Meet the Grower: Mary Eddy

Grove Location: SE Lake County in between Clermont and Winter Garden
Uncle Matt’s Grower Since: 2004
Crops: Hamlin (Dec/Jan/Feb), Valencia (April/May), and Red Grapefruit
Acreage: 100 acres

Since the 1930’s, Grandpa Joseph Eddy owned what is now called the “Eddy Grove” in South Lake County, Florida. He grew his own rootstock and tilled the land himself.  His son, George, married Mary [getting maiden name] in 1946. In 1959, George and Mary moved to a house at the bottom of the grove to help run the farm. Read more about Mary Eddy's farm...

Meet the Grower: Charles Farmer

Grove Location:  Winter Haven, FL
Uncle Matt’s Grower Since: 2003
Crops: Red Navel oranges, lemons, limes and blueberries [starting March 2009]           
Acreage: 4 acres of citrus; 2 acres of blueberries

Charles Farmer has been growing citrus in Winter Haven, Florida for over 30 years.  He is considered a citrus nurseryman and expert “budder,” which means he is a grafting specialist by trade.  In 2003, Charles converted his citrus crops to organic and joined the Uncle Matt’s family of growers. This March, Uncle Matt’s will be selling Charles’ first crop of organic blueberries (and boy, are they huge!!!).  We caught up with Charles at his family home in Polk County, Florida.  Read more about Charles Farmer's farm...

Meet the Grower: Dr. John Attaway

Grove Location:  Two Polk County, Florida groves located in Haines City and Lake Wales
Uncle Matt’s Grower Since: 2005
Crops: Orange varieties are White navel, Hamlin, and Temple. Tangerines include Mercot, Sunburst and Robinson. Dr. Attaway grows organic Red grapefruit for Uncle Matt’s as well.
Acreage: 36 acres

Dr. John Attaway is a second-generation citrus grove owner having inherited a few hundred acres from his father in 1972. His father, Forrest Attaway, moved his family from Atlanta, Georgia to Haines City, Florida in 1947 when John was 17-years-old. At that time, Forrest  bought several hundred acres of citrus groves and began to farm them conventionally. Read more about Dr. John Attaway's farm...

Meet the Grower: Jim Lee

Grove Location: North of Clermont, Florida in Lake County 
Uncle Matt’s Grower Since: 2005
Crops: 7 acres of Sunburst tangerines, 3 acres of Orlando Tangelos, 10 acres of navels, 9 acres of Red Grapefruit, 10 acres of Valencia oranges, 1 acre of garden variety and Fall-Glo tangerines
Acreage: 40 acres

Jim Lee has been working with citrus growers since 1957. For two decades, he worked as a professional engineer as an irrigation specialist for both tractor and sprinkler companies. Read more about Jim Lee's farm...

Meet the Grower: Murray Bass

Grove Location: Homestead, Florida, just south of Miami
Uncle Matt’s Grower Since: 2009
Crops: 8 Different varieties of avocados
Acreage: 20 
Season: June – January

Murray Bass is an avocado connoisseur. He knows about the 50 different varieties of avocados. He can talk purebred or hybrid --- and whether an avocado’s got West Indian, Guatemalan or Mexican “blood” in it. And now that Murray’s gone organic, he’s positioned himself to become a new favorite with guacamole makers looking for a healthy edge in their recipe.  Read more about Murray Bass' avocado groves...

Meet the Growers: The Anderson Family

Grove Location: South of Clermont, Florida in Lake County

Uncle Matt’s Grower Since: 2007

Crops: 15 acres of Hamlin oranges

The Anderson family's Florida citrus roots run deep. The family has been in Florida for 150 years with ties to citrus growing dating back three generations. Today, siblings Jodi and Kerry run the family's groves which are located on the south side of Lake Minnehaha in Clermont, Florida. Read more about the Anderson family's farm...