Popular Manatee sale features rare, young fruit trees
On their 16-acre ranch in rural Palmetto, Pete and Betty Kearns have 104 rare fruit trees, some of which yield ingredients for Betty Kearns’ homemade mango ice cream.
In order to make homemade mango desserts such as ice cream and pies, the most ambitious and cool way is to grow your mangoes in your own yard, Kearns said.
Every spring, the opportunity comes along to do just that by purchasing a baby mango tree.
“This is something people just don’t want to miss,” Kearns said of the 2016 Annual Manatee Rare Fruit Council Rare Fruit Tree Sale, where an estimated 5,000 plants, including citrus, unusual tropical fruits, bushes, herbs, vines, spices and fertilizer will be available.
People can buy jackfruit, kumquat, mangoes, lychee, papaya, passion fruit and black sapote, among others.
There will be roughly 100 different varieties from numerous vendors, Kearns said.
“It’s the greatest selection you will find under one roof,” Kearns said. “It’s air-conditioned and comfortable to shop.”
The sale is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 22 at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd. Palmetto., Parking and admission are free.
This is something people just don’t want to miss. It’s the greatest selection you will find under one roof.
Betty Kearns
The Manatee Rare Fruit Council uses the proceeds from the sale to maintain a two-acre rare fruit display area at Palma Sola Park and an annual scholarship for agriculture students for college, said Kearns who along with her husband, are long-time council members.
Dina Hobson, who represents the next generation of council members, said she was amazed to see the reaction of people in past years.
“There is a very long line in the morning,” Hobson said. “Bring a cart, bag, sack or box to carry your goodies in.”
Kearns estimated last year’s crowd at 3,000.
As for the most popular tree at the sale, Kearns predicts it will still be mango.
“Lychee is second but peaches and plums, which you can also get, are always popular,” Pete Kearns said.
About 40 volunteers, including master gardeners, will be on hand to answer questions, Kearns said.
You can even ask Betty Kearns how to make mango ice cream.
Information: 941-729-5985.
Richard Dymond: 941-745-7072, @RichardDymond
Annual Manatee Rare Fruit Tree Sale
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 22
Where: Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto, Fl.
Admission: Free admission and parking
This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Popular Manatee sale features rare, young fruit trees."