North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[rob hamilton <lostman_amiga@yahoo.com>]

Thank you for the well thought response in this matter!! I agree with you on all points and I hope more of you can chime in on this topic. I have been working little by little on some promotional tactics for NAFEX and I would like bring up some of these points at the next board meeting for discussion. 

    I too an one of the younger members at 40 years old. I have the same thoughts as you when I hear that someone has gone.  I feel by being a bit more pro-active in introducing ourselves in to some communities may increase our membership a bit. I hope to connect with various extension agents around the country and let them know we are here, and there by passing on this information the their community. Also I hope to focus on the organic/permaculture and  "slow food"/local food communities. These groups are growing and are full of young people that may value the knowledge that have. Lastly, after talking to the head of the Fruit & Spice
 park in FL, it seems like first and second generation immigrants could be another way expansion. Home grown fruits apparently is more common outside of the US. These communities be more responsive to organizations like ours. I honestly do not know how to go about this last one
or if I am right about this assumption. People I have spoke to often are looking for the tastes that back home, or remember and old relative sharing with them. This memory sometimes is very special for people. Maybe we can help them find it again and introduce them to new things as well.

    We also hope to get some people up to speed on dealing with the web page and I hope to work with them on some changes. Our webpage does need some expansion, and I hope people on this list could add some input. I would like to see each of the Interest group have its own page on the site with cultivar information and current evaluations. Also I would like to see more pictures from workshops
 and our annual meetings. I think seeing other people interacting would help personalize our page and encourage participation.

Lastly, we those who have their NAFEX T-Shirts should where them wen they are out gardening event.  Sometimes a curiuos person will end up being a new member too.

All this speaks to your time issue. All this will not change over night. I am not a member of the other nut groups that you have mention. I am sure each have their own specific circumstance to deal with, but I do think we can nudge this group in expansion and more youthful growth.

Plese keep this conversation going, I would like to hear more ideas.

Robert Hamilton

mangodance <bmn@iglou.com> wrote:
>  I still do not have property.  I'm 5 years from being able to lock in a 
> modest retirement.  Other than native plantings
>  all over my state, and 
> in particular my county, I haven't planted nut trees...or an orchard. 
> However, I am a life member of NNGA, INGA, KNGA and a member of NAFEX 
> (in addition to a good number of other organizations).v  I say this in 
> order to color what I'm about to say off the top of my head.
>
> Organizations across all interests are struggling with this same 
> issue...membership dropoff.  A common factor in many organizations is 
> the greying of the membership.  I'm 45 and it is funny to be referred to 
> as one of the "younger members".  I will say this, organizations usually 
> first suffer from a lack of participation.  Organizations often dwindle 
> to a handful of folks doing the bulk of the work.  Luckily, there 
> doesn't seem to be as much of an issue with KNGA, INGA, and INGA.  That 
> may be my ignorance and inexperience speaking however!  I think a 
> variety of problems plague groups that are greying...not just with
>  
> ag-related groups but everything from hobby groups to professional 
> organizations.
>
> 1) First and foremost...TIME.  Everyone has very little time these days 
> and any free time is spent resting or playing catch-up.  I suffer from 
> very little free time as I work an hour from my house, and may be out 
> days at a time for work.  I can't even get to many meetings for the near 
> future.  Right now, I do what I have to.  This too shall pass.  However, 
> MOST folks I speak to when proselytizing to bring in new members for one 
> group or another use this very issue as the reason they don't belong to 
> groups or participate in the groups to which they already belong.
>
> 2) Organizational websites are typically lacking much in the way of 
> content.  One of the best marketing tools for little money is an 
> organization's website.  They are often not used effectively...or may be 
> lacking completely.  Younger people often hit the web as their
>  first 
> source of information.  Organizations need to market themselves... A 
> LOT.  They need to drive folks to their websites, and once they get them 
> there, give them reasons to stay.  I consider myself a hack skill-wise, 
> but have been studying website effectiveness and response for a few 
> years.  Doing any and everything to push content onto organizational 
> websites pays off.  I'd recommend all the old newsletter an 
> organizational pubs no longer available for purchase, be pushed up 
> online.  That helps index a site, and provides many extra pathways for 
> people to get there.  Once there, you'll eventually get converts...or at 
> least more informed folks.
>
> 3) organizational publications are often written in such a manner as to 
> speak to insiders.  It's ok to write that way, but you can also appeal 
> to novices by explaining terms, etc, and maybe providing a little extra 
> text for context.
>
> 4) NAFEX, INGA, KNGA, NNGA, etc
>  seem like groups which could benefit 
> immensely from workshops, apprenticeships or other similar learning 
> pathways.  I'd attend...and I'm sure after getting the word out, it 
> would attract others.  You'd have to do this over a number of regions in 
> order to really make it pay off in attendance/interest/etc.
>
> 5) Organizations age, lifelong works get lost, etc.  This is a true 
> tragedy.  It seems to happen with greater frequency.  While I and others 
> may be able to offer a parking lot online for your information, it is 
> nothing like taking folks on teaching them and having your lifelong 
> experience transferred to others.  I've only just started in the last 
> few years with my interest.  I'm nowhere near being able to have 
> intelligent conversations with many of you.
>
> 6)  Appeal to people's curiousity.  Those of you searching for old 
> orchards, trees, homesteads, etc...let us know how to help you. 
> Additionally, let us know how
>  you do it.  These hunts for growing 
> treasures would appeal to many a backyard gardener (if not other 
> growers, hobbyists, etc.).  We don't even list most cultivars on the 
> website.  You can't get people interested in stuff they don't see.
>
> I guess what I'm saying is that most people don't even know many such 
> organizations even exist.  Organizations get to the point where they 
> play for the choir.  They need to not only market heavily (and most of 
> us HATE to do this), but also find ways to become relevant to folks. 
> The organizations have the hooks, they just need to figure out how to 
> find the folks to hook.
>
> One other thing, growers would seem to be allies for these 
> organizations.  Many of you would also like to get consumers to think 
> about where their food comes from, what real apples actually taste like, 
> taste forgotten fruits and nuts of past generations, participate in 
> their foodsheds, etc.  But you usually don't
>  see much online connecting 
> non-corporate growers (heirloom, organic, niche, small farm, etc) with 
> the general public.  Additionally, some of these folks have websites 
> they could use to also drive interested parties back to the orgaization.
>
> Finally, as the greenhorn, newbie-type, I get to say things like this. 
> I haven't put in the years of work that many (most) of you have.  I've 
> met a handful of you.  I wish I could say I've met you all.  I am 
> already hooked.  I'm just working on getting property.  Y'all are the 
> knowledge base.  But organizations need to find new blood and figure out 
> ways to transfer your knowledge.  It is the most foul of tragedies to 
> read about when a member dies and his life's work gets cut down or 
> developed by the new property owner.  If *I* feel it is a tragedy, I 
> shudder to think of what it means to others who are sitting on a large 
> legacy and no way to transfer it.
>
> BTW, in another thread,
>  the one on funding reasearch, I'm about to post 
> my opinions.  Basically, I always argue first for long-term financial 
> stability ...above all.  It may not mean a thing that a few hundred 
> dollars went towards research if the entire organization isn't on firm 
> footing for surviving the generations.  Sound financials mean the 
> ability to have an impact for the long-term.
>
>
>
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--------------------------------------------
Now Zone 8a!!  Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Fruits Club                                        www.groups.yahoo.com/atlanta_fruits
North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX)                           www.NAFEX.org
Southern Fruit Fellowship (SFF)                                          www.NAFEX.org/SFF
Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society (SPEPS)   
www.SPEPS.net
California Rare Fruit Growers
www.crfg.org

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