Florida grapefruit growers take pride in producing the highest-quality fruit from seed to shelf. Aside from the health and wellness impacts of a regime rich in all-natural fruits and vegetables, this practice helps the local and national economy. Visit your local farm stand or grocery store for sweet and juicy fresh Florida grapefruit. Pure-squeezed 100% Florida grapefruit juice is available year round in your store's refrigerated or shelved juice aisles.
Florida Grapefruit Production and Marketing Facts
The primary varieties of Florida grapefruit are Ruby Red, Pink, Thompson, Marsh and Duncan. The fresh grapefruit season typically runs from October through June.
Scientific research has shown there is no difference in the tastes of each variety, only pigment color.
Florida grapefruit is grown on approximately 57,000 acres in the state of Florida, or about 90 square miles. The main growing region is the Indian River region on the east coast of Florida, 150 miles north of Miami.
Florida is the largest grapefruit growing area in the world, and Japan is the largest market. Nearly 40% of all fresh grapefruit produced in the state goes to Japan, and more than 50% of all exported grapefruit goes to Japan.
Citrus has been farmed commercially in Florida since the mid-1800s. The first citrus was brought to the New World in 1493 by Christopher Columbus.
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 Florida's citrus industry is a $9.1 billion industry, employing more than 76,000 Floridians.
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 30 citrus packinghouses and 15 citrus processing plants in Florida.
Have you ever stopped to think about how the grapefruit you consume gets to you fresh from Florida groves? More than 76,000 people work directly or indirectly in Florida's citrus industry, helping to bring the taste of Florida sunshine directly to you.
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Florida Grown
Once Upon a Grapefruit
Florida grapefruit has a rich history, dating back to 1823, when Count Odet Phillippe planted the state's first grapefruit grove near Tampa. Before that, the first documented grapefruit tree was found in Barbados in the 1700's.
If you've ever wondered why citrus fruits grow in groves, while other fruits grow in orchards or plantations, the answer is simple! Groves are used to describe areas that grow and cultivate tropical fruits. Citrus fruits thrive in Florida's subtropical climate.
The fruit earned its unusual name because of the way it grows on citrus trees. Take a walk down a grapefruit grove and you'll see the fruit grows in a cluster like a bunch of oversized grapes.
Today, there are more than 10,000 citrus growers in Florida, many of whom are multi-generational.
Curious about how the grapefruit you eat and drink makes it from the grove to you? Read about the grapefruit life cycle to gain a new appreciation for your favorite fruit.
Once Upon a Grapefruit