How the USDA and Florida Department of Citrus Are Killing Florida’s Small Family-Owned Farms
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.
Between 2000 and 2006, the Florida Department of Citrus and Florida Citrus Commission, with USDA oversight, destroyed 577,000 healthy trees, costing taxpayers $191.6 million in lawsuit settlements
A sinister web of connections between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), and the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) 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, disease, and development pressures. Floridians must wake up to this crisis—because the future of their agricultural heritage, local economies, and cultural identity hangs in the balance.
The Secret Connections: A Corporate-First Alliance
The USDA, Florida Department of Citrus, and Florida Citrus Commission are deeply intertwined, forming a bureaucratic machine that prioritizes big agriculture over small farmers. The FCC, a nine-member board appointed by the Governor of Florida, oversees the FDOC, which operates as an executive agency under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The USDA, meanwhile, collaborates closely with both, providing funding and setting regulatory standards—like the arbitrary Brix level of 10.5 for pasteurized orange juice—that small growers struggle to meet. John Barben, a Highlands County grower, noted the unfair burden: “What’s happened with greening is our sugar levels have come down in a box of fruit—it’s hard to meet those standards.” These regulations, rooted in decades-old policies, disproportionately harm small operations already battling citrus greening.
The FCC’s leadership further exposes the corporate tilt. Members like Steve Johnson and Patrick Schirard, both tied to large harvesting and processing operations, reflect a board stacked with industry insiders. Johnson, a fourth-generation grower, manages vast citrus groves and commercial cow-calf operations, while Schirard, another fourth-generation grower, previously led GEM Indian River Select, LLC. Their interests align with big players like Tropicana, which benefits from the FDOC’s $18 million marketing budget in 2023—while small growers received no direct aid. This cozy relationship ensures that funds and policies cater to corporate giants, leaving family groves to fend for themselves.
Neglect and Betrayal: Small Farmers Left to Die
The impact on small citrus farmers is devastating. Citrus greening, a bacterial disease spread by the Asian citrus psyllid since 2005, has decimated groves, reducing Florida’s citrus production by 90%—from 300 million boxes in 2003-2004 to a projected 12 million in 2024-2025. Small farmers, lacking the resources of corporate giants, bear the brunt. The FDOC and FCC have diverted funds away from practical solutions, historically focusing on marketing over research. Even when research funds increased, they supported corporate-backed initiatives like Citrus Under Protective Screens (CUPS), a method too costly for small growers. Ed White of White’s Red Hill Groves in Sanford lamented the financial strain: “When I was growing up, everything totaled about $600 or $700 an acre per year. Now that same production is anywhere from $2,000 and up just to keep one acre of citrus trees alive.”
The USDA’s role is equally troubling. While it funds efforts to remove abandoned groves—disease reservoirs that threaten nearby healthy ones—it fails to address the root causes driving small farmers out of business. The agency’s collaboration with the FDOC and FCC through the Multi-Agency Coordination Group (MAC) has yielded innovations like thermotherapy trucks, but these solutions remain inaccessible to small growers. Wayne Simmons of Labelle Fruit Company voiced the betrayal: “They’ve left us to rot while our land slips away.” The result? Small farmers, unable to sustain losses of $10,000–$50,000 per acre annually, are forced to sell to developers or Big Ag giants like Alico, which in 2025 abandoned citrus for a $650-750 million land development strategy.
Taxpayer-Funded Scandals: Lawsuit Payouts and Land Grabs
The Citrus Canker Eradication Program (CCEP) exposes the depth of this systemic failure. Between 2000 and 2006, the FDOC and FCC, with USDA oversight, destroyed 577,000 healthy trees, costing taxpayers $191.6 million in lawsuit settlements across counties like Broward ($22M), Palm Beach ($30M), Lee ($19.2M), Orange ($42.4M), and Miami-Dade ($76.8M). Homeowner Scott Fishman recalled the devastation: “They stormed in like tyrants, ripping out our trees, and tossed us a $100 Walmart voucher.” Small nursery owner Gary Mahon won $1.2 million after the state destroyed 160,000 of his plants, with his attorney Alexander Clem stating, “It had a catastrophic impact on citrus nursery growers.” These payouts drained public funds while offering no relief to small farmers.
Meanwhile, real estate developers are seizing the opportunity. In 2024, 120 acres in Lake County were sold for $14.5 million to developers, a trend fueled by the FDOC and FCC’s inaction. The 2024 Withlacoochee State Forest swap—324 acres handed to Cabot Citrus OpCo LLC for a golf resort—drew outrage from Julie Wraithmell of Audubon Florida: “The Cabinet cannot get in the habit of swapping out valuable land for less-valuable land every time a developer shows up.” The Minto West project in Palm Beach County turned 4,000 acres of groves into 4,500 homes, approved by commissioners Hal Valeche and Steven Abrams, who accepted $15,000 from Minto Communities. These land grabs erase family farms, replacing them with tract homes and solar fields.
How the USDA and Florida Department of Citrus Are Killing Florida’s Small Family-Owned Farms
The Human Toll: Voices of Despair
Small citrus farmers are fighting for survival. Fifth-generation grower Ned Hancock, who lost half his 3,200 acres, said, “It’s staggering to me what the overall acreage loss in this industry has been and how little really actually remains.” Brantley Schirard Jr. of Fort Pierce, forced to sell 80 acres, added, “Greening’s killing us, and the agencies don’t care.” The emotional toll is profound—farmers are losing not just their livelihoods but their heritage, as groves cultivated for generations are bulldozed for development.
Why Floridians Should Care
The collapse of small citrus farms threatens more than just agriculture. The industry generates $6.9 billion annually and supports 32,542 jobs, with ripple effects across rural communities. Citrus groves also provide environmental benefits like aquifer recharge and wildlife habitats, covering 250,000 acres. Losing them to development means higher taxes, as developed properties are taxed at higher rates, and a cultural loss—citrus is Florida’s identity, not just beaches and theme parks. If small farmers vanish, Big Ag and developers win, and Floridians lose a vital piece of their state’s soul.
Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation: A Beacon of Hope
The Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation is stepping in where the USDA, Florida Department of Citrus, and Florida Citrus Commission have failed. The nonprofit foundation provides grants for replanting, and advocates for small citrus growers. Its Gift-A-Grove initiative restores abandoned groves, and its advocacy exposes the corporate bias of state agencies. The Foundation’s efforts are a lifeline for small farmers, but they can’t do it alone. Donate or volunteer today.
A Call to Action
Floridians must demand accountability from the USDA, Florida Department of Citrus, and Florida Citrus Commission. The future of Florida’s citrus industry—and its small farmers—depends on it.
Sources:
CWLRN: "The 20-year fight against citrus greening in Florida has farmers and researchers exhausted"
Florida Department of State: "The Citrus Industry in Florida"
USDA: "Crisis in the Citrus Groves"
USDA: "Saving Florida's Citrus Industry Through Collaboration and Innovation"
WUWF: "Florida's citrus industry continues to struggle plagued by disease and weather"
National Academies Press: "Strategic Planning for the Florida Citrus Industry"
Business Observer: "Citrus industry withers as Florida's groves flounder"
Florida Citrus Commission: "Florida Citrus Growers"
WUSF: "Florida's troubled citrus industry looks to the state for help"
Reuters: "Florida orange groves still shrinking, USDA says"
Florida Citrus: "Meet the Growers"
WUSF: "Orange you glad I didn't say banana? Impact of citrus on the economy"
Florida Phoenix: "Citrus industry, ‘decimated’ by greening, clings to hope, Simpson says"
Florida Today: "As Brevard's citrus industry declines, growers are feeling the squeeze"
Gulfshore Business: "Florida’s once-thriving citrus industry is on the decline"
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta: "Florida's Citrus Industry Faces an Uncertain Future"
Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation: "About Small Citrus Growers: The Facts"
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.
The time to act is now.
Save Florida Citrus Groves Foundation: Donate today to help save the future of the iconic Florida orange