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The expansion of railroads into southern Florida contributed to the growth of the citrus industry in the late 19th century. With the railroads came an increase in population and in acreage devoted to citrus cultivation. Boosters promoted Florida as a paradise on earth: the climate cured all aliments and the soil produced wealth with little effort.
Citrus figured prominently into the selling of Florida as a retreat for yeoman farmers, tourists and invalids. Many settlers caught orange fever and assumed they could reap substantial profits in no time, while they and their groves basked effortlessly in the Florida sunshine.
Dreams of easy money in the citrus industry came to an end for many during the great freeze of 1894 and 1895. Earlier freeze events, such as one in 1886, signaled a warning of things to come.
In December 1894 and then again in February 1895, temperatures plummeted throughout the state. Many growers saw their investments crumble as frozen limbs snapped and fruit fell to the ground. Before the great freeze, Florida produced five million boxes of citrus. Production would not reach the five million figure again for almost two decades following the winter of 1894-95.
With the memory of devastating freezes fresh, growers devised various methods to help trees and fruit resist the cold. The citrus industry again moved southward after the 1894-95 freezes. Groves that survived the great freeze gained widespread notoriety. This period of recovery gave way to a second citrus boom, lasting until the 1970s.
The town of Keystone City was renamed Frostproof after its trees weathered the freeze. Dummett's grove on Merritt Island emerged untouched once again, further bolstering the reputation of Indian River citrus. Growers around the state sought to use the Indian River label in order to associate their product with Dummett's legacy. In the 1930s and 1940s, state and federal authorities defined an "Indian River" area and pursued retailers who peddled fraudulent fruits.
Citrus is an integral part of Florida's state identity. Here are some fun and interesting Florida orange facts.
History of Citrus - Citrus has been farmed commercially in Florida groves since the mid-1800s. The first citrus was brought to the New World in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. In the mid-1500s one of the early Spanish explorers, most likely Ponce de Leon, planted the first orange trees around St. Augustine, Florida. Florida's unique sandy soil and subtropical climate proved to be ideal for growing the seeds that the early settlers planted and have flourished ever since. Today it is a $9 billion industry, employing nearly 76,000 Floridians.
Citrus Products: Florida growers produce several types of Florida citrus, including oranges, grapefruit and specialty fruit including Temple oranges, tangerines and tangelos.
Facts about Florida oranges: The primary varieties are Navel, Hamlin, Pineapple, Amber Sweet and Valencia. The fresh orange season typically runs from October through June.
The primary varieties of Florida grapefruit are Ruby Red, Flame, Thompson, Marsh and Duncan. The fresh grapefruit season typically runs from September through June.
Market Share and Value : Florida is second only to Brazil in global orange juice production and the state remains the world's leading producer of grapefruit. Florida produces more than 70 percent of the United States' supply of citrus, with major oversees export markets including Canada, Japan, France and the U.K.
In most seasons, more than 90 percent of America's orange juice is made from Florida-grown oranges. Nearly 87 percent of Florida citrus is processed into canned, chilled or frozen concentrated juices.
Acreage and Growing Areas: In Florida, there are about 569,000 acres of citrus groves and more than 74 million citrus trees. Most citrus is grown in the southern two-thirds of the Florida peninsula, where there is low probability for a freeze. After a series of freezes in the 1980s, citrus growers gradually migrated southward from central and northern regions, although Polk County in the Central part of the state remains the top citrus producing county.
Growing and Harvesting: To harvest the fruit once it's ripe, workers carefully hand pick the fruit and place it in large canvas bags. The bags are then placed into specialized vehicles called “goats” that bring the harvested fruit from the grove to roadside tractor-trailers. Citrus grown for fresh consumption is hauled to packinghouses where it is washed, graded and packed. Citrus produced for juice is transported by truck to processing plants for juice extraction. There are about 40 citrus packinghouses and 20 citrus processing plants in Florida.
Economic Impact: The growing, packing, processing, and selling of citrus generates a nearly $9 billion per year impact on Florida's economy. The citrus industry generates close to $1 billion in tax revenues helping support schools, highways, and healthcare services.
Nearly 76,000 Floridians work in the citrus industry or a related business—this number exceeds the total labor force in 45 of Florida's 67 counties.
Environmental Impact: Citrus has a positive impact on Florida's environment. A modern grove design allows for large areas of undeveloped land, providing an excellent wildlife habitat and a natural buffer between farmlands and urban development. University of Florida researchers recently observed more than 159 native species of wildlife within grove ecosystems. Research shows that for every acre of mature trees, 16.7 tons of oxygen is produced per year.
2019 Problem: Ninety percent of the state’s groves are infected by a bacterium called huang long bing, which, like oranges, originated in China. The pathogen often prevents raw green fruit from ripening, a symptom called citrus greening. Even when the fruit does ripen, it sometimes drops to the ground before it can be picked. Under Florida law, citrus that falls from a tree untouched cannot be sold.
A scientist displays a normal orange, left, with one affected by citrus greening at a research grove in Vero Beach, Fla., in November 2015.
As the state prepares for the November to May 2019 harvest, thousands of growers have already quit, leaving “ghost groves” in their wake. More than 7,000 farmers grew citrus in 2004; since then, nearly 5,000 have dropped out.
About two-thirds of the factories that processed fruit to juice have shut down. The number of packing operations – which make oranges, tangerines and grapefruit look polished for picky buyers – has nosedived from nearly 80 to 26. And 34,000 jobs were eliminated in the 10 years up to 2016, according to a University of Florida study.
The loss of so many farmers and citrus cultivation could be the death the state’s second-largest industry behind tourism, and one that produces more than 80 percent of the country’s orange juice, some economists say.
Florida’s Department of Citrus called huang long bing — which means yellow dragon sickness — “one of the most destructive foreign plant diseases imaginable” and acknowledged that it "has decimated the state’s iconic industry.”
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