee pay for themselves many times.