A Sweet Start to Citrus Season 🍊

Visiting Florida Georgia Citrus in Monticello, FL

There’s nothing quite like that first taste of satsuma season. Last week, before our winter citrus route officially began, our team headed down to sunny Monticello, Florida to visit Florida Georgia Citrus — the family farm where our satsuma mandarins come from.

We were greeted by Kim Jones, the farmer behind these incredible fruits. Kim has been growing citrus for decades, and his passion for quality shows in every tree, grove, and smile. Walking through rows of deep green leaves and bright orange fruit, we could tell it was harvest time — the air smelled like sunshine and sweetness.

Kim shared how this year’s crop has been shaping up — ideal weather, healthy trees, and a strong first harvest. We even got to sample the very first satsumas of the season, and let’s just say: they did not disappoint. Sweet, juicy, and easy to peel — everything you want in a Tree-Ripe satsuma.

It’s always inspiring to spend time with our growers, especially right before the fruit makes its way north to all of you. Standing there in the groves, it’s easy to see why we do what we do: connecting families to real, farm-fresh flavor straight from people like Kim.

As we made our way through the grove, something caught our eye — the satsumas looked a little… grey! It turns out to be a rather clever farming practice.

Dale, another farmer at the orchard, explained that the fruit and trees are coated with a fine layer of kaolin clay. This natural clay acts like sunscreen and armor for the fruit — protecting it from intense sun exposure and keeping insects at bay. Once the fruit is picked, the clay is washed off completely, leaving behind bright, beautiful satsumas. It’s one of those simple but fascinating details that shows how much care and attention goes into growing truly exceptional fruit.