October Chapter Meeting - Growing Macadamias in Southern California

Chapter Meeting

Tuesday, October 27, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Location: Norway Hall, 2006 E. Vista Way, Vista CA 92084

Growing Macadamias in Southern California

Presented by Kurt Merrill

MEETING SCHEDULE

• Meeting at: Norway Hall (behind Prohibition Brewery), 2006 E Vista Way, Vista CA 92084

• 6:00pm – 7:00pm: gate/doors open at 6pm. Come help the board members set up for the meeting and socialize with other members. Meeting will begin promptly at 7pm.

• 7:00pm – 7:15pm: Business meeting

• 7:15pm – 8:15pm: Presentation with questions at the end

• 8:15pm – 8:50pm: Raffle

• 8:50pm – 9:00 pm: Clean up

Kurt Merrill will take us through the macadamia nut’s Australian origins and its development in California, including the introduction of Australian and Hawaiian plant material during the growth of California’s industry and the selection of cultivars adapted to Southern California. He’ll cover the principal species and hybrids, important California cultivars such as Cate and Beaumont, and discuss the orchard: soils, irrigation and water quality, fertilization, pollination, pruning, pests, and practical differences among cultivars. This presentation will follow the crop through its complete cycle, from tree to table.

Kurt Merrill is a Southern California farmer and president of the California Macadamia Society. He and his family operate Gold Crown Farms in Temecula, where they grow California macadamias along with Christmas trees and other specialty crops.