Rare Fruit Australia’s Annual General Meeting in March 2008 attracted a contingent of more than 60 fruit and vegetable enthusiasts from branches along Queensland’s east coast.

Host branch, Mossman, organised inspections of three distinctly different properties during the two-day event.

The Botanical Ark, a private botanical garden in beautiful Whyanbeel Valley, near Mossman, featured an amazing tropical rainforest with many rare and endangered tropical plants from around the world. Alan and Susie Carle started their project more than 24 years ago, first as a flower farm, and in 1990 as private ethno-botanical gardens. The Carles regularly travel the tropical regions of the world, with a special interest in plants that indigenous rainforest cultures have and still use for their foods, spices, shelter, medicine, cosmetics, fibres, oils, dyes – their everyday needs.

Alan and Susie escorted Rare Fruit Australia members on a tour, pointing out properties of various trees, shrubs and vines – along with a warning against uninvited sampling of fruits and berries, as many in their collection are quite poisonous. However, Alan said their breadfruit trees were probably the property’s most useful, as they provided a steady, reliable and ample supply of quality food.

Cape Trib Farmstay, Cape Tribulation, was established by Colin and Dawn Gray in 1981, as a tropical exotic fruit orchard on a former historic grazing property, clearing in 1934. With fruit seeds collected from around the world, they planted more than 10 hectares of orchards while raising four young children in “pioneering conditions”.

The farm’s tropical location and atmosphere was enhanced by occasional showers during the visit by Rare Fruit Australia members – after all, it is set in a rainforest.

The farm’s main commercial crops – durian, mangosteen and rambutan – are well represented amongst more than 50 different species of tropical fruit trees. Following orchard devastation by Cyclone Rona in 1999, Colin and Dawn opted to diversify and built a number of comfortable farmstay cabins for visitors.

Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm, just a short distance away, hosted a sausage sizzle and farm walk for Rare Fruit Australia visitors. Alison and Digby Gotts “found” Cape Tribulation in January 1986 while travelling from Melbourne to take up teaching positions in Darwin. They fell in love with the amazing area, particularly the rainforest, isolation and warm climate – and the extraordinary variety of unusual fruit that flourished there.

They have chosen to establish an organic fruit farm and apply the philosophy of permaculture. Digby and Alison said they needed to develop a system which copied the rainforest and provided a supply of nutrients to the orchard trees through rotting material and vegetative matter. Through field experiments, they have found some trees are more suitable to the area than others, with delicious mangosteen a proven winner in the extremely rocky soil.

The latest edition of the Rare Fruit Review is now available and will be posted out to branches and members shortly. The theme is ‘In My Backyard’ with articles on Garden Design Permaculture Plant Design Lists Adels Grove Tropical Food Trail Dwarf Coconuts New Rare Fruit Organic Conversion The Marula Tree Improving orchard soil School vegetable gardens AND MORE.

Extra copies are available for sale to non RFCA members at $8 per copy plus postage.
Email webmanager@rarefruitaustralia.org if you wish to purchase a copy

The next Mackay Branch meeting will be held on Sunday 3rd August at 13 Stuart Street Mt Pleasant North Mackay. Mid day BYO Barby. Meeting 1:30pm. Corey Bell from the DPI will address the meeting on banned weeds.

Shirley Kerle, president of the Mackay Branch reports on the day:

It was a fine, sunny and very pleasant Sunday. I had lots of willing workers to help with the setting up of the display and I think it looked very colourful. It was a little quite to start with but soon became busy with a steady stream of visitors eager to taste the fruit on offer. This included jakfruit (fresh, dried & frozen), longan, ruby grapefruit, lemonade fruit, breadfruit chips, granadilla, governors plum and red mombin (even though these had been frozen the majority of the visitors thought they were really nice). I think the most popular fruit was the chempedak as I could hardly keep the plate topped up.

There was also pink lime, Glycosmis pentaphylla, the fruit of a little native plant which created lots of interest. Dale said there was a very close relative, Glycosmis trifoliata, growing in the gardens which bore a similar edible fruit.

The fruit of the yellow pitaya, sometimes known as dragon fruit, was a very welcome addition to the table. Of course we had the old party trick, a miracle fruit followed by a slice of lime.

We were kept busy answering lots of questions but I also learnt that the nice fresh young tips of the saba nut tree are edible. I tried these and found that not only are they edible (I’m still alive and writing this report) but they are also quite tasty. Only eat the very fresh young, pale green tips and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Ray Zillmann was the over all winner of the Mackay Branch fruit & cooking competition for 2006. Ray got to take home the Marion Burns perpetual trophy for the second time.

Ray is a very deserving winner as it’s not unusual for him to have something in each of the three different categories of the competition at each meeting.

Ray is always ready to volunteer his help when needed and always donates lots of goodies for our auction.

What a Backyard!

We visit Dave Hodge’s backyard in Edge Hill,CAIRNS and he will show us

• Cyclone Proofing plants with dual planting.
• Pond Apple as rootstock
• Lawnmower compost
• Sustainable watering.
• Trellised gourds.
• Local beans for the kitchen.
• Nematode prevention.

Come and see for yourself.
Members $2, Visitors $5

START: 12:00 midday at the picnic area opposite Cominos House in the Botanic Gardens in Greenslopes St. We will explore the tropical food gardens nearby
See map. Look for RFCA signs.

Bring your own picnic lunch. There is a BBQ available in the gardens.
Moving to Dave Hodges backyard for talk and tour at 202 Jensen St Edge Hill for 1:30 start . How about making an effort and bring a rare fruit tasty treat to share for afternoon

The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the RFCA was held on March 26, 2007 at Bundaberg, with 28 members attending.

The following positions were filled
President - Digby Gotts
Vice President - Alan Small
Secretary - Alison Gotts
Treasurer - Tony Woodall

Committee positions:
Gordon Tait - Hinkler
Ross Dickson - Wide
Paul Andrew - Mackay
Bob Tinknell - Cardwell

You can read the full minutes which will be posted on the home page of the website, as well as some articles about the different farms visited during the weekend.

The AGM will be held on the 24th March, 2007 at the Pine Creek Hall, south of Bundaberg. Phone Gordon and Jenny for more details 4157 9691.

There is a full 2 day program on the weekend which includes visits to three orchards.

SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST

HIGH FALLS FARM
1.30 pm

High Falls Farm provides an exotic fruit display orchard adjacent to its riverside restaurant. This orchard was established by Ron Berry many years ago. We will revisit the trees and see how they have changed. The present owner is Lynn Le’Carpentier.

Follow the Miallo Road turn off from the Daintree rd, until you come to the Whyanbeel turn off and follow the RFCA signs.

For more information call Dawn Meneikys 4098 2664

Members $2

Guests $5

Please bring a chair and a plate for afternoon tea.

Hi fellow rare fruit enthusiasts

Mossman RFCA will be holding their next field day on Saturday June 24th at 1.30 pm at Gray’s farm in Julatten.

After Cyclone Larry, many of us are looking at major damage to rare and valuable fruit trees and probably wondering what the best thing is to do – rip it out or prune it or prop it up. Don and Jeannette Gray at Julatten are coping with these decisions right now, so if you have suffered or are likely to do so in the next storm – you may have some interest in seeing what someone else has done.

There has been a very heavy wet season this year and they are faced with a large amount of maintenance work to get the orchard back under control. Come along and learn the most effective techniques for orchard management.

Members $2
Visitors $5
Please bring a plate of food for afternoon tea and some of your rare fruit in season for the tasting table.

See you there

Digby Gotts
President Mossman RFCA
Phone 4098 0057

Jim Wait, the Senior Horticulturalist Advisor at the Kamerunga Research Station in Cairns during the 1980s, died at the weekend. Jim contributed many articles to the rare fruit magazine over the years, and had a wealth of knowledge. He will be sadly missed.

A great weekend followed by an extreme cyclone. The motel where everyone stayed on Saturday night lost its roof in the early hours of Monday morning. Several RFCA members were moved to the evacuation centre.

A wonderful field trip to the Salleras farm on Saturday morning at El Arish provided lots of information. Peter took us in a convoy of utes around his property to view and taste durians, rollinias, rambutans, mangosteens and assorted Borneo fruits. Everyone who attended that day will be wondering how the farm has faired after the cyclone.

Lunch at the El Arish community hall was organised by Maria Williamson with her band of helpers. A great effort with loads of interesting food made from local produce, accompanied by assorted fruit wines from Shannonvale Winery (Tony and Trudi are RFCA members).

The Annual General Meeting was held at 3.00pm and the Mosman Branch Executive were reconfirmed as the executive for the National Executive Council. Reports and Minutes will be posted to this site as they come available.

The Feast of the Senses was held in the main street of Innisfail on Sunday morning, with the cyclone becoming a shadow over the event. The range of stalls was fantastic, and the blue sky and sunny weather made it hard to believe that cyclone larry was hatching out at sea.

The AGM of the RFCA will be held at 3.00pm on Saturday 18th March at the El Arish Community Hall, after a luncheon at 1.30pm.

This is a preliminary proposal

Saturday 18th March 2006
• 10:00 am Field Trip with morning tea.
• 12:00 pm Return to accommodation for organizing your own lunch and time
• 02:00 pm Meeting to be held at accommodation. Agenda by the President.
• 06:00 pm Dinner specially prepared for the Rare Fruit and vegetables at restaurant

Sunday 19th March 2006
• 09:00 am All day Feast of the Senses (Promotion of Exotic and Rare Fruit and Vegetables. Also local products made from the fruit and vegetables. Entertainment, markets, shops and guest speakers.

Innisfail is old but pretty. With the large Johnston River on one side. There are about 8 accommodation centers. A number of pubs and restaurants. Average accommodation is $75.00 a double. Our choice is The Walkabout Motel, which is on the south side of Town. The building is old but clean with good beds. Full motel room with en-suit, full linen, towels, Air-con. fridge and tea and coffee

More detail
Field trip at Peter and Alison Selleras Place Feluga. This is about one hour south of Innisfail. Peter and Alison have been producing Exotic food for 20 odd years. They live in a rainforest retreat. Many people know Peter and Alison or have heard of they. They both have worked hard in farming and promotion of their products.
Those requiring transport Innisfail of the local area please indicate this………………..

Dinner at the restaurant along the river. Atmosphere is smart casual and shoes. We are still to hear from the chef on price but we hope $25-$30 per head. There is a full bar finicality.
We are to provide rare and exotic fruit and vegetables for the evening. We suggest that they may wish to buy more from us for their restaurant. Please indicate your supply;……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The RFCA MOSSMAN BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND FIELD DAY will be held in CAIRNS – FEB 18th - 1.30 pm at 37 Kevin St. Whitfield, Cairns

IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO EAT HOME GROWN FRUIT ALL YEAR ROUND!
Mike Fabian will show you how its done

All it takes is planning and selection of what trees to plant. Come and see how Mike Fabian has designed his tropical backyard to maximize fruit production for the home.

Mike has recently retired from Limberlost Nursery, and is a treasure house of local knowledge on tropical fruit trees and plant propagation, so come along and ask lots of questions.

Please bring a chair, and a plate for afternoon tea. Members - $2. Guests - $5.