I will let Stan add the details as I'm having a hard time understanding it all.

2011 NAFEX Meeting
Hotel: Radisson Orlando, at 2900 Parkway Blvd, Kissimmee Florida 34747, phone 407-997-7041, with a rate of 79.00/nite if we use the code 1111NAFEXC
Bus info: Has been sent you. If full capacity with 57 people bus charge is $35.00 person with tip.
Thursday Your deal
Friday
8:30 AM Depart from hotel -Chris Oswalt lead group
9:00-9:30 James Shinn peach orchard -meet with James Shinn
Florida has a new emerging peach industry. New lower chill cultivars have enabled Central and South Florida to produce peaches during a market window where there is minimal competition and high prices. This is a young Central Florida peach orchard located in Lake Alfred.
9:30-Noon UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center -meet with Gmitter and Grosser
For the past 90 years, the University of Florida (UF) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) has been honored to assist the citrus industry in meeting its developmental needs through its Research, Extension, and Teaching programs. CREC is the oldest and largest off-campus experiment station in UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and is unique among research centers in that it focuses entirely on one commodity, citrus. http://www.crec.ifas.ufl.edu/
Noon-1PM Lunch at CREC Cost $15.00 a person.
1:15-2:45 Citrus Arboretum -meet with Mike Kessinger
The Florida Citrus Arboretum at Winter Haven is a collection of more than 250 cultivars of citrus, or citrus relatives. It is maintained by the Citrus Budwood Registration Bureau of the Division of Plant Industry. The arboretum was established in 1975 to ensure that valuable citrus and citrus-related germplasm are always available for study and use in Florida. http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/budwood/arb.html
3:15-5:00 Citrus Hall of Fame/tour of Florida Southern University -meet with Malcolm Manners
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame was established in 1962 to honor distinguished leaders who have made significant contributions to the Florida citrus industry. Seventeen nominees were inducted the first year and members of the industry have been inducted each year since. There are currently over 150 members of The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame from all facets of the industry and all regions of the state. http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/
6:00 Arrive at hotel


Saturday
9:00 AM Depart from hotel – Dr. Manners lead group
10:00-11:45 Mid Florida Citrus Foundation-Deciduous fruit block and reclaimed water project
-meet John Jackson & Bill Castle
The Mid Florida Citrus Foundation (MFCF) is a Nonprofit Organization and the Research Arm of Water Conserv II. The Goals of the Foundation Include:
• Studying the long-term effects of irrigating citrus with reclaimed water.
• Evaluating new citrus varieties for production and marketability.
• Developing management practices that will allow growers in the northern citrus area to grow citrus profitably.
• Evaluating non-citrus crops for economic viability. These crops include deciduous fruits and nuts.
• Promoting urban and rural cooperation.
http://waterconservii.com/index.html
Noon-1:30 Lunch at Cracker Barrel**call 2 weeks ahead and let them know you are coming and how many
Winter Garden, FL
CR 535 & Daniels Road
3316 Daniels Road
Winter Garden, FL 34787
*Bus & RV Parking Available
(407) 654-2405
2:15-3:30 Whitmore Farm - meet Ed Stover
Whitmore farm is a USDA breeding facility located south of Leesburg, FL. It goal is to develop scions and rootstocks having enhanced tolerance of environmental stress, resistance to diseases and pests, and improved fruit quality and yield. Specifically, desirable genetic traits are identified within species of citrus and among closely related genera and species, and are combined by conventional breeding and/or cellular and molecular engineering techniques. The USDA citrus breeding program is one of the oldest in the world and evaluates over 50,000 trees each year at the two USDA research farms in Leesburg and Ft. Pierce, Florida. Over 80 percent of the citrus trees planted in the U.S. contain a variety developed by this laboratory, making the USDA breeding program the most successful breeding effort in the world.
3:45-4:30 Visit Beck’s blueberry farm and grove -meet Glen or Mark Beck
Florida has a rapidly growing blueberry industry which produces fruit during the month of April and supplies most of the country during this time period. Many citrus growers hhave begun growing blueberries in addition to growing citrus. The Beck family has been growing citrus for generations. We will visit a typically farm where they grow citrus and blueberries for commercial production.
5:30 Arrive back to hotel

Lunch check on Friday should be mailed to:

Attention: Chris Oswalt
Polk County Agricultural Extension office
P.O. Box 9005, Drawer HS03
1702 Highway 17 South
Bartow, FL 33831

Todd, I think the dates are November 17 to 19, with the actual Expo activities on 18 & 19. - Millet (596-)

Like I said I'll let Stan post more details. In the email I got it said 17/18 ? Kind of vague...

It was my understanding (could be mistaken) that Thursday the 17th would be for NAFEX activities, such as their annual meeting. But then Friday the 18th would be for the CREC/Arboretum/FSC visit, and Saturday the 19th would be the second tour day. I'm sure of the tour days; what I'm not totally sure of is whether anything else is happening on Thursday the 17th, if you're not active with NAFEX.

A couple things I'd add to the agenda as listed:

1. We're Florida Southern COLLEGE, not University. If we were a university, the name would give us the abbreviation "FSU" which would be utterly unacceptable to us good Gator fans!

2. The visit to FSC will include the Citrus Hall of Fame, but y'all should realize, grand as that may sound, it's a wall of plaques in one room of our archives building -- not much to see and takes all of 15 seconds to see. I'm sure the archivist will talk a few minutes about the Hall of Fame, but as I see it, the great portion of the visit to FSC will be our citrus plantings and citrus education program, with a very short visit to the CHOF.

We're looking forward to the visit!

Malcolm

Three items.
1).For us members that need to purchase airline tickets, car rental, and hotel reservation, we need to get the itinerary established rather quickly. As the Expo is in Florida, near Disney/Epcot Center, and also very near the Thanksgiving holiday, airline seating availability will be at a premium. ESPECIALLY for us that wish to use our airline miles to obtain a "free" ticket.

2). I would, if at all possible, appreciate a list of the Hall Of Fame members, prior to our tour of FSC, as I would like to read as much history of each individual as I can possibly find, so that when we are at the Citrus Hall Of Fame I will know who they were, at what time they lived, were they growers or academics, and how their service to the industry earned their induction into the Hall Of Fame.

3) Time/place for the pre-Expo dinner.

This will be my third Expo.
Millet (596-)

Millet -- I think that itinerary for Friday and Saturday is pretty much firm. So you'd just need to know how much of Thursday was of interest, and I am not the one to answer that.

As for Hall of Fame members -- they have a web site with names of all inductees at http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/

I think the real interest in that visit, though, will be the Thomas B. Mack Citrus Archives, in the same room. We're thinking 30-45 minutes there, plus the tour of FSC's citrus trees and facilities.

Malcolm

In the past, we have always had a "Citruholics Banquet" on the Friday night before the Expo on Saturday. This year's Expo has events and tours planned for Friday and Saturday so a Thursday night banquet will be the only option. I am working with Dr Manners to secure a place for this event that will be near the hotel in Kississimmee. We should be able to post some information on this fairly soon. I do appreciate the work that Dr Manners and Ryan Attwood have done to make this meeting possible. Making plans for 3 seperate groups to come together isn't an easy chore but I feel that the plans are coming together nicely and this should be one of the best Expo's ever! I look forward to seeing many of the regulars on this board at the Florida meeting in November!

Ok Stan, from our correspondence -- see if you agree with this -- the only folks who have anything scheduled Thursday other than the dinner is the NAFEX officers. For the rest of us, if you need to be making flight and lodging reservations -- citruholics banquet Thursday evening, then the tours as listed Friday and Saturday. Right?

Malcolm

That is correct. To the best of my understanding the only people with anything on their agenda for Thursday night are the officers of NAFEX. Everyone else is welcome to join us for the "Citraholics Banquet" or just choose your own activity for the evening. The meeting this year is going to require pre-registration and I will try and get that form posted on the forum here ASAP. Thanks!

Here is a link to the NAFEX info and registration form for the CE Expo and Nafex meeting. This one is a little clearer.

http://www.nafex.org/meeting.php

Hi all, We don't seem to have announced the venue for the dinner yet, so here it is:

The Catfish Place
2324 13th St
Saint Cloud, FL 34769

See reviews and map at:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/catfish-place-restaurant-of-st-cloud-the-saint-cloud

We'll individually order off the main menu, which can be viewed here:
http://www.allmenus.com/fl/st-cloud/57439-the-catfish-place/menu/

We have a private room reserved from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Remember this is THURSDAY evening this year -- different from the tradition.

Thanks Dr. Manner's, the menu looks good and the prices too.