Saving the Iconic Florida Orange

The Big Sugar Mine Project presents a high-stakes dilemma. Mining threatens to undo the Everglades ecosystem, imperiling citrus groves, farmland, and Florida’s environmental and economic future. With politicians potentially reaping rewards at the public’s expense, and significant risks to water and land, this is a historic misstep. Florida must decide to protect its legacy or throw it out.

Florida’s citrus industry, a 500-year-old legacy that once defined the Sunshine State, lies in tatters. Hurricanes, diseases, and development pressures have ravaged groves, but the real rot may lie with the industry’s leaders: the Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, and Florida Citrus Mutual. This blistering exposé uncovers leadership failures leaving small farmers closing.

Food & Wine Magazine’s recent article, "The Best Orange Juices, According to Our Taste Test," presents a seemingly innocent evaluation of OJ brands to determine the best in terms of flavor. However, ethical lapses compromise its lack of transparency and leaves readers in the dark about the test’s validity, making it more of a subjective opinion piece than a reliable guide. Is Food & Wine unethical?

The Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation, Inc., alongside countless Floridians, write to strongly condemn Alico, Inc.’s proposed development of Corkscrew Grove East and West—two 1,500-acre villages in eastern Collier County on land that once thrived as citrus groves. This 3,000-acre project, announced on March 13, 2025, threatens to further erode Florida’s citrus heritage. Sign the petition now!

The Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation, Inc., alongside countless Floridians, write to express our profound disappointment, shock, and outrage at your recent recommendation to amend the county’s growth-management plan, paving the way for SWJR Naples I LLC to bulldoze South Naples Citrus Groves and build 423 homes, including affordable townhouses, on 170 acres near Picayune Strand State Forest.

Honeybees are critical pollinators. In Florida, where many citrus varieties are self-pollinating hybrids, the groves provide essential nectar and pollen, especially during winter months when other floral resources are scarce. This healthy relationship has historically sustained farmers to produce orange blossom honey. However, honeybees are facing extinction due to pesticides and habitat loss.

Some speculate that citrus greening was unleashed intentionally to devalue citrus land, allowing the government, Big Ag, and real estate developers to buy cheap. Over the past two decades, production has nosedived by 90%. Was it deliberately introduced into Florida’s citrus groves by the government, Big Ag, or real estate developers for land grabs? Let's evaluate if citrus greening is a scam.

In the Sunshine State, where orange groves once stretched across the horizon, a quiet tragedy is unfolding. These small, family-owned citrus farms, often passed down through generations, are becoming relics of Florida’s past—thanks to the Florida Citrus Commission. Small, family-owned farms are disappearing, their land sold off to developers building homes that many Floridians oppose.

The Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation, Inc., strongly condemns Alico's proposed development of Corkscrew Grove East and West—3,000-acre villages in Collier County that once thrived as citrus groves. This project threatens to erode Florida’s citrus heritage and undermine the livelihoods of small farmers. We urge you to reject this and prioritize preservation over short-term corporate profit.

How corrupt is Florida’s citrus industry? Based on the information provided and carefully evaluating the evidence, the systemic issues—favoritism toward large corporations, neglect of small farmers, and complicity in the industry’s decline—point to a deeply corrupt system. Here’s why the Florida citrus industry’s corruption level deserves a score of 8/10, and why it could arguably be even higher.

The actions—or inaction—of the Florida Department of Citrus, Florida Citrus Commission, and Florida Citrus Mutual have accelerated the decline of Florida’s citrus industry, leaving small citrus farmers and family-owned orange groves to wither.

From saving citrus groves to gated communities—Where are the millions Alico received from the Florida Department of Citrus, Florida Citrus Commission, and Florida Citrus Mutual-funded programs that were meant to sustain citrus production? Let's uncover the money trail and how they turned their backs on Florida’s citrus legacy by bankrolling a real estate pivot to land deals.

The Florida Department of Citrus is tasked to save Florida citrus, but they’re a colossal failure, and internationally, FDOC’s efforts are equally pathetic. The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) is burning through millions of taxpayer and grower dollars on glitzy advertising and marketing campaigns, both domestically and internationally, with absolutely nothing to show for it.

Founded as the first and only nonprofit dedicated solely to preserving Florida’s citrus legacy, the Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation is fighting to revive the industry from the ground up. While the Florida Department of Citrus and Florida Citrus Commission fall short, here’s a deep dive into what the Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation does—and what the established agencies fail to deliver.

Florida’s citrus industry is rotting from the inside, and the stench of corruption from the Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Citrus Mutual, and Florida Department of Citrus is finally wafting into the open. Beyond well-known lawsuits and multimillion-dollar payouts, buried secrets and unanswered questions tie these agencies together in a web of greed, negligence, and betrayal of small farmers.

A sinister web of connections between the USDA, Florida Department of Citrus. and Florida Citrus Commission is suffocating small citrus farmers and family groves across Florida. While these entities claim to support the state’s iconic citrus industry, their actions reveal a stark reality: a system rigged to favor corporate interests, leaving small growers to wither under the weight of neglect.

Florida’s citrus industry is rotting from the inside out with a darker truth: corruption, negligence, and a system rigged against small farmers. Real estate developers, taxpayer-funded lawsuit payouts, and the Florida Department of Citrus and FCC have all played a role. This article uncovers the corruption strangling Florida’s citrus groves and outlines concrete steps to stop it.

Citrus greening in Florida, is a bacterial disease spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, leaving trees sickly and fruit inedible. But could this disaster be a scam or a deliberate act? What would that look like? Let’s dive into detailed hypothetical scenarios—purely speculative, with no evidence to back them up—and contrast them with the hard reality.

The Florida Citrus Commission has paid out $191.6 million in taxpayer dollars to defend their negligence. The FCC, through its oversight of the FDOC and collaboration with FDACS, was implicated in lawsuits primarily related to the Citrus Canker Eradication Program (CCEP) and a citrus greening policy.

The “why” is simple: money and power. The Florida Department of Agriculture, under Simpson, Putnam, and Fried, has a shameful history of turning its back on small citrus farmers. FDACS officials have been implicated in policies and actions that have devastated small growers, favoring Big Ag while hiding behind the guise of “industry protection.” These are the officials involved and their actions.

The Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation expresses our disappointment at your recommendation to amend the county’s growth-management plan, paving the way for SWJR Naples I LLC to bulldoze South Naples Citrus Groves and build 423 homes, near Picayune Strand State Forest. This decision threatens not only a piece of Naples’ history, already scarred by Florida’s most infamous real estate scams.

Florida’s citrus groves, once the lifeblood of the state’s agricultural identity, are vanishing at an alarming rate, replaced by sprawling residential developments, commercial complexes, and golf courses. This isn’t just natural progression—it’s the result of deliberate decisions by key individuals in power. Let’s name the individuals responsible, expose their roles, and uncover the money trails.

The Florida citrus industry's betrayal is clear: from the 1930s with outdated standards, to the 2000s with destructive policies, to the 2020s with tax burdens and research that caters to the elite. The Florida Department of Citrus, Florida Citrus Commission, and Florida Citrus Mutual have turned Florida’s citrus industry into a corporate playground, leaving small citrus farmers begging for scraps.

The Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, and Florida Citrus Mutual retaliate to protect their corporate donors and maintain control. Documented cases reveal a pattern of intimidation and economic punishment. Meant to support all growers, they've weaponized their authority to crush farmers. Here’s the truth about their retaliatory tactics, and the farmers who’ve paid the price.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced ten appointments to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) in April 2025. Yet, DeSantis’ picks—five new appointees and five reappointments—reek of cronyism, with affiliations that could violate Florida ethics laws and statutes. Who are these appointees, what do they stand for, and how might their ties break the rules?

The Florida Citrus Commission is supposed to be the guardian of the state’s citrus industry, a lifeline for small farmers battling relentless challenges. Instead, it’s a corporate puppet show, prioritizing big players while small growers are left to wither on the vine. The FCC needs a radical overhaul—yesterday. Here’s why, and here’s how to make it actually work for the little guy.

As small farmers struggle against development pressures, questions swirl about the integrity of the industry’s leadership: Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, and Florida Citrus Mutual. Are these organizations corrupt, prioritizing corporate interests over the growers they claim to serve? This bombshell report uncovers troubling evidence that may be failing Florida.

Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM), the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), and the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC)—are complicit in a coordinated failure to support small growers, helping the demise of Florida's citrus industry. It’s time for small citrus farmers to file a single class action lawsuit against all three entities to demand accountability, recover losses, and fight for their survival.

Tropicana’s $68,500 in direct donations and $1.2 million in lobbying have allegedly bought influence over DeSantis, Franklin, Wasserman Schultz, Poulton, Joyner, and Shepp, shifting Florida’s citrus policies to favor Big Ag. Tropicana has been quietly pouring millions into the pockets of Florida lawmakers and industry leaders. This bombshell report exposes Tropicana’s donations, names recipients.

Florida’s small citrus farmers are teetering on the brink of extinction, and the state — under Governor DeSantis—may bear significant responsibility for their demise. With production plummeting 90% since 2004 — DeSantis has made some efforts to support the citrus industry, his administration’s policies and priorities often leave small farmers to wither while big agriculture thrives.