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This year we are pleased to add a few optional tours to our 2025 Conference Agenda. Attendees can participate in one or all optional tours this year based on their preferences. You can easily add on a tour for a small fee on your conference registration form. The first option for attendees to tour is the Edison And Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, just 20 miles from the conference venue in Bonita Springs. This tour is being offered on Sunday, June 8th for an additional $10.00. The Winter estates of the famous inventor-entrepreneurs Thomas Edison and Henry Ford are located near the beautiful Caloosahatchee River and include more than 20 acres of botanical gardens, historic homes, the Edison Botanical Research Laboratory, and a museum featuring Edison’s and Ford’s most prominent inventions. The gardens contain more than 1,700 plants representing more than 400 species from six continents. One of the highlights is a huge banyan tree, planted by Edison in 1925 and among the biggest in the continental United States. Transportation to the Estates is on your own. Parking is available at no charge. We will meet at ‘The Garden Shoppe’, and the tour will start at 10:00 am - More information will be provided as we get closer to the event. You can find more details about the Estates at https://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/ Our second tour that we are offering is at FruitScapes Nursery. FruitScapes Nursery LLC opened in 2008 and quickly became the premier location for tropical and rare fruit trees, shrubs, and vines throughout the state of Florida. The nursery is located on 15 acres on Pine Island. The address is 12870 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia, Florida 33922. This tour will be offered on Saturday, June 7th at 2pm EST and be an additional $10 if you choose to sign up. Similar to the Edison/Ford Estate, transportation will be on your own. FruitScapes offers dozens of varieties of mangoes, and a large collection of rare tropical fruits not found anywhere else. On this tour, you will see how nursery stocks are grown from seeds, grafting, and air layering to sales. FruitScapes is known for their famous fruit stand, located on site, if you choose you will be able to delight in the fruits of their labor. Mango, lychee, dragon fruit and dozens more are picked at just the right time to ensure a sweet and delicious experience. This is a tour designed for those who have an interest in tropical fruits and what’s possible from a horticultural perspective. **Please note that you must register and pay in advance for these tours. Tours are capped and once they are filled they will not be available |
