Fruit Processing, Marketing and Challenges in the Sunshine State

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Tour Cost: $79 (does not include lunch) Advance Registration Required Other Guides/Escorts: James Olmstead, Chris Oswalt, Alicia Whidden & Gary England The Florida fruit industry is a supplier of many diverse temperate and subtropical crops to American grocery stores, predominantly during the winter months. Florida is the nation’s largest producer of orange juice and associated citrus beverages; however this industry faces one of the most severe challenges in battling citrus greening. This tour will also allow participants to speak with fruit marketing, talk postharvest for berries, and highlight the largest Muscadine vineyard and winery in Florida. Itinerary Departure Time from the Rosen Plaza Hotel: 8:00 AM 9:00-9:45 AM SunnyRidge Berry Farm, Haines City, FL and Mixon Family Farms, Haines City, FL (http://www.sunnyridge.com/about/) Our family owned and operated enterprise includes several working parts. We are growers with company-owned acreage throughout Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Mexico. We also represent the finest growers from regions throughout North and South America We are packers and shippers with operating centers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Michigan, British Columbia, Mexico, Argentina and Chile. Just to name a few. We are marketers representing contracted growers of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries throughout the western hemisphere. 10:15-11:00 AM SunnyRidge Packing Facility, Winter Haven, FL 11:45-1:15 PM Bok Tower Botanical Gardens, Lake Wales, FL (http://boktowergardens.org/tower-gardens/the-gardens/) Enjoy the garden and lunch. Bok Tower Gardens has offered some of Florida’s most remarkable experiences to more than 23 million visitors since 1929. Through its historic landscape gardens, unique Singing Tower carillon and magnificent 1930s Mediterranean-style mansion, the Gardens offer unparalleled opportunities for artistic, cultural, personal and spiritual enrichment. Integral to Bok’s idea was the availability of a famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. Having made arrangements to buy land on the hilltop, Bok commissioned Olmsted to change this arid sandhill into "a spot of beauty second to none in the country.” The first year was spent digging trenches and laying water pipes for irrigation, after which rich black soil was brought by the thousands of loads. With the proper conditions for a subtropical garden in place, the planting of bushes and trees began to provide food for migrating birds. Today, these plantings provide shade to visitors as well as refuge for squirrels and 126 bird species. Created to entice wildlife to take residence, the Reflection Pool gives visitors one of the most memorable experiences in the Gardens. Its location captures the reflection of the Singing Tower and offers the first image visitors have when entering the gardens. 1:30-3:00 PM Florida’s Natural, A Division of Citrus World, Inc, Lake Wales, FL (http://www.floridasnatural.com/co-op/history) Tour juice plant; see juice extraction in process. Meet growers/board member to discuss industry challenges Florida's Natural Growers was organized in 1933 by growers who had a personal interest in bringing the best possible citrus products to the market. Today, we are one of the largest Florida citrus cooperatives of growers, with a membership base of 13 grower associations. The entire cooperative is made up of more than 1,000 grower-members who own more than 50,000 acres of fine citrus groves in the heart of central Florida. We own the land, and we personally nurture the fruit until it reaches peak ripeness. Because we process and package everything ourselves, we can guarantee the quality of our citrus juices. Citrus growing is a time-honored tradition in central Florida, one that has been passed down through generations. Meet just a few members of our grower family. Our grower families came together through Florida's Natural Growers to ensure that the knowledge and lands our grandfathers passed down to us continue to thrive and to cultivate the juiciest, best tasting oranges you can get anywhere in the world. As a grower-owned operation, we believe it's important to know exactly where your family's food and drinks come from. Our Florida’s Natural® Brand Premium juices are made and packaged right here in the U.S. so every time you pour a glass, you can be sure that it's always fresh and never imported. 4:00-5:30 PM Lakeridge Vineyards and Winery, Clermont, FL (http://www.lakeridgewinery.com/) Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards opened its doors in February 1989 in Clermont, Florida and sits on a 127-acre estate in gently rolling countryside some 25 miles west of downtown Orlando. This area was once the center of the State's grape industry. After years of phenomenal growth, Lakeridge ranks as Florida's largest premium winery, and remains a pioneer in the development of table and sparkling wines from muscadine and hybrid grapes. Vintage-dated varietals from hybrids such as Stover and Blanc Du Bois are produced and marketed along with blended and sparkling wines from native Muscadine grapes.