4 yrs ago when i first joined the forum, getting lot of cuttings to root from USDA/UCD seems to be a hard task.. at least for some of the cultivars. but now it seem that it's no big deal. everyone can root Black Madeira. Ischia Black are growing well.. Barnissotte is not an issue. 

what is the root of this difference? are we just better at rooting the cuttings? or is that the USDA/UCD specimens are getting better? 

last two yrs i have been getting their cuttings, they were just amazing. fresh and very healthy. i'm not sure how they were previously, but it seems we are all getting better results from USDA/UCD cuttings. 

Awesome! So is there a website or email contact or snail mail address or phone number? How do you contact them and do they have like a catalog or something??

Sophie,

Here is a link i got from the main page of F4F.  http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=12146
There was talk, in another thread on here, that USDA/UCD no longer ships cuttings to individuals.  I don't know if that is a fact or a rumor.  Hopefully, someone will be able to tell us one way or the other.

I just placed an order/ request and WOW what a confusing site that is. I hope I did it right. They tell you that you need a Fed ex or UPS account but there was no place to put that information, so I just put my Fed Ex number under comments. It also asked what type group or organization you are from so it seems that they are not looking for individuals. I put in my request for about 8 different types of cultivars and am hoping for the best. I will let you all know if I hear anything from them
 Coop

I contacted them about that rumor, and had a very helpful staff member confirm that it's just too labor intensive for them to keep up with so many small requests from individual growers. He suggested that it might be worth creating a local initiative to distribute cuttings (maybe like Jon does), and I kind of got the impression that they could help something like that or a business of some sort.

In my head I wondered if we could pool orders here on the forum to make one "big" order for them, and then have volunteers among us receive the shipments and redistribute them (to provide the labor that they can't). But I'm not sure if that would fly or how it would work.

new process is more confusing than the yr before. the key is to be honest, but at the same time, have a true purpose of why you are ordering. last 3 yrs, i had clear purpose of ordering the cuttings. at this point, i no longer have purpose and i have stopped ordering. last 3 yrs, i shared my cuttings with cub scouts in hope of teaching them about self sufficiency. but horticulture is no longer a part of their requirement and i don't see the reason to order more. 

be specific and have a UPS/Fedex account number ready. they rarely charge you for it.. but just in case. 

too much cuba libre tonight to list the steps needed to order the cuttings. if you have further questions, i'll try to help sometime next week :) 

I placed my order for UC Davis cuttings on June 14th for 2014 delivery...they sent me a time stamped receipt of my order...the next step is to await an e-mailed confirmation number, which usually takes a while...then just prior to delivery(around Jan. / Feb.   2014) they send a 'shipping' notice that your cuttings will be delivered in 2 days by air mail express delivery...so far I have not received any notice that deliveries to individuals will be discontinued.

I placed an order in March. I received an email about what I ordered and don't know what happened after that.

Pete...last season I was charged a similar delivery fee(mine was $50, if memory serves)...I don't mind paying that fee for high quality, hard to find cuttings, that are delivered fresh and ready to root...I haven't had any failures with UC Davis cuttings, and I hope they continue their current policy of delivering to individual fig growers. 

Pete perhaps there seasons are better for there trees i don't know as i have not gotten anything from them in several years .
Matter of fact last scionwood from them was Ischia Black 1 piece came and it was practically a petrified piece of wood.

hmm.. i always give instruction not to ship it air/1st/2nd day. always use ground shipping. last 2 yrs i have received cuttings, no charge at all. i guess when they ship ground they don't charge? 

martin, my Ischia Black cutting this yr was fresh and nice. it rooted well, top half of it anyway. tho, it has sign of heavy FMV. 

Smaritza, if you ordered in March this year, they won't ship until next year. I think the cut off date is around Dec. 1st.

wow..that was so amazing..

They no longer ship to individuals, they took my order for 2013 but did not ship anything, no notice to let me know, I figured since it is government funded that is fair.  I also live in Canada so maybe it only applies to international people?

Thanks, Tim., it was this year. I was just trying to see what happened. I wasn't expecting anything, but if something came, I would be appreciative.

typically they ship order between feb to april from order taken in previous yr. you could order up to early nov. it would be a bummer if they don't ship to individuals any more. dissipate what some members say, their figs did very well for me.