tangerines were seeded under ten controlled enclosures. The cooperative is currently constructing 113 additional acres under screen in Phase 2 and has secured property for Phase 3 for an additional 75 acres under screen. The combined phases will give the association almost 300 acres under screen. “This is a totally different style of operation than we are accustomed to,” said Callaham. “We are producing more with less to grow a premium fruit. The C.U.P.S. system uses less water, pesticides and fertilizers and trees grow 2.5 times faster than outdoor groves.” A subsidiary of Dundee Citrus Growers, Dundee Agricultural Services, is the full caretaker of the C.U.P.S. “Caring for the groves is extremely specialized,” added Callaham. “It requires custom spraying equipment, vineyard-type tractors and hightech irrigation systems.” The first crop will be ready to be picked in the fall of 2020. Dundee Citrus Growers plans to market the citrus as a premium fruit being produced using sustainable growing practices in an environmentally-friendly grove. It has already attracted interest from international markets. Chad Roberts, Director of the Florida Agricultural Marketing Association in Leesburg, a Florida Farm Bureau affiliate, works with Dundee Citrus Growers on its own member gift fruit program. “Dundee handpackages our gift fruit boxes
during the holiday season,” said Roberts. “We are excited to see the first fruit produced under the C.U.P.S. program. It definitely sets a new standard for Florida citrus.” Todd Mudger is the Director of Fundraising and Gift Fruit Operation for Florida Classic Growers, a division of Dundee Citrus Growers. He said that the gift fruit industry has been around since the 1950s and it is always changing due to the dynamics of the industry. “We do what we do to serve the growers in our state,” said Mudger. When growers needed to diversify their crops to offset the citrus drop, Dundee Citrus Growers dedicated a packing line to peaches and two packing lines to blueberries. Citrus and other fruit are boxed in state-ofthe art facilities spanning more
Fruit is carefully inspected for quality before it is packed into boxes.
than 500,000 square-feet with a cooling capacity of nearly 100,000 square feet. “To see our growth and be part of those changes is rewarding,” added Mudger. “And with C.U.P.S., we are at the forefront of the industry.” An investment in new technology and being environmental stewards have always been important to Dundee Citrus Growers. As part of its fruit packing process, labels track cartons back to the grove or individual grower. Fruit is packed into 100-percent-recycled corrugated cartons and washed with recycled water. “Everything we are doing is positive for our growers, customers and employees,” said Callaham. “It brings a better, positive attitude to everything our company touches and that’s exciting.”
Fruit is stored in one of Dundee’s cooling facilities before it is shipped via truck line.
FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
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