History of Citrus in the Sunshine State

When most people think of Florida, their mind conjures up images of beaches or Disney World—maybe alligators or the latest Florida Man headline. But there was a time when Florida was synonymous with one thing: citrus. Florida was the country’s leading citrus producer, outranking even California. So, what happened? Yes, citrus greening is partly to blame. But that’s not the whole story. For answers, today we’ll be hearing from The Zest’s web and social media guru, Chandler Balkcom. He’s a second-year grad student studying history at the University of South Florida. He’s also a former student of Dr. Gary Mormino, who is an author, historian and Professor Emeritus in the USF Florida Studies program. Chandler asked Dr. Mormino to walk us through some of the key moments for Florida citrus, including its origins, how World War 2 led to the development of orange juice concentrate and Dr. Mormino’s predictions for the future of Florida’s citrus industry.Related episodes: Florida Fruit & Vegetable Gardening 101 Food Memories of Latin America The Man Behind the Robert Is Here Fruit Stand Students Dish on Dorm Food, Meal Prep and Cooking in College