About Us

The club was originally formed as the Brevard Rare Fruit Council in 1982 by a group of local fruit lovers who wanted to share their experiences of growing sub tropical and tropical fruit trees here in Brevard County.  Since our county is just above the sub-tropic zone growing these fruits can present some challenges but as we have shown for many, many years you CAN enjoy the fruits of your labor!!  The name of the organization was changed in 2012 to better reflect what we do.  We also offer scholarships each year to students who are pursuing a higher education in agriculture/horticulture.

The Brevard Tropical Fruit Club  is a 501c  non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the introduction, propagation and distribution of new species, improved varieties and mutations of fruit plants. Through our monthly meetings, seminars and field trips, we collect and share information regarding propagation techniques, growth characteristics, cold and salt tolerances, and other environmental requirements. Brevard Tropical Fruit Club  is part of an alliance of Tropical & Rare Fruit Councils from Florida to California and Hawaii.

Club members exchange seeds, cuttings, grafts and young trees at club meetings or among themselves. You could say that there's a bit of "Johnny Appleseed" in all of us, since our goal is to make fruit trees readily available and to encourage everyone to grow edible landscaping plants. Many of the members are specialists in specific varieties of fruit trees, and are eager to share this knowledge with others.

The Brevard Tropical Fruit Club over 300 active members from across the United States. Currently we have members from as far away as California, Indiana, New York, and New Jersey. Membership has increased steadily over the past  years. Typical increases of 10 to 15 percent per year have been realized. Don't miss out - join today!  For the Membership Application, please use the contact us option and request Membership Application.

The Brevard Tropical Fruit Club takes place at the Melbourne Front Street Civic Center (2205 Front Street, Melbourne, FL 32901)  Some of points of reference to get there:

Coming from the west, pass in front of the Mansion restaurant by going East on E. Melbourne Ave. and make a right 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.

We meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month, except April, November and December. The April meeting is held the Thursday before the 4th Saturday, the 4th Saturday in April is when the Annual Tree Sale is held behind the Melbourne Auditorium, outside – on the South-East Lawn.  Inside the Melbourne Auditorium on the 4th Saturday in April is where we will hold FREE educational workshop classes if available. The December meeting is held on the 2nd Wednesday, and there is usually a banquet at this time at the Front Street Civic Center or at one of the restaurants in Melbourne.  There is no meeting in November.  The meeting officially starts at 7:30 PM, but most of us arrive a little early to exchange seeds, plants, and ideas.  The meeting ends between 9:15 and 9:30 PM.

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 fruits where everyone then gets to sample the many delicious fruits and foods on our table. 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 raffle is conducted for the attending members. The entire meeting usually runs close to 9:30 PM (2 hours)

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 ziploc bag or two  to store those seeds you gather during the trip to the tasting table. Guests are welcome to attend two meeting prior to the membership requirement, but all are welcome.  Club members receive other numerous benefits for the small membership yearly fee, including door prizes, bus trips, annual dinner, picnic and a discount at the annual tree sale.

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 BTFC is $15.00 for an individual, or $25.00 for your entire family. The benefits for this modest fee pay for themselves many times over.