California Growers Inc

What California Growers Inc does

California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. (CRFG) is a California-incorporated nonprofit membership organization founded in November 1968 with the mission of promoting rare and unusual fruit cultivation through education and community. The organization serves amateur and commercial fruit growers, horticultural enthusiasts, students, nursery operators, and international hobbyists across 22+ chapters spanning California, Arizona, and Texas, with members on every continent except Antarctica and a current base of 3,100+ members. CRFG operates a chapter-based community model: members join at the national level through annual, multi-year, or life subscriptions ranging from $29 to $1,300, then participate through local chapters that hold meetings, field trips, fruit tastings, grafting demonstrations, and annual scion exchanges every January and February.

The organization's core products are educational rather than technological. CRFG publishes the bimonthly Fruit Gardener magazine, maintains the Fruit Facts Wiki (covering over 700 individual fruit varieties with botanical and cultivar data), curates the Fruit List reference database with temperature and soil-condition data, runs the 'Let's Find Out!' instructional video series on its YouTube channel, and provides a volunteer-run Fruit Specialists advisory service plus a directory of 25+ member nurseries. The digital infrastructure is intentionally lightweight: a WordPress website established in 1995, a wiki-based content library, PayPal-based online membership processing, and no proprietary API, mobile app, or AI-enabled features.

The business model is subscription-based nonprofit membership revenue, supplemented by event registration fees such as the biennial Festival of Fruit (resumed in 2026 after a seven-year pause at California State University, Fullerton) and ancillary sales from chapter activities including plant sales. The 13-member Board of Directors governs the national organization, while chapters operate semi-independently with their own treasuries and local programming. The organization has completed incorporation, is not venture-backed, and reports no funding rounds, acquisitions, or material leadership changes in the input data.

Name

California Growers Inc

Legal name

California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.

Website

https://www.crfg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1968 that educates amateur and commercial fruit growers through 22+ local chapters, a bimonthly magazine, a 700-fruit reference database, scion exchanges, and the biennial Festival of Fruit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticulture Membership Organization

NAICS

Noncitrus Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (11133)

akta.pro primary industry

Forest Berries & Wild Fruit Harvesting (AFAMAFAE)

Keywords

• Rare fruit cultivation
• Amateur horticulture
• Fruit growing education
• Horticultural society
• Membership organization

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual and multi-year membership fees ranging from $29 for electronic PDF-only domestic membership to $1,300 for three-year first-class mail plus PDF for US life membership. Membership provides access to local chapters, the Fruit Gardener magazine (6 bimonthly issues), scion exchanges, field trips, and member resources. Couples can share a membership.
2. Magazine Subscription: The Fruit Gardener magazine is published bimonthly and included with membership. Members receive 6 issues per year either digitally (PDF) or via mail. The magazine covers fruit cultivation techniques, member stories, and industry developments.
3. Festival of Fruit Registration: The organization hosts periodic Festival of Fruit events with registration fees. After a seven-year pause, the 2026 Festival of Fruit is being held at California State University, Fullerton with early bird registration and various event tiers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. (CRFG) is a non-profit membership organization that promotes the cultivation of rare, unusual, and exotic fruits through education, community, and knowledge sharing. Members pay annual or multi-year dues to access local chapters, the bimonthly Fruit Gardener magazine, scion exchanges, fruit tastings, and reference databases covering 700+ fruit varieties. The organization is supported by 22+ semi-independent chapters across California, Arizona, and Texas serving a membership of 3,100+ spanning every inhabited continent except Antarctica.

Product overview

California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. (CRFG) is a non-profit membership organization offering a portfolio of products and services focused on amateur fruit cultivation. The core offering is CRFG Membership, which provides access to all organizational resources. Key publications include The Fruit Gardener magazine (bimonthly) and reference databases including The Fruit List (700+ fruits), Fruit Facts, and Fruit Cultural Data. Educational offerings include the Let's Find Out! video series and Video Gallery. The organization also facilitates community through Fruit Specialists (advisory service), a Nursery & Plant Providers directory, and events including the Festival of Fruit, Scion Exchanges, and chapter meetings/field trips.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest amateur fruit growing organization in the world with members on every continent except Antarctica
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced in scion exchange discussions as a resource for citrus budwood. CCPP offers over 250 citrus varieties and is described as the biggest diversity source for citrus budwood. CRFG members are directed to CCPP for certified disease-free citrus propagation material.
• Planting JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)3 non-profit organization listed among member nurseries and plant providers. Dedicated to food justice education, holistic re-entry from prison, permaculture, urban farms and training centers. Located in Oakland, CA.
• California State University, FullertonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the 2026 Festival of Fruit main event. Titan Student Union at CSUF serves as the location for festival day activities, presentations, and exhibits.
• Long Beach City CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in 2026 Festival of Fruit activities with a reception and tour of the Horticulture Garden at Long Beach City College.
• ourfigs.com ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal forum community actively engaged in tracking Black Fig Fruit Fly infestation and sharing solutions. CRFG directs members to this resource for ongoing pest management discussions.
• Ourfigs.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline forum where the Black Fig Fruit Fly infestation was first identified and tracked. CRFG members are directed to join this forum for community-driven pest research and solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal Horticultural Society: The UK's leading gardening charity, with membership, publications, exhibits, and educational programming. Comparable as a large, established horticultural membership nonprofit, though with a much broader scope than CRFG's rare fruit focus.
• Master Gardeners (USDA Extension): A nationwide volunteer horticultural education program hosted through the USDA Cooperative Extension. Comparable as a volunteer-led educational nonprofit with chapter-based programming focused on home horticulture, though much broader in scope than CRFG's fruit specialization.

Direct peers

• North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX): NAFEX is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to fruit exploration, evaluation, and cultivation, particularly uncommon and rare varieties. Directly comparable as a peer nonprofit hobbyist fruit growing community with membership dues, publications, and grower-to-grower knowledge exchange.
• Seed Savers Exchange: Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit focused on preserving heirloom seeds and plant varieties, with a membership model, publications, and community events. Comparable as a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to preserving plant genetic diversity through community-led cultivation.
• American Horticultural Society: A national nonprofit membership organization promoting horticulture through education, publications, and events. Comparable mission and structure to CRFG as a national educational nonprofit with tiered membership and horticultural expertise.

Emerging players

• Dave Wilson Nursery: One of the largest growers of fruit, nut, and shade trees in North America with a strong focus on home garden varieties. Not a nonprofit, but comparable as a stakeholder in the rare and unusual fruit tree ecosystem, and a prospective commercial partner or sponsor for CRFG members.
• One Green World: A specialty nursery focused on rare and unusual edible plants, trees, and shrubs. Compares as a commercial provider of rare fruit varieties that complements CRFG's educational mission and is part of the member nursery network.
• Burnt Ridge Nursery & Orchards: Family-owned nursery specializing in fruit and nut trees, including rare and unusual varieties. Comparable as a commercial peer in the rare fruit supply ecosystem that CRFG members depend on and frequently interact with.
• Raintree Nursery: A Pacific Northwest nursery specializing in fruiting plants, berries, and rare edibles. Comparable as a specialty fruit nursery serving the same hobbyist audience as CRFG members.

Others

• Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP): A UC Riverside program providing disease-free citrus budwood for over 250 citrus varieties. Comparable as a specialized reference and propagation resource referenced by CRFG members, though not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHDCFACHoAk0w12IdRXnRxA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AZRFG

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Growers Inc