Citrus Corruption Exposed: The Hidden FCC, FCM, and Florida Department of Citrus Scandals Crushing Oranges
Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the organization’s activities and affiliations. Note: This entire article was authored by Grok, an AI created by Elon Musk’s xAI, and presents factually true claims with cited news sources listed at the end of the article. The nonprofit, Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation Inc., an organization dedicated to advocating for small, family-owned citrus farms, is not liable for posting this content. Truth is an absolute defense against defamation allegations, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticisms and false accusations.
But here’s the secret: the U.S. Department of Agriculture pulled funding in 2006, admitting the program failed, yet Florida pressed on, suggesting a hidden agenda to clear land for development. Why didn’t they stop when the feds bailed?
Florida’s citrus industry is rotting from the inside, and the stench of corruption from the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC), Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM), and Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) is finally wafting into the open. Beyond the well-known lawsuits and multimillion-dollar payouts, there are buried secrets and unanswered questions that tie these agencies together in a web of greed, negligence, and betrayal of small farmers. The public deserves to know the hidden truths that connect these scandals—and why the establishment narrative doesn’t add up.
One glaring secret is the cozy relationship between these agencies and big growers like Alico Inc., which cashed out its 53,371 acres for a $650-750 million land development scheme in 2025 after decades of benefiting from public funds. The FCC, under Steve Johnson and Patrick Schirard, the FDOC with Shannon Shepp, and FCM with Matt Joyner, funneled $29 million in 2024-2025 research money—meant to combat citrus greening—into solutions like Citrus Under Protective Screens (CUPS) that only the wealthy could afford. Small farmer Brantley Schirard, Jr., said in 2023, “You’ve got every little group that’s ever been put together focused on one thing because without an answer to greening, none of it matters.” Yet, these agencies ignored affordable fixes, raising questions: Were they deliberately setting up small growers to fail so corporate giants could grab the land?
The Citrus Canker Eradication Program (CCEP) from 2000-2006 is another festering wound. The FDOC, FCC, and FCM backed the destruction of over 577,000 healthy trees, costing $191.6 million in lawsuits by 2025—$52 million (Broward/Palm Beach), $19.2 million (Lee), $42.4 million (Orange), $76.8 million (Miami-Dade), and $1.2 million (Gary Mahon). Attorney Robert Gilbert, who won these cases, blasted the state in 2018: “Commissioner Putnam has flouted the constitutional provision protecting private property rights for years.” But here’s the secret: the U.S. Department of Agriculture pulled funding in 2006, admitting the program failed, yet Florida pressed on, suggesting a hidden agenda to clear land for development. Why didn’t they stop when the feds bailed?
Citrus Corruption Exposed: The Hidden Florida Dept of Citrus & Scandals Crushing Oranges
Were they pushing small citrus growers out to favor corporate interests?
Then there’s the 2008 citrus greening law, forcing nursery owners like Mahon to destroy 160,000 plants or build greenhouses. Mahon’s attorney, Alexander Clem, said in 2022, “It had a catastrophic impact on citrus nursery growers.” The FDOC’s claim that Mahon should’ve complied ignores the financial reality for small operators—another red flag. Were they pushing small growers out to favor corporate interests? The lack of transparency on who benefited from these policies fuels suspicion.
The Withlacoochee State Forest land swap in 2024, approved by Governor Ron DeSantis and his Cabinet (Attorney General Ashley Moody, CFO Jimmy Patronis, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson), handed 324 acres to Cabot Citrus OpCo LLC for a golf resort. Environmentalist Julie Wraithmell warned, “The Cabinet cannot get in the habit of swapping out valuable land for less-valuable land every time a developer shows up.” This ties to Alico’s exit and Palm Beach County’s Minto West project (4,000 acres for 4,500 homes), approved by Commissioners like Hal Valeche and Steven Abrams, who got $15,000 in campaign donations from Minto Communities. Were these land deals the endgame all along, with FCC, FDOC, and FCM as enablers?
A deeper question: where did the lawsuit money really go? The $191.6 million in payouts came from taxpayers, not the agencies’ pockets. FCC’s Johnson, FDOC’s Shepp, and FCM’s Joyner faced no personal accountability—Joyner’s 2025 claim, “Losing the citrus industry is not an option,” rings hollow as acres vanish. Scott Fishman, a plaintiff, said in 2022, “They didn’t ask politely, ‘Can we please come in and take your trees?’” The agencies’ refusal to compensate fairly suggests they knew the land grab was coming.
The establishment narrative—blaming greening and hurricanes—ignores this pattern. The FCC’s outdated standards, FDOC’s aggressive enforcement, and FCM’s corporate bias form a triad of corruption that’s decimated 90% of citrus production since 1998. Small farmers like Wayne Simmons, who said in 2024, “Our livelihood is in the land,” are collateral damage. Yet these agencies resist change. Why? The answer lies in the shadows: a citrus industry sacrificed for real estate profits, with secrets the public is only now starting to unravel.
Sources:
Florida Citrus Commission - Florida Citrus Growers - www.floridacitrus.org
Florida Citrus Mutual - www.flcitrusmutual.com
Florida Department of Citrus - www.floridacitrus.org
Citrus Canker Online Supporting Documents - www.citruscankerdocs.com
Orange County homeowners who won citrus-canker lawsuit will share $42.4 million – Orlando Sentinel - www.orlandosentinel.com
Florida Faces $1.2M Verdict for Killing Citrus Trees | Food Manufacturing - www.foodmanufacturing.com
Lee County homeowners who lost citrus trees to Florida program to receive millions in payments - www.news-press.com
South Florida households to split $42 million for trees destroyed in citrus canker fight – Sun Sentinel - www.sun-sentinel.com
About 97,000 Checks Mailed in Miami-Dade Citrus Canker Settlement: Attorney – NBC 6 South Florida - www.nbcmiami.com
Citrus Legal Fight Dismissed After Payment - Citrus Industry Magazine - citrusindustry.net
Home | Citrus Canker Compensation Litigation - www.leecountycitruscankerfund.com
Florida’s troubled citrus industry looks to the state for help | WUSF - www.wusf.org
The 20-year fight against citrus greening in Florida has farmers and researchers exhausted | WLRN - www.wlrn.org
Citrus industry, ‘decimated’ by greening, clings to hope, Simpson says • Florida Phoenix - floridaphoenix.com
Judge to Adam Putnam on compensating homeowners for destroyed citrus trees: Pay up now - www.miamiherald.com
Another lawsuit attempts to get the juice out of the citrus scare by overturning Rick Scott's veto | Miami Herald - www.miamiherald.com
Florida forestry official questioned DeSantis-backed swap - Tampa Bay Times - www.tampabay.com
Hit by storms and disease, Florida's citrus growers try to survive - AP News - apnews.com
A major Florida grower is exiting the citrus business | WUSF - www.wusf.org
Home | FL Citrus Mutual - www.flcitrusmutual.com
Florida Citrus Mutual: Then And Now - Growing Produce - www.growingproduce.com
Tropicana orange supplier Alico to exit citrus business | Agriculture Dive - www.agriculturedive.com
DeSantis proposes more money for struggling citrus industry | WUSF - www.wusf.org
Less land for Florida's citrus growers contributes to a struggling industry - www.wusf.org
Signaling Sunset of Florida's Citrus Industry, Alico Inc., a Major Grower, Exits the Business | FlaglerLive - flaglerlive.com
With 3 new members, Citrus Commission, will discuss marketing, tax rate - www.newschief.com
Legal fight seeks to halt Minto West building plans - Sun Sentinel - www.sun-sentinel.com
CONTAMINATION OF WATER BLAMED ON PESTICIDE USE - Sun Sentinel - www.sun-sentinel.com
Environmental Division - Restoration Projects - St. Johns County - www.co.st-johns.fl.us
Legal Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on publicly available sources and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the organization’s activities and affiliations. Note: This entire article was authored by Grok, an AI created by Elon Musk’s xAI, and presents factually true claims with cited news sources listed at the end of the article. The nonprofit, Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation Inc., an organization dedicated to helping small, family-owned citrus farms, is not liable for posting this content. Truth is an absolute defense against defamation allegations, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticisms and false accusations.
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