From the Grove: Giving Gratitude and Thanks for Citrus Season
Maybe it’s a coincidence citrus season and the holidays coincide, or maybe not. We’re thankful either way! Late fall through early winter are the most rewarding times for a citrus farmer. After a full year of giving to our groves the groves tell us thanks with a fruitful harvest – beginning around Thanksgiving. Enjoying in-season citrus at our holiday soirees makes this time of year that much sweeter!
Our most recent round of “giving” took place in early October with the planting of our cover crops. While these cowpeas and sunn hemp plants might look like weeds to some, these purposeful plantings play a key role: These small plants are here to feed our citrus trees ahead of picking. Their complex root systems stimulate a strong microbial community and contribute to increased carbon dioxide output. Due to very little rain this fall, we’re giving our cover crops a little more time to grow taller — and root deeper — before they’re mowed down and used to further nourish the soil and trees. 
This fall we also made our last application of organic treatments before picking. We applied a nitrogen, potassium and manure spray as a part of a liquid organic fertilizer to give our trees one final nutritional boost for the year. This is all in preparation for our goal harvest timeframe of mid-December.
All of these efforts are paying off; our citrus trees are almost ready for picking! Our tangos, sugarbelles and navels are “breaking color,” meaning the dark green of growing fruit breaks through to the vibrant orange we love, signaling maturity. Ben and Benny are also out in the groves performing weekly samplings. They’re tasting the fruit for themselves, but also measuring the acid and brix, internal sugar content, for peak sweetness ahead of juicing.
If the oranges continue to mature and we reach our desired brix levels in the next couple of weeks, the McLean family will be enjoying the Christmas holidays with fresh-picked citrus and delicious citrus-inspired recipes around the dinner table. This is also Ben and Benny’s chance to rest for the winter before activities ramp back up in the groves in early January for next year’s crop.
While we’re thankful for this season’s offerings, we’re also grateful for the years of organic citrus our groves have blessed us with. One of our groves has reached the end of its productive lifespan. After 30 years of growing, we’re planning to replant star ruby grapefruit as well as valencia and navel orange varieties in this acreage. As we’re clearing out old stumps, we’re giving back to the soil as we mix these ashes into the compost that will nourish the new plantings in 2024.
From season to season, it’s a continuous cycle of thanks and giving in our groves. We’re always thankful for the opportunity to cultivate nutrient-rich organic citrus to be used in all of our beverages, and for you, our customers, who support our mission to make this possible. Happy Thanksgiving!
