EXPERIMENTING WITH CITRUS

EXPERIMENTING WITH CITRUS

Limes and Lemons

By Alex Lucas, Communications Coordinator

RALPH CHAMBERLAIN is the general manager of Edentown Company, a 2,560-acre citrus farm in Charlotte County. Although owned by an outside stakeholder, Chamberlain takes responsibility for the farm as if it is his own.

Mature limes are ready for harvesting.

“My family grew up on this farm, my son learned how to drive out here and it’s what made him want to pursue a career in agriculture,” said Chamberlain.

He noted that after decades in agriculture, he still continues to be excited by the prospect of having success growing things on the farm and is willing to try to grow crops that are not widely grown in the state.

“If someone tells me something can’t be grown here, I want to prove them wrong,” he said.

Chamberlain praises the degree of freedom that he has been given to experiment on the farm.

Previously he has experimented with crops such as pomegranates and plums with little success. However, he

found a place growing peaches, which were sold in various stores across the southern half of the state.

Like many farmers and ranchers in Florida, Edentown Co. and Chamberlain took a big blow from both disease and poor weather conditions in the last few years.

Multiple disasters struck the farm, including citrus canker and then Hurricane Irma, which wiped out the peaches, and later, huanglongbing (also known as HLB or citrus greening disease). These disasters persuaded him to expand the citrus operation to include both limes and lemons. “Limes and lemons are traditionally grown in south Florida, near Miami, because of their sensitivity to the cold. There are a lot of opportunities for growing lemons and limes

Ralph Chamberlain, manager of Edentown Company.

Lemon blossoms on a tree.

in the state,” said Fredrick Gmitter, professor of citrus genetics at the University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center.

Limes have been growing in Florida since the 1830s, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. In the 1930s Persian (or Tahitian) limes were planted here and suited Florida’s environment. Total lime production peaked in the state during the mid-1980s.

However, commercial lime production in the United States declined and Florida’s production suffered after severe winter weather and citrus canker. With the decline of domestic production, Mexican limes became dominant in the U.S. market. Mexico supplies most of the limes consumed in this country.

Lemons have been a part of the Florida landscape since the 1800s. According to the Citrus Research and Education Center, the lemon can be a valuable product because of its uses as a fresh fruit, as a processed juice and as a source of oil extract.

“The real value of lemons is in the fruit’s peel oil,” said Gmitter.

Growing limes and lemons can be particularly difficult in Florida. Generally, the two varieties of citrus

do not tolerate cold weather. Despite their difficulty and the challenges that they present, Chamberlain has found success growing Persian limes and Bearss lemons.

A relatively small commodity in this state, usually reserved for backyard gardening, limes require more intensive work than other citrus varieties because they can be harvested three or four times a year.

The Bearss lemons also have a unique growing cycle compared to limes or oranges and are typically ready to harvest during the hottest months in Florida when labor is in short supply.

Chamberlain said the lime trees on the property have already been harvested within the first year of planting and he hopes to get at least three more in this growing season.

The addition of limes and lemons to the orange production means that the farm is harvesting nearly nine months per year.

“Our biggest challenge here is labor. Like most of the state we are having trouble finding enough labor to harvest throughout the year – particularly in the hot summer months and into August and September,” explained Chamberlain. The experimental crop of limes and lemons looks promising and

Chamberlain plans to expand the acreage of the crops.

Chamberlain is looking forward to new experiments. He is looking to start a trial of avocados on the farm.

Chamberlain‘s attitude and overall optimistic outlook is what got them through the particularly difficult last 18 months and helps him continue to expand the farms’ horizons.

With extensive wetlands on the property, the farm is also a rich habitat for native wildlife. As Chamberlain drove on the property recently, he pointed out a herd of deer, an American alligator and several species of birds. “Every day out here is a new adventure and one that I am excited to continue,” said Chamberlain.