Florida Loquat Festival News

No. 4 – December 2014

Celebrating Florida’s Urban Fruit

An Ecology Florida/Friendship Farms & Fare Annual Event

Here is Your December issue of the Florida Loquat Festival News

Your interest and support of the Florida Loquat Festival is appreciated.  We’ve added additional subscribers since our last issue, and we look forward to adding more in the coming months.  Please share this newsletter with others you know.

Loquat Fruit Now Appearing

Two Year Olds Join the Family

As some of you may have noticed, our celebrated fruit is beginning to appear on trees in the region.

We have fruitlings on all the flowering trees at Friendship Farms and Fare – including those two year olds that flowered for the first time this year.   We did not know if their flowers would yield fruit, but they did – after sprouting from seeds two and a half years ago.  We are excited to see trees so young already producing fruit.  If possible, we publish images of this year’s first fruitlings, and some of bees enjoying the flowers.

Tentative Date Set for 2015 Festival

April 4, 2015 – 4 Months Away!

As of now, we are planning to hold the Festival on April 4, 2015.  The festival will be at the Market Off Main, on Lincoln Street in New Port Richey, just over the bridge on Main, heading into town.

Mark your calendars (in pencil for now), and we’ll get back with confirmation in the January issue.  In the meantime, please spread the word about Loquats and the event.

Planning Notes for 2015

We’ve begun preliminary work on the festival, and are happy to share our initial plans and visions.

1) If you are interested in sharing loquats, or loquat products and wares, please contact us.  This is a “Loquat Exclusive” event, so everything being shared (for sale, contribution, or gift) must be a loquat or loquat-derived product. Space is limited, and proposals will be reviewed. Sharing will be contingent on proper paperwork (including disclaimers on foods), fees if any, available space, and commitment to the Festival.

2) We are looking for loquats to harvest.  If you have a loquat tree that volunteers can harvest for the festival, please let us know your location (and phone number); we’ll make arrangements for the harvest in season. Email us at Friendship Farms & Fare:  friendshipfarmsfare@gmail.com

3) We are still hoping to have a poetry contest, but this may have to wait for next year (2016) due to some HR issues. We’ll have more information on this in January for sure.  By the way, what rhymes with Loquat (besides Kumquat)?

A Brief Look Back at the Inaugural Festival

For new subscribers, here are a couple of stories about last year’s festival from in the local press (just click on the links):

https://www.ecologyflorida.org/2014/03/florida-loquat-festival-celebrating-floridas-urban-fruit/

http://tbo.com/Local/CommunityNews/festival-to-promote-little-known-loquat-tree-20140319/

If you would like a copy of the commemorative program for the inaugural event, send a request to Friendship Farms and Fare: friendshipfarmsfare@gmail.com or Ecology Florida: admin@ecologyflorida.org.  Donations for the program will be received with thanks.

Trees for Sale

If you are interested in acquiring loquat trees, send us a message. We have small trees (seedlings in half-gallon pots), and a few large trees (4-6 feet).

Join the Festival Team

We would be delighted to have more volunteers help us with next year’s festival.  Let us know if you’d like to assist.  We would also be most appreciative of financial gifts and sponsorships.  The Florida Loquat Festival is organized and presented by Ecology Florida and Friendship Farms & Fare.  These groups are 501 C 3 organizations, and donations are tax deductable.

We’d love to hear from you.

If you are interested in being a sponsor or otherwise supporting the Florida Loquat Festival, contact Friendship Farms & Fare:  friendshipfarmsfare@gmail.com or Ecology Florida:  admin@ecologyflorida.org.

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Friendship Farms & Fare is a branch of Ecology Florida, a not-for-profit corporation.  Contributions to Friendship Farms & Fare and Ecology Florida are tax deductible.  To learn more about Ecology Florida, please visit the website:

https://www.ecologyflorida.org/

If you would like to support our mission and individual projects, you may share donations through our website (http://www.fffsite.org/#!report/c1tuh) or at our mailing address:

Ecology Florida

PO Box 596

New Port Richey, FL 34656-0596

Friendship Farms & Fare affirms and advances agrarian ideals to reestablish a sustainable culture

Ecology Florida advances the harmonious integration of healthy natural, cultural, and economic ecologies to regenerate a sustainable world

Ecology Florida, Inc. is a not–for–profit organization, with 501(c)(3) designation. Contributions to Ecology Florida, Inc. are tax deductable under section 107 of the Internal Revenue Code. 

Ecology Florida is a registered charitable organization in the state of Florida.  Registration number, CH 33333.  A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REIGSTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.  REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMEDNATION BY THE STATE.