Following a cold snap in Florida late last week and early this week, growers are breathing a sigh of relief and thankful that the preventative measures they took have paid off.
"For our strawberries, we made sure that we had as little red fruit as possible in the field," says Katie Bevilacqua of Golden Ridge Groves. "With strawberries, you're kind of darned if you do, darned if you don't with the water. If you have a lot of red berries and you run the water, you run the risk of them getting super soft and mushy. If you don't and the freeze is prolonged, then you get freeze burn and things like that on the plants. Thankfully we planned ahead and didn't end up needing to run the water at all."
© Golden Ridge Groves
That's good news given it's the first year Golden Ridge Groves is growing strawberries and Bevilacqua says the company has been particularly happy with yields and the quality of the berries for this first season.
On its citrus crops, Golden Ridge Groves did microjet irrigate these crops to insulate fruit and they made it through the cold temperatures. The company harvests Ruby Red grapefruit, Valencia and Vernia oranges. Its onsite market also carries Juicy Crunch and Orri tangerines, along with mandarins and Honeybells.
Aside from the recent cold temperatures, it's been a good season of growing conditions for Florida fruit. "We haven't had to deal with hurricanes, which is a major plus. We've had really nice weather most days with enough cold snaps for the strawberries in particular to really be in a good place. All in all, I think this season's weather has been really wonderful," says Bevilacqua.
The demand for Florida fruit
How about demand? "Demand is always good for high quality Florida fresh fruit," says Shane Bevilacqua, co-owner of the company. "It's fun watching the demand particularly for citrus in our market. People very much enjoy getting to experience different varieties and discuss their favourites with us."
© Golden Ridge Groves
In fact, the company started Golden Ridge Groves in part to tap into the nostalgia and desire for a place that showcased Florida citrus as it's historically known for. "We're seeing a lot of great results. There's been a lot of demand for our Citrus Under Protective Screen (CUPS) grapefruit and we've been able to showcase some experimental varieties that we're growing inside structures," says Katie Bevilacqua.
Shane Bevilacqua adds that the CUPS grapefruit yields especially look very promising this year. "The trees are maturing very nicely and we had great weather for growing," he adds.
For more information:
Katie Bevilacqua
Golden Ridge Groves
Tel: +1 863-340-1338
[email protected]
https://goldenridgegroves.com/
